# So if Legator is crap...



## Xfing (Dec 2, 2018)

Howdy folks! First post here.

I've fallen in love with the look of the Legator Ninja 300-Pro 9-string with the Midnight Burst Burl finish at first sight. This has got to be the best and most tasteful looking guitar I've ever seen.







Unfortunately, it's disappeared from the maker's website recently, just as I'm close to done saving up for it.

And then I read some of the threads here, mentioning how Legator is pretty much firewood quality in general. It has obviously made me wary of these guitars, but then again, I don't want to get a boring plain black Ibanez with a scale of 28 inches that'll have the 9 string be floppy at all times. Schecter Hellraiser is a bit out of my budget for the time being too, not to mention that guitar is also 28 in.

So I've been thinking about Agile. They're very decently priced and have some surprisingly favorable reviews. Any advice? I'm just after a well-made 9 string that looks nice to boot and has a 30-in scale. As for budget considerations, it's worth noting that I live in Europe, so there's pretty much no way around an import VAT tax and customs fee, which I need to account for. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!


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## MaxOfMetal (Dec 2, 2018)

Taking a gamble on importing an Agile is your best bet. Much better quality and appointments than Legator.


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## Xfing (Dec 2, 2018)

All I needed do know  

I only wonder how much more expensive they get if you order a custom finish. I'll need to contact them about this I suppose.


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## MaxOfMetal (Dec 2, 2018)

Xfing said:


> All I needed do know
> 
> I only wonder how much more expensive they get if you order a custom finish. I'll need to contact them about this I suppose.



Too much. 

Anything custom falls under their Custom Shop and practically doubles the price, as it's meant for ground-up custom builds and not small changes like a different color. 

Get the cheapest guitar that fits your spec requirements. If you like it, save for an aesthetic upgrade later.


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## Xfing (Dec 2, 2018)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Too much.
> 
> Anything custom falls under their Custom Shop and practically doubles the price, as it's meant for ground-up custom builds and not small changes like a different color.
> 
> Get the cheapest guitar that fits your spec requirements. If you like it, save for an aesthetic upgrade later.



That might be the way to go. Aesthetic and other changes can be done on-site at some luthier or something, greatly minimizing the costs, I suppose. Thanks for suggesting this, I'm usually wary of significant modifications.

BTW, is anyone aware of any Europe-based manufacturers, so that I could save those 300 dollars on shipping fees?


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## Xfing (Dec 2, 2018)

Ok, ordered this baby:





Hopefully the finish grows on me. If not, I'll have it re-done to something like the midnight burst burl, hopefully not for too much money >_>


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## Rollandbeast (Dec 2, 2018)

I actually like this finish lol ! too much burl guitars these days


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## Xfing (Dec 2, 2018)

Well I chose it over that other glossy black finish they had, that one felt awfully common, uninspired and canned to me. This one is quite pretty, but I can't help but be bothered by those 3 adidas stripes, lol 

Not saying it won't stop bothering me the very moment I start playing on the instrument. I can imagine that if it plays well, I'll grow to love it. Oh well, gotta wait for a few weeks until it ships now


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## Hollowway (Dec 2, 2018)

I LOVE Agiles. I’ve got some fancy-ass stuff these days, but Agiles punch way above their weight. I’ve never sold an Agile, because they’re value is just crazy good.

The only thing I’d recommend is that if you don’t jell with the EMGs (and do the 18 volt mod before deciding so) look into the Cepheus pups. You should be able to pick up a set on the cheap (though, 9s are rarer), and they’re amazing pickups at any price.


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## Bearitone (Dec 2, 2018)

I love my agile 828. I have yet to play another 8 string that can compare.


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## Xfing (Dec 3, 2018)

This is all sounding very encouraging! 

One thing tho - is the head of this guitar really as short as it shows in the pics, or is that an illusion becuase the head is bent downwards?


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## GunpointMetal (Dec 3, 2018)

Xfing said:


> This is all sounding very encouraging!
> 
> One thing tho - is the head of this guitar really as short as it shows in the pics, or is that an illusion becuase the head is bent downwards?


