I hate Rondo Music

[AdamBrad]

Re: I hate Rondo Music

For people looking at the Ibanez copy, they also do a neck-through mahogony version for $199:

http://www.rondomusic.com/product2074.html

 

[dominus]

Re: I hate Rondo Music

You know, this all has me thinking: Has any guitar company made a successful transition from direct-to-consumer to a dealer network? I mean, no one could do both for very long, but if these Agiles are that good, they should be able to hold up in retail stores at prices similar to the competition. Let's say that were true about some hypothetical direct guitar company. Could it abandon the direct approach and make a different distribution model work? You'd think they could dominate the market that way, in ways they couldn't do with selling only direct.

Rondo actually went the opposite way. They do have a music store, where they used to sell Fenders, Gibsons, etc.. I read that they're having better luck with direct sales.

http://www.mojocaster.com/mojo_rondo.htm

 

[sosomething]

Re: I hate Rondo Music

I have no experience with their guitars, but I made the mistake of buying one of their pedal boards/cases. I swear, the thing couldn't fall apart fast enough.

I had the same experience. The first time I opened mine, it was misaligned and bent it's own hinge completely backwards.

It's a good case for holding sh1t I don't care about. I has a nice footprint in my junk closet as well.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: I hate Rondo Music

I've modded a couple of Rondo Tele's that I'll put up against any Fender for playability and tone any day.
No I'm not kidding.

x2

I played literally every single MIM Standard Telecaster in both music stores withing 30 miles of me, about 20 guitars total, and then received an SX STL50 as a gift, and it plays better, is finished better, feels better, and resonates better than any of the 20 Fenders I played.

It is amazingly resonant and lively. It is probably vibrating right now :laughing:

Here is a video of me, playing my SX STL50. Only thing that's non-stock is a TUSQ nut.

 

[bluesbend]

Re: I hate Rondo Music

bluesbend, what model of Tele's are those? I LOVE that white one!

-gk

The ash Tele is an SX-STLAsh model. They no longer make these. The white one is an alder bodied SX-STL50.
On both guitars I changed out the pickups and electronics, I also reshaped the headstocks and stripped the polyester finnish off the neck.

 

[RealtyViking]

Re: I hate Rondo Music

The ash Tele is an SX-STLAsh model. They no longer make these. The white one is an alder bodied SX-STL50.
On both guitars I changed out the pickups and electronics, I also reshaped the headstocks and stripped the polyester finnish off the neck.

Is the headstock shape the only difference between the Furrian and the STL50?

How difficult was it to refinish the neck since I am digging the reshaped "tele" profile on your guitars?

 

[Frantic_Rock]

Re: I hate Rondo Music

I'd advise to stay away from those. I've been there. You will need to swap out most of the parts to make them enjoyable. Pickups, tuners, electornics (pots, wiring) all have to come out...

I would go with an agile instead, which has alnico 5 pickups, grover tuners, higher quality and nicer woods / top. Definitely stay away from those fake licenced floyd roses though. I had a fat strat SX guitar, and it was a nightmare with that floyd rose. Will not stay in tune.

I would recommend agile over SX. It is more money, but better value.

I do like the bare bones SX strats though - the SSTs. Keep in mind though that they are not authentic to true strat spec. All the screw spacings, bridge spacings, saddle spacings are different from my american Eric Johnson strat. They are not exact copies.

 

[Frantic_Rock]

Re: I hate Rondo Music

Sorry, just to summarize all my SX experiences so far:


1. Sunburst stratocaster. Maple neck. I like it a lot. Kept it stock. Needed a bit of fret leveling and polishing.

2. Sunburst mahogany strat. 2 P90s. I like it too.

3. SX 335 with no F Holes in Red. Swapped out the pickups and the tuners. I like it, but the body might be mystery wood, and not maple.

4. Ibanez destroyer copy. Mahogany. I liked that guitar a lot, but sold it because i had too many guitars.

5. Sunburst fat strat SX. Sold it because the floyd rose was a nightmare. The guy who bought it stripped it and 5150d it to hell, then sold it for 500!!! he may be lying though... but from what i could see in the pictures, it was my guitar 5150d to hell - indeed... i was blown away.

