Wide nut electric guitars

[mike o]

Hey you all. Please advise who makes a reasonably priced ($ 500ish) wide neck guitar. Prefer 1-7/8 at nut like my acoustics.

[dnf777]

2015 Les Paul jr. 1.8” nut. May not come in under $500, but maybe close.

[ChrisN]

Agile's LP copies (rondomusic.com) are high quality South Korean (World Guitar) and available in their "wide" neck version that measures 1.75" at the nut. Newer ones are neck-through construction ($550 new). Pickups are a little hot for my needs, but otherwise feels/plays the same as my Gibson LP Studio ('93), right down to the neck profile.

Big Lou makes/imports wide neck tele, LP and strat copies with 1 7/8 necks - cheap, too. https://www.biglouguitar.com/products/

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by ChrisN

Agile's LP copies (rondomusic.com) are high quality South Korean (World Guitar) and available in their "wide" neck version that measures 1.75" at the nut. Newer ones are neck-through construction ($550 new). Pickups are a little hot for my needs, but otherwise feels/plays the same as my Gibson LP Studio ('93), right down to the neck profile.

Big Lou makes/