It definitely looks like its the right size for the body in real life. I have two of the Interceptor Pro 930s and they are fantastic guitars. I actually like the EMGs in mine because I'm tuned down (like two steps below standard on the bottom string) and the actives are little more clinical sounding, which is great at that tuning. Legator were blowing out the Josh Travis 9-strings for the holiday sales for like $800, so I'm thinking that the 9s aren't making them much money and they'll probably only do customs/signatures. I guess JT was the only one left with a 9, since Gianelli plays Schecter now.


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## Xfing (Dec 3, 2018)

GunpointMetal said:


> It definitely looks like its the right size for the body in real life. I have two of the Interceptor Pro 930s and they are fantastic guitars. I actually like the EMGs in mine because I'm tuned down (like two steps below standard on the bottom string) and the actives are little more clinical sounding, which is great at that tuning. Legator were blowing out the Josh Travis 9-strings for the holiday sales for like $800, so I'm thinking that the 9s aren't making them much money and they'll probably only do customs/signatures. I guess JT was the only one left with a 9, since Gianelli plays Schecter now.



Affirmative, the JT signature is the only model they've got left in the store. It doesn't look anywhere as good as the midnight burst burl though. I'd appreciate the impressions of someone who actually owns that guitar, since if it happens to be good and well-made, I might be interested in trading someday. That's how much I like these colors


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## Djentlover666 (Dec 4, 2018)

Agile, get agile, always get agile, agile, agile, agile. I love my agiles I have a 828 and a 930. And I'm either getting a 727 or a harley benton 7 string fan fret. My current 7 string is fine but I want a 27 inch scale 7 string. Mine is 26.5 inch scale.


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## Xfing (Dec 4, 2018)

Really surprised how good a reputation these guitars have. I'm getting more and more excited about the purchase by the moment


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## Djentlover666 (Dec 4, 2018)

And legator is good but overpriced. If you compare most of their models to agile. They are ridiculous. But I do love all the finishes they offer. My 9 string was only $700, neck through with emg 909s. and legator wants $1000 for a bolt on, with house brand passive pickups? And a maple neck, ewwww (mines ebony neck. With a black quilted body) again I'm not cutting them but the prices should be so high for a basic entry model is my point.


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## Mathemagician (Dec 4, 2018)

Yep Legator was basically just “Agile or worse” quality with a better marketing team. 

But in the US Agile has a fantastic return policy and their custom order pricing means you can get a really unique Korean made guitar at about the same price as anyone else’s top end Korean imports.


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## BrailleDecibel (Dec 4, 2018)

While we are on the subject of Agile, does anyone have experience with Hadean, also on the Rondo site? They have a super cheap RG8 clone that I was looking at, but have no clue if Agile's cheaper brands also carry that bang-for-the-buck status.


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## Bearitone (Dec 4, 2018)

Y’all should suggest Kurt does a run of 28.625” scale 6 string Septor elites 

i.e. “Septor Elite 628”

Dying for one!


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## Djentlover666 (Dec 4, 2018)

BrailleDecibel said:


> While we are on the subject of Agile, does anyone have experience with Hadean, also on the Rondo site? They have a super cheap RG8 clone that I was looking at, but have no clue if Agile's cheaper brands also carry that bang-for-the-buck status.


No but I imagine it's just as good as the 827 agiles but with possible crappy tuners and weak pickups. Would be good for nodding. But by the time you get it all done could of just gotten an agile 827.


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## BrailleDecibel (Dec 4, 2018)

Djentlover666 said:


> No but I imagine it's just as good as the 827 agiles but with possible crappy tuners and weak pickups. Would be good for nodding. But by the time you get it all done could of just gotten an agile 827.


Thanks for the help there! Probably wouldn't be worth it if I had to do all that to it, I like some of Agile's designs far more, and would probably go that way with it.


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## will_shred (Dec 4, 2018)

Tbh I don't understand why anyone would buy a legator when there are so many companies making the exact same stuff for the same price with much better reputations


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## Djentlover666 (Dec 5, 2018)

BrailleDecibel said:


> Thanks for the help there! Probably wouldn't be worth it if I had to do all that to it, I like some of Agile's designs far more, and would probably go that way with it.