 

[sbecker67]

Re: I hate Rondo Music

I wouldn't buy anything in the Douglas line with any serious intentions. I have one that I keep down the shore as a beater. The SX Teles and Strats are very nice but any other model I would need to give some thought and a little research to before buying. ANYTHING from the Agile line I would buy without hesitation.

A good guitar is a good guitar and it shouldn't matter one bit where it came from or whose name is on the headstock. And for what i's worth, the Agiles are made in the same KOREAN factory that a dozen other name brand guitars, that so many of us would recommend without hesitation, are made.

 

[thespricket]

Re: I hate Rondo Music

I don't know what "gig hard" means, but yes I did take it to gigs. The latches broke within two months of purchase.

From now on I use a sturdy case with recessed latches or nothing at all.

I don't understand how they could break from any normal use. By gigging hard, I guess I mean doing anything other than opening it, closing it, putting it in your car, taking it out of your car, and sitting it on the ground where your feet can touch on the pedals it holds into place. That's about as far as I can imagine a pedal case being used.

 

[bluesbend]

Re: I hate Rondo Music

With changing out everything on my two SX's, it still cost me less for the two of them than it was going to cost for the Fender Lite Ash Tele that I was going to get.
This was a year and a half ago, when Fender decided to up all there prices by 25%.

Oh, the furian headstock doesn't look like it's got enough wood on it to reshape into a Tele look.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: I hate Rondo Music

I must agree
you can buy the guitar of your dreams and still have to change some stuff to make it just right
or you can buy the platform and build it out to your needs

most folks in this forum are of the latter group

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: I hate Rondo Music

I don't understand how they could break from any normal use. By gigging hard, I guess I mean doing anything other than opening it, closing it, putting it in your car, taking it out of your car, and sitting it on the ground where your feet can touch on the pedals it holds into place. That's about as far as I can imagine a pedal case being used.

The first problem was that one of the hinges bent and refused to work properly from that time forward. It bent incredibly easily considering it's designed to be stepped on.

I'm glad yours is fine, but any look at a "real" road case for comparison and you will see that these Rondo cases are not designed for any sort of professional level use (in case the price wasn't your first clue). A good case has hard steel corners and edges, solid (i.e. won't bend or warp if pressure is applied) sides, recessed hardware, and interior foam padding.

YGWYPF

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: I hate Rondo Music

lets assume I started one of these brick and mortars
stocked it with agiles and SX and douglas ( I've seen Douglas guitars in northern Phoenix when I was out there, though I cant remember the store )

people like you would come in play em
then because of the mark up to keep the lights on and employees clocking in
the sales taxes and local business fees and all the other stuff involved in brick and mortar retail
you or people like you would simply order online for Rondo
and I wouldnt have a business much longer

it really would be nice to try one

Carvin has a few store fronts in California
their business has been word of mouth and website/direct mail

I think they had a brick and mortar before going all direct and such

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: I hate Rondo Music

but to do the brick and mortar
one would limit the number of customers passing thru
you and I would no longer be "shopping" there
unable to visit the storefront
only local to the storefront would be customers

even the best guitar in the would would wither in the darkness of obscurity

 

[bluesbend]

Re: I hate Rondo Music

This is the a ghost.


A F@#CKIN' GHOST!!!!!!!!!



IT HAS NO MEANING.

 

[bluesbend]

Re: I hate Rondo Music

no.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: I hate Rondo Music

I like Rondo in ether
as a wish list of inexpensive beautiful guitars belong

the fantasy of how they would play intact

the dream, no the hope, is still alive

some things just cant be quantified

walled into ones brick and mortar
stamped with a sticker and valued among their peers

for some things are in a special place

beyond the judgment of mere mortals and ghosts


Rondo
where beginners begin the dream

 

[BloodRose]

Re: I hate Rondo Music

This gaudy thing will be mine soon: http://www.rondomusic.com/fulcrumpink.html

Been looking at it for months now.

The boys are gonna rock!! Vinnie vincent baby!!!

 

[bluesbend]

Re: I hate Rondo Music

I beg to differ. Let's try this: If Rhondo and Epiphone were in the same stores, could they coexist peacefully? At what price points? If one of them left the stores, who would it be, and why? How much would that depend on retail pricing? How much would it depend on dealer pricing?

You are ghost.

Boo.




Nothing.