NGD: Agile Geodesic 62527

[littlebadboy]

Ordered last week via Reverb, and it's finally here! The interest free option was too difficult for me to ignore.

This is a headless 6-string multi-scale Geodesic 62527:

The good...
It was good to play out of the box after tuning. It is really light! I like the resonance of this guitar, it sounds good up and down the fret with no buzzing. The pickups are okay but doesn't get my WOW. Considering that it is slanted, it seems I that I will be stuck with it.

This is my first try with fan frets. I immediately got used to it. It's different in playability but has that "this makes sense" feel. I have a 28" baritone and it was difficult to play lead on the wider spaced upper frets. This guitar has a 27-25.5" scale and I thought a multiscale would be a better option.

This is my first time trying a headless and I think I am liking it!

It is a beautiful guitar for me! Plugged it into my rig, and it was definitely rocking!













The bad...
Although it is a beautiful guitar, I see some finish flaws. It seems the paint, or whatever is called, bled into the side borders.

Also, it didn't come with a manual. I have no idea how to change strings and intonate.







Electronics, the pots felt nice. I liked the volume and treble sweeps. The switch feels cheap. The jack is... is that acceptable for guitars? It doesn't have coil splits, but I don't mind. It would've been nice to have. I like parallel better though.


Because of the flaws, I am not sure if I will keep it. I suspect that this may be a b-stock. It seems I do not have luck with Agiles. The last one I had was a 7-string LP 2500 something. It was neck heavy as heck and the strings did not line up with the pickup poles by far. I returned it. However, the Hadean Tele I had before was perfect.

If I decide to keep it, I will make a demo video. Or, I may make one before returning.

Let's see.

Now... what string options are there for multi-scales? I'm thinking of going drop B.

[Valtteri]

Also, it didn't come with a manual. I have no idea how to change strings and intonate.

Bridge looks like a knockoff Strandberg bridge to me, so I imagine it working pretty similar to those.

[Webdood]

those finish flaws on the body look to me like the burl popping out on the edge of the Laminate. Since the edge of the laminate isn't colored they show up as dots or dark spots. The only real way around that is to carry the top color over the sides or with body binding.

[Chris]

I wouldn't sweat those finish flaws too much - it's an Agile. Their business model is that they are "the best inexpensive guitars" and I'd say they hit the nail on the head. It's a burl-top, fanned fret headless guitar for 600 bucks. You're not going to get a guitar that looks like that, at that price point, with flawless construction anywhere.

Cool looking fiddle man, just enjoy it.

[bigdave]

What Chris said and I would point out that those edge notchs look like where there was burl in the vaneer, that would not be a "issue" to me especially on a $600 guitar. Guys today spend too much time with a zoom lens.... plug that baby in a rip. Congrats.

[jacksonplayer]

I'd say that's a hell of a deal for $600. I'm not a big multi-scale fan, but it'd be interesting to try out for something like B or C Standard.

[Cameron]

Those finish "flaws" are exactly inline with a guitar in this price point. The "advantage" of buying other brands that are at local stores is you can try out a couple of the guitar you want and buy the one that sounds/looks/plays best. When buying online, you have to take the extra cost of return shipping and waiting and all the other hassles. If it sounds good and plays well, then maybe and, thats a strong maybe considering the above points, you could ask for a few bucks back to keep it.

[Chris]

What Chris said and I would point out that those edge notchs look like where there was burl in the vaneer, that would not be a "issue" to me especially on a $600 guitar. Guys today spend too much time with a zoom lens.... plug that baby in a rip. Congrats.

Right? Never go full Santuzzo.

[Darren]

those finish flaws on the body look to me like the burl popping out on the edge of the Laminate. Since the edge of the laminate isn't colored they show up as dots or dark spots. The only real way around that is to carry the top color over the sides or with body binding.

↑ This is exactly what's going on here.

[Darren]

That hardware actually looks pretty decent. I've seen some terrible-looking headless hardware, and this looks better than most.

It doesn't look like there are any bushings or washers between the tuner knobs and the body of the tuner. If you keep it, you may want to consider installing nylon washers (at the very least) or thrust bearings, which will make tuning much smoother.

[littlebadboy]

Thank you everyone!

That hardware actually looks pretty decent. I've seen some terrible-looking headless hardware, and this looks better than most.

It doesn't look like there are any bushings or washers between the tuner knobs and the body of the tuner. If you keep it, you may want to consider installing nylon washers (at the very least) or thrust bearings, which will make tuning much smoother.

Hey thanks, Darren!

What is a thrust bearing?

And, are these nylon washers?