I dont know if it's in the 8 string section but I would recommend getting the 827 in the 7 string section. It's amazing. And it looks like the picture. If you want a better look at it. Here:


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## Masoo2 (Dec 5, 2018)

will_shred said:


> Tbh I don't understand why anyone would buy a legator when there are so many companies making the exact same stuff for the same price with much better reputations


I'm gonna be completely honest, there's barely anyone else making 9s (let alone fanned 9s), affordable fanned 8s without stupid scale lengths or neutral fret placement, or headless guitars under $1000.

Their QC may be garbage, but don't act like there's a _ton_ of competition, especially considering how they're almost always on sale for 50-60% of retail cost.

The one I bought used off of Reverb two/three years ago had a few QC problems, but that was expected of a Chinese instrument. The neck on it was amazing though. 

Would I have paid more than $400? Probably not. But I'd say the same about any low end Chinese/Indo guitar that I've tried.


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## will_shred (Dec 5, 2018)

Masoo2 said:


> I'm gonna be completely honest, there's barely anyone else making 9s (let alone fanned 9s), affordable fanned 8s without stupid scale lengths or neutral fret placement, or headless guitars under $1000.
> 
> Their QC may be garbage, but don't act like there's a _ton_ of competition, especially considering how they're almost always on sale for 50-60% of retail cost.
> 
> ...



9 strings, true. Everything else, not so much.


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## Hollowway (Dec 6, 2018)

And Legator has some stupidly high priced stuff. I think THAT'S the issue. You can get a much better instrument. Like, who the hell is going to pay $4000 for their 9 string? I think they'd be a way more successful company if they dropped the high-priced-but-always-on-sale bullshit, and stopped trying to pretend they can make instruments worth $3000-$4000. Agile and Harley-Benton have great reputations, because they don't pretend to be super high end, and don't do the "ZOMG, it's a $1500 guitar marked down to $550!" stuff.


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## A-Branger (Dec 6, 2018)

Hollowway said:


> "ZOMG, it's a $1500 guitar marked down to $550!" stuff.



much savings
such offer
many sale
Wow!


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## laxu (Dec 6, 2018)

Hollowway said:


> And Legator has some stupidly high priced stuff. I think THAT'S the issue. You can get a much better instrument. Like, who the hell is going to pay $4000 for their 9 string? I think they'd be a way more successful company if they dropped the high-priced-but-always-on-sale bullshit, and stopped trying to pretend they can make instruments worth $3000-$4000. Agile and Harley-Benton have great reputations, because they don't pretend to be super high end, and don't do the "ZOMG, it's a $1500 guitar marked down to $550!" stuff.



I really hate this sales tactic. They aren't giving me a deal, they are just stating the _real_ retail price. Same for the "Oh look, it's so much cheaper than MSRP" pricing shit. Usually it's worth buying stuff like this only when it is on _actual_ sale.


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## GunpointMetal (Dec 6, 2018)

laxu said:


> I really hate this sales tactic. They aren't giving me a deal, they are just stating the _real_ retail price. Same for the "Oh look, it's so much cheaper than MSRP" pricing shit. Usually it's worth buying stuff like this only when it is on _actual_ sale.


Hey it works on soccer moms in department stores, why wouldn't work on guitarists? LMAO
"Hey I saved $1100 and I only had to spend $900 to do it!" *facepalm*


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## MaxOfMetal (Dec 6, 2018)

GunpointMetal said:


> Hey it works on soccer moms in department stores, why wouldn't work on guitarists? LMAO
> "Hey I saved $1100 and I only had to spend $900 to do it!" *facepalm*



Considering most NGDs for Legators say: "I got this for $$$ instead of $$$$!", it works on guitarists too!


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## spudmunkey (Dec 6, 2018)

GunpointMetal said:


> Hey it works on soccer moms in department stores, why wouldn't work on guitarists? LMAO
> "Hey I saved $1100 and I only had to spend $900 to do it!" *facepalm*



It reminds me of an episode of _Burns and Allen._ George Burns come home, and Gracie Allen tells him about how much money she saved. She heard that instead of using expensive whipping cream, you can use Carnation Evaporated Milk and a little lemon juice to make a whipped dessert topping. She heard that it can save 10 cents per serving...so she proceeds to fill her refrigerator with bowls of whipped Carnation Evaporated Milk, proclaiming, "look at how much money I've saved!"


