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tjon901 « 8 String with an ebony fretboard »
Published on 06/03/11 at 07:56Agile is making a name for themselves now. They are really listening to what the guitar players want. Nowadays the guitar players want 8 strings.8 string guitars are very new on the market so there arent many of them. With this Agile guitar the cheapest 8 string may be the best. This guitar can be had in many different configurations. You have a choice between a 28 and 30 inch scale, with tremolo or hardtail hipshot bridge. You have a choice between one or two pickups which can be passive or EMG 808. The model I have has the hardtail hipshot bridge and a single EMG 808. It has a neck through construction with a 5 piece neck for stability which is important with all this tension on the neck. It has a single volume control. The ebony fretboard is clear with only fretmarkers on the side of the neck. The body is made from mahogany which gives a thick sound perfectly matched to the intent of this guitar.
UTILIZATION
It is obvious that you need big hands to play an 8 string. The neck is like a mile wide. The cutaways on the body are deep so you will have no problem reaching the high frets. The large frets let your notes and chords ring out cleanly. The body is beveled on the top so it doesnt dig into your arm like on some guitars. The ebony fretboard is super smooth and helps make playing on the big neck a lot easier.
SOUNDS
With guitars that go this low you need active pickups. With the low end on these guitars being so low you need the clarity that an active pickup provides. For even more clarity with the active pickups you can do the EMG 18v mod. You will need a tight amp setup to keep the sound from getting muddy. The ebony fretboard helps to add more brightness and clarity to the sound. The neck through construction gives extreme sustain and resonance throughout the whole guitar. It also adds more clarity to the sound as the pickup is mounted on the same piece of wood as the fretboard.
OVERALL OPINION
Agile guitars main vendor is rondomusic.com. These people have been listening to what guitar players want for years and have been offering them what they want at low prices. The 8 string thing is what is hot now and Rondo is giving the people what they want. It is great that you can get an 8 string now without having to go custom. These 8 strings have all the same features as the custom 8 strings except for the price. If you are looking to expand your sound and get into the 8 string realm this is your cheapest and possibly best bet.
UTILIZATION
It is obvious that you need big hands to play an 8 string. The neck is like a mile wide. The cutaways on the body are deep so you will have no problem reaching the high frets. The large frets let your notes and chords ring out cleanly. The body is beveled on the top so it doesnt dig into your arm like on some guitars. The ebony fretboard is super smooth and helps make playing on the big neck a lot easier.
SOUNDS
With guitars that go this low you need active pickups. With the low end on these guitars being so low you need the clarity that an active pickup provides. For even more clarity with the active pickups you can do the EMG 18v mod. You will need a tight amp setup to keep the sound from getting muddy. The ebony fretboard helps to add more brightness and clarity to the sound. The neck through construction gives extreme sustain and resonance throughout the whole guitar. It also adds more clarity to the sound as the pickup is mounted on the same piece of wood as the fretboard.
OVERALL OPINION
Agile guitars main vendor is rondomusic.com. These people have been listening to what guitar players want for years and have been offering them what they want at low prices. The 8 string thing is what is hot now and Rondo is giving the people what they want. It is great that you can get an 8 string now without having to go custom. These 8 strings have all the same features as the custom 8 strings except for the price. If you are looking to expand your sound and get into the 8 string realm this is your cheapest and possibly best bet.