[Naren]

Love that finish. Considering how cheap they are, I don't really consider any of those "flaws" to even be "flaws."

I wouldn't sweat those finish flaws too much - it's an Agile. Their business model is that they are "the best inexpensive guitars" and I'd say they hit the nail on the head. It's a burl-top, fanned fret headless guitar for 600 bucks. You're not going to get a guitar that looks like that, at that price point, with flawless construction anywhere.

Cool looking fiddle man, just enjoy it.

Agreed on all points. I was actually surprised when I was able to get my 8-string Agile for so cheap with some specs that on other brands would be rather pricey. Although it's the only Agile I've ever bought, I have bought guitars by other brands in a similar price point (mainly when I was a beginner / early on in my playing, so Agile didn't even exist yet back then), but those other guitars oftentimes had minor buzzing, crappy pickups, or more problematic flaws, whereas the Agile has none of that and actually has really nice pickups in it (obviously it's not perfect or anything. But very impressive for the price and specs, not to mention how playable it is and how it sounds).

[Randy]

Seconded on the awesome Agile 8 string thing. I had an Intrepid and it was actually the best sounding 8 string pickup I've heard, and I've heard a lot. Shame I let it go.

Back on topic, that's one heck of a model name.

[desertdweller]

The jack is... is that acceptable for guitars?

What's wrong with the jack? I have a couple Ibanez guitars and a Schecter with this. It's a standard long-thread, makes hookup to active pickups easy with the one pole for the battery if you replace the pickups.


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GD1JDV2...I2ONACYIH6SOX7

[Jeff]

Right? Never go full Santuzzo.

[Chris]

I'm just glad someone caught it, I thought it was pretty clever.

[Randy]

I'm just glad someone caught it, I thought it was pretty clever.

Hey, I was the original 'like' on that post!

Let's never forget Santuzzo, who got that baller Sterling JP sig but was epically depressed about it because idk, a misplaced eyelash landed on it when it came out of the case or he didn't like the angle of the 'X' on the screws holding his strap pin or something.

[littlebadboy]

Right? Never go full Santuzzo.

Let's never forget Santuzzo, who got that baller Sterling JP sig but was epically depressed about it because idk, a misplaced eyelash landed on it when it came out of the case or he didn't like the angle of the 'X' on the screws holding his strap pin or something.

I feel like I am missing something. Who or what is Santuzzo if I may ask?

[Surveyor 777]

I feel like I am missing something. Who or what is Santuzzo if I may ask?

Oh man, that's a name I haven't heard in a long time. Didn't he just show up out of nowhere, show off some great looking guitars but then complain about the tiniest things that you could barely see and ask if he should return them? I thought he had one of the first run of Ibanez Premiums but complained about some tiny, tiny thing and returned it.

Or am I thinking of 20 other guys like that?

[Phil]

Love that finish. Considering how cheap they are, I don't really consider any of those "flaws" to even be "flaws."

On my Gibson, they call that "character".

[Drew]

those finish flaws on the body look to me like the burl popping out on the edge of the Laminate. Since the edge of the laminate isn't colored they show up as dots or dark spots. The only real way around that is to carry the top color over the sides or with body binding.

Late to the party, but 100% this. Those close ups are the same section of the guitar, right? It's a burled top. Those dots aren't paint, that's the natural figuring of the wood, and if the paint stops at the edge of the body, and there happens to be some burling right at that edge, you WILL see a dark dot like that on the laminate where it meets the edge, unless the guitar is also bound.

Honestly, that looks pretty well finished, for an Agile.

[Randy]

Oh man, that's a name I haven't heard in a long time. Didn't he just show up out of nowhere, show off some great looking guitars but then complain about the tiniest things that you could barely see and ask if he should return them? I thought he had one of the first run of Ibanez Premiums but complained about some tiny, tiny thing and returned it.

Or am I thinking of 20 other guys like that?

Spot on my dude.

[Dominic]

Cool-looking whateverberg* #thank-fuck-it’s-not-a-Kieselwiesel

Guys today spend too much time with a zoom lens.... plug that baby in a rip. Congrats.

100% this. If that thing sounds and plays as good as it looks, thrash it live everywhere you can plug it in until the edges are at least as chipped and ragged as my trusty ’91 550’s(in my avi) which has marks from being smashed into all sorts of things including my own teeth. That hurt quite a bit, but was much funnier than the pain level.

What is a thrust bearing?

The compass direction in which I gyrate my pelvis toward someone/-thing I want to bang. :bananasex:

I feel like I am missing something. Who or what is Santuzzo if I may ask?

A Dutch shredder/fusion guy. He used to post on Sevenstring, I think, as well as on MG.org.