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## GunpointMetal (Dec 6, 2018)

spudmunkey said:


> It reminds me of an episode of _Burns and Allen._ George Burns come home, and Gracie Allen tells him about how much money she saved. She heard that instead of using expensive whipping cream, you can use Carnation Evaporated Milk and a little lemon juice to make a whipped dessert topping. She heard that it can save 10 cents per serving...so she proceeds to fill her refrigerator with bowls of whipped Carnation Evaporated Milk, proclaiming, "look at how much money I've saved!"


Pretty much. I had an ex that was addicted to Kohl's. She would come home after spending $400 on crap she didn't need then point at the bottom of the receipt and say "Look, I save over $750!". No babe, ya didn't, you spend $400. Nothing in that store was ever sold for the price on the price tag. Not once, ever.


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## Andromalia (Dec 6, 2018)

To be honest, I pulled that card too when I bought my UltraTone: "Dear, I saved 4K" !


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## AwakenNoMore (Dec 6, 2018)

"If Legator is crap"
Sort of . . .
I might be biased.
Let me explain:
I wanted a left-handed fanned fret 8 string and Legator delivered for $400.
Finish, feel, balance and weight are absolutely fantastic.
Action, neck heel angle, fretwork and pickup quality are toilet.
I still think I came out on top. Better than an RG8 for me.


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## laxu (Dec 6, 2018)

AwakenNoMore said:


> "If Legator is crap"
> Sort of . . .
> I might be biased.
> Let me explain:
> ...



So you bought a say $600-800 guitar when you account for fixing those.


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## Xfing (Dec 6, 2018)

Ok guys, weird story - I got a refund for that payment from Rondo Music, since it turns out my debit cart wasn't properly confirmed on PayPal. Go figure 

So I've got a second chance to carefully consider this purchase. Any better recommendations in terms of finish, brand or anything else? Being honest, paying 50% of the value of the entire gutiar as a shipping fee is kinda brutal IMO, not to mention probably that same amount again as import tax.


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## Acaciastrain360 (Dec 7, 2018)

Xfing said:


> Ok guys, weird story - I got a refund for that payment from Rondo Music, since it turns out my debit cart wasn't properly confirmed on PayPal. Go figure
> 
> So I've got a second chance to carefully consider this purchase. Any better recommendations in terms of finish, brand or anything else? Being honest, paying 50% of the value of the entire gutiar as a shipping fee is kinda brutal IMO, not to mention probably that same amount again as import tax.


You from uk? I ended up buying second hand because of the whole import costing so much, with tax on top! So yeah, I just waited around until an immaculate one came up and I grabbed it!! 828’s are great!!


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## Djentlover666 (Dec 8, 2018)

Xfing said:


> Ok guys, weird story - I got a refund for that payment from Rondo Music, since it turns out my debit cart wasn't properly confirmed on PayPal. Go figure
> 
> So I've got a second chance to carefully consider this purchase. Any better recommendations in terms of finish, brand or anything else? Being honest, paying 50% of the value of the entire gutiar as a shipping fee is kinda brutal IMO, not to mention probably that same amount again as import tax.


Agiles worth it. Or get a ibanez rg8 and get a used Seymour duncan nazgul for the bridge.


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## BrailleDecibel (Dec 10, 2018)

Djentlover666 said:


> Agiles worth it. Or get a ibanez rg8 and get a used Seymour duncan nazgul for the bridge.


As the owner of an Ibanez RG8 with that exact same pickup in the bridge (and a Sentient in the neck), if Agile isn't anyone's bag, not just OP, DO THIS.


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## Xfing (Dec 16, 2018)

Ok, had some more problems with Agile. 

I decided to go for their black flame finish on a Septor Elite 930. First they prompted me to also buy a case for it ,as they don't ship outside of contiguous United States without those. Then 5 days ago I got a mail saying they don't currently have black flames due to a "stocking error" and that they'll be back in stock by January. Kind of getting tired of all these distractions and delays :< But I asked them if they plan to bring back the Lizard Burst finish, which I'd be even happier to purchase. Legator's not making any more 9-stringers until February so dunno... 

It almost feels as if fate is sending me a message here. "Wait for that legator you wanted". Funny, if I had had the money by the time they discounted them for the clearance sale, I'd have paid much less than for that Agile too.


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## Djentlover666 (Dec 16, 2018)

Xfing said:


> Ok, had some more problems with Agile.
> 
> I decided to go for their black flame finish on a Septor Elite 930. First they prompted me to also buy a case for it ,as they don't ship outside of contiguous United States without those. Then 5 days ago I got a mail saying they don't currently have black flames due to a "stocking error" and that they'll be back in stock by January. Kind of getting tired of all these distractions and delays :< But I asked them if they plan to bring back the Lizard Burst finish, which I'd be even happier to purchase. Legator's not making any more 9-stringers until February so dunno...
> 
> It almost feels as if fate is sending me a message here. "Wait for that legator you wanted". Funny, if I had had the money by the time they discounted them for the clearance sale, I'd have paid much less than for that Agile too.


That's unfortunate, but in the end it's your decision, your money. But agile can do no wrong in my eyes but that's just me. Or I just got super lucky both guitars idk. What model were you buying, the kahler one or the hardtail style bridge?


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## Djentlover666 (Dec 16, 2018)

Or get the ocean burst one. For some reason their pictures aren't the best. If you look at a few guitars the black flames and the ocean bursts look different. Your better off looking them up on Google or YouTube to get a "real life" look at them. When I bought my purple tribal 8 string I thought it was going to be pink bc of the picture but I was pleasantly surprised that it is a deep amazing purple!


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## Xfing (Dec 17, 2018)

Djentlover666 said:


> Or get the ocean burst one. For some reason their pictures aren't the best. If you look at a few guitars the black flames and the ocean bursts look different. Your better off looking them up on Google or YouTube to get a "real life" look at them. When I bought my purple tribal 8 string I thought it was going to be pink bc of the picture but I was pleasantly surprised that it is a deep amazing purple!



Well, the Ocean Burst would look awkward while playing some death metal or something  Then again, the other colors would look awkward playing anything else than metal. That's why I wanted that Legator so much, it looked universal, plain and simple.


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## GunpointMetal (Dec 17, 2018)

Xfing said:


> Well, the Ocean Burst would look awkward while playing some death metal or something


Ocean Burst for death metal would be great! I know I've pissed off a few elitists over the years playing on my purple burst Agiles, and those people deserve to be butthurt if something like a guitar finish is going to interrupt their enjoyment of a band.


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## Acaciastrain360 (Dec 17, 2018)

Xfing said:


> Well, the Ocean Burst would look awkward while playing some death metal or something  Then again, the other colors would look awkward playing anything else than metal. That's why I wanted that Legator so much, it looked universal, plain and simple.


The embedded video on the Rondo website for the interceptor pro 828 is a cover of After the Burial with (what I believe is) an ocean burst and it looks lovely and fits well


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## Mathemagician (Dec 17, 2018)

Agile’s oceanburst in matte is great looking in person. No regrets picking that finish.


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## Xfing (Dec 17, 2018)

Acaciastrain360 said:


> The embedded video on the Rondo website for the interceptor pro 828 is a cover of After the Burial with (what I believe is) an ocean burst and it looks lovely and fits well




Yeah, it does look good! 

But yeah, After the Burial is do-gooder metal. Playing something like Ulcerate with this on-stage wouldn't fly  

It's not because of elitists and/or trying to piss them off, I'd feel awkward myself. Just like I'd feel awkward if I had an entirely black, plain guitar like that nine-string Ibanez that's in their catalogue. 

Speaking of - is anyone aware of any other companies apart from Schecter, Ibanez, Legator and Agile who even make 9-string electric guitars? I'm curious if there exist any more.


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## GunpointMetal (Dec 17, 2018)

Xfing said:


> Speaking of - is anyone aware of any other companies apart from Schecter, Ibanez, Legator and Agile who even make 9-string electric guitars? I'm curious if there exist any more.


 I don't think any other manufacturers do, but you can order them custom from lots of places. Skervesen even makes a 10-string custom, which I really, really, really, really want.

I still say its more fun playing uber-dissonant shit on a "pretty" guitar, though...


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## ATRguitar91 (Dec 17, 2018)

Xfing said:


> Playing something like Ulcerate with this on-stage wouldn't fly


For years I played death metal with a blueburst (not sure of the exact finish) Agile and our other guitarist was using a hot pink Ibanez. 

No one ever said anything about it, and if anything I think a bright guitar helps attract eyeballs to you.


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## Djentlover666 (Dec 17, 2018)

I dont know what to say anymore.


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## Xfing (Dec 22, 2018)

BTW, am I right in fixating on a 30'' scale guitar? I think there's a pretty significant difference in the lowest string's elasticity afforded by the extra 2 inches. How haven't Ibanez and Schecter considered this yet?


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## KnightBrolaire (Dec 22, 2018)

Xfing said:


> BTW, am I right in fixating on a 30'' scale guitar? I think there's a pretty significant difference in the lowest string's elasticity afforded by the extra 2 inches. How haven't Ibanez and Schecter considered this yet?


30" scales are near impossible to find outside of agile, schecter and fender on production guitars. Schecter makes the hellcat vi and hellraiser vi, both of which have 30" scales, fender has bass vi jazzmasters, agile has 30" bass vi and regular guitars. Jackson made some limited run 30" soloists a while back, but good luck finding one. Ibanez makes the src6, which is more of a short scale bass than a 30" scaled guitar (but I've seen them set up as 30" scale guitars).


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## Djentlover666 (Dec 23, 2018)

Xfing said:


> BTW, am I right in fixating on a 30'' scale guitar? I think there's a pretty significant difference in the lowest string's elasticity afforded by the extra 2 inches. How haven't Ibanez and Schecter considered this yet?


YES! You want 30 inch scale for 9 string. 28 can work but 30 is better.


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## Lindmann (Dec 23, 2018)

KnightBrolaire said:


> 30" scales are near impossible to find outside of agile, schecter and fender on production guitars. Schecter makes the hellcat vi and hellraiser vi, both of which have 30" scales, fender has bass vi jazzmasters, agile has 30" bass vi and regular guitars. Jackson made some limited run 30" soloists a while back, but good luck finding one. Ibanez makes the src6, which is more of a short scale bass than a 30" scaled guitar (but I've seen them set up as 30" scale guitars).


And there's the OLP (licensed music man copies) MM5.
They appear on the used marked very rarely these days, but they are 30" and as they are very affordable, they are perfect for dipping your toe in 30" waters.

Edit: wait...are we talking about 9 string guitars here right now? If yes then disregard my post.


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## Xfing (Dec 24, 2018)

Well, Agile is going to have the black flame back in stock back in January, but Legator is launching a new portion of 9-stringers in February. If they bring back the midnight burst burl, I'm probably going to want to go for that one - thanks to its universal appearance. I'm hoping that after all those complaints Legator have stepped up their quality control and attention to detail when making the damn things.


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## Xfing (Feb 1, 2019)

Ok guys - so Legator say they'll only be doing 9-stringers as limited custom orders for now, meaning I can finally purchase an Agile with a clear conscience. 

I've done some reading and watching Youtube videos though, and I've been enlightened to the merits of multi-scale. I've therefore been thinking of getting a Pendulum Pro 92528 rather than a 30" Septor. I've got a few questions in regards to this:
- Are the passive Cepheus pickups good for playing all styles, or as non-versatile as the reviewers suggest? Is switching them out doable and will they fit in the slots?
- Is 28 5/8" enough to keep that 9th string from being floppy? Agile don't seem to have a 27-30" fanned fret available, and that 25.5" for the top string sounds very tempting, as it'll make bends and soloing naturally easy. That's pretty much my only concern, and it's the very reason I didn't want anything other than an Agile in the first place. 
- If I went for a 30" Septor or Interceptor, would the high strings still be at least somewhat bendable? I wouldn't want to sacrifice the soloing part of my playing, since I like practicing arpeggios etc. 
- Is there a 27-30" alternative available? Since 7-string guitars mostly have around 27" scales, that would probably make the higher strings better to play fast on.

Thx for your input!


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## trem licking (Feb 1, 2019)

Xfing said:


> Ok guys - so Legator say they'll only be doing 9-stringers as limited custom orders for now, meaning I can finally purchase an Agile with a clear conscience.
> 
> I've done some reading and watching Youtube videos though, and I've been enlightened to the merits of multi-scale. I've therefore been thinking of getting a Pendulum Pro 92528 rather than a 30" Septor. I've got a few questions in regards to this:
> - Are the passive Cepheus pickups good for playing all styles, or as non-versatile as the reviewers suggest? Is switching them out doable and will they fit in the slots?
> ...



agile does make 27-30" scale guitars, they just might not have them in stock right now. if you wait for the custom shop to open again or email kurt, you should be able to get one. if you get a fanned fret guitar, switching pickups is going to be much more difficult... i think the cepheus pickups are fine but i'm not picky at all when it comes to pickups, as i just tailor the amp/pedals to make them work. 

as far as whether you should get fanned or not... it's really just a shot in the dark if you cant try them out. I personally cannot stand fanned fret guitars, as they make some chords harder for me to play and i hear/feel no benefit at all to having the progressive scale length. as far as a straight scale 30" goes, i have a 9 string 30" guitar and i can solo/bend on it just fine. i put a .007 or .008 for high E and it feels roughly the same as any other 25-27" scale guitar. 

either way, rondomusic has an excellent return policy and service if you live in the US so you could get a fanned guitar to try if you dont mind the hassle of possibly sending it back.


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## Xfing (Feb 1, 2019)

trem licking said:


> agile does make 27-30" scale guitars, they just might not have them in stock right now. if you wait for the custom shop to open again or email kurt, you should be able to get one. if you get a fanned fret guitar, switching pickups is going to be much more difficult... i think the cepheus pickups are fine but i'm not picky at all when it comes to pickups, as i just tailor the amp/pedals to make them work. I might contact Kurt like you suggested.



Well, from what I see, they're just regular pickups, but placed at an angle, so they probably shouldn't be that much tougher to switch out than straight placed ones? 



> as far as whether you should get fanned or not... it's really just a shot in the dark if you cant try them out. I personally cannot stand fanned fret guitars, as they make some chords harder for me to play and i hear/feel no benefit at all to having the progressive scale length.



Well I suppose it's mostly about the low strings not being too floppy and the high ones not being too tense. Pro guitarists are all tooting the multiscales' horn for this very reason.



> as far as a straight scale 30" goes, i have a 9 string 30" guitar and i can solo/bend on it just fine. i put a .007 or .008 for high E and it feels roughly the same as any other 25-27" scale guitar.



How are such thin strings not breaking for you all the time with this scale length? :OOOOO


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## trem licking (Feb 1, 2019)

Xfing said:


> Well, from what I see, they're just regular pickups, but placed at an angle, so they probably shouldn't be that much tougher to switch out than straight placed ones?
> 
> 
> 
> ...




they are regular pickups, but i believe they are oversized to compensate for the angle, ie 8 string fanned guitars have 9 string pickups, 9 string have 10 string straight scale pickups etc etc.

fanned frets are purely personal preference, and there are far more "pro" guitar players playing straight scale than fanned

I have a .008 on my 30" agile for the high E and i regularly bend a whole step with it. it's been on there for... years now? it wont be a problem trust me


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## Djentlover666 (Feb 1, 2019)

The cepheus pickups are good. I keep hearing they are modeled after the lungren pickups (meshuggah). 28 inch scale is just enough for C maybe B, any lower and you'll need too thick of string. Highly recommend getting a 30 inch scale 9 string and just use lighter gauges. 7-42 then 54 or 62 for the 7th, then 74 or 80 for the 8th, then 90 for the 9th string. All depends on your tuning. I use 7-42 with a 64 then an 80 then a 90 but might drop the 7th down to a 60. I usually tune adadccgg#e (the 5th string is c 16 cents sharp) or AEAEADGBE


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## Xfing (Feb 2, 2019)

Djentlover666 said:


> The cepheus pickups are good. I keep hearing they are modeled after the lungren pickups (meshuggah). 28 inch scale is just enough for C maybe B, any lower and you'll need too thick of string. Highly recommend getting a 30 inch scale 9 string and just use lighter gauges. 7-42 then 54 or 62 for the 7th, then 74 or 80 for the 8th, then 90 for the 9th string. All depends on your tuning. I use 7-42 with a 64 then an 80 then a 90 but might drop the 7th down to a 60. I usually tune adadccgg#e (the 5th string is c 16 cents sharp) or AEAEADGBE



Well I don't intend to be messing around with tunings too much on that guitar - that's the point of having a guitar with such an extended scale, now isn't it? I'll be keeping to standard - C#F#BEADGBE.




trem licking said:


> fanned frets are purely personal preference, and there are far more "pro" guitar players playing straight scale than fanned



Absolutely true, but consider that multiscales and fanned frets are a relatively recent invention only gaining ground recently. And it was born precisely of the complaints from extended range guitar users - that their lowest string is too floppy, or that their highest is too tense, affecting both sound and playability.



> I have a .008 on my 30" agile for the high E and i regularly bend a whole step with it. it's been on there for... years now? it wont be a problem trust me



Oh well, you've allayed my concerns I guess. 30" then it is. As far as fanned fret multiscales go, I'll probably get a 6 string bass of that variety. The string gauge variance on basses is bigger, so they're the ones that really need multiple scales the most.


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## Djentlover666 (Feb 2, 2019)

Can always go lower, idk why but, not plying in any form of drop feels weird/dirty/wrong. When I get a 6 string i can guarantee I'm not tuning any higher that drop c.


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## Xfing (Feb 13, 2019)

My Septor 930 black flame arrived today! Wonderful instrument. Could use a fatter bottom string definitely, 0.90 is a bit floppy even with 30 inches. Still playable though. The entire instrument is - I was a bit afraid how I'd handle such a thick neck, but I can actually do barres across the entire neck on lower frets, so guess it's not all that bad. Broke the high E string by stupidly trying to shorten the scale for it while the string was fully tuned, luckily I had a replacement on hand. 

So, if I wanted to buy a .100 are these virtually bass strings, or are they actually a different kind of string?


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## trem licking (Feb 13, 2019)

Xfing said:


> My Septor 930 black flame arrived today! Wonderful instrument. Could use a fatter bottom string definitely, 0.90 is a bit floppy even with 30 inches. Still playable though. The entire instrument is - I was a bit afraid how I'd handle such a thick neck, but I can actually do barres across the entire neck on lower frets, so guess it's not all that bad. Broke the high E string by stupidly trying to shorten the scale for it while the string was fully tuned, luckily I had a replacement on hand.
> 
> So, if I wanted to buy a .100 are these virtually bass strings, or are they actually a different kind of string?



I'm pretty sure the strings are constructed differently (bass/guitar). usually the ball end is bigger for one and the core is thicker too i believe, on bass strings. I get the huge strings for mine from Labella.


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## Djentlover666 (Feb 13, 2019)

.090 is enough. I go down to A most of the time. At first I thought the same but then I got a .105 from ernieball and it felt the same so I just went back to .090. I'm trying labella strings .092 only bc they taper at both ends so I won't have to unravel the end fir the tuner. I'm too scared to drill the tuner. And the strings on all of rondo's agile guitars are from labella.


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## Djentlover666 (Feb 13, 2019)

And bass strings are different than guitar strings. Bass strings are double wound as far as I know.


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## Xfing (Feb 14, 2019)

Well, I did eliminate the fret buzz by making the action on the 9th string a bit higher, but it's still too floppy for tremolo picking (though pretty good for anything else). I tried looking for .100s on Labella's website, but I'm piss poor at that. Could someone link me to that product please?


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## Djentlover666 (Feb 14, 2019)

Xfing said:


> Well, I did eliminate the fret buzz by making the action on the 9th string a bit higher, but it's still too floppy for tremolo picking (though pretty good for anything else). I tried looking for .100s on Labella's website, but I'm piss poor at that. Could someone link me to that product please?


http://www.labella.com/strings/category/wound-strings-above-100-build-a-custom-electric-guitar-set/ click on the scroll bar that says nickle wound, it goes from 100 to 125 I think I saw. And you'll have to put you guitar model in where it asks below the price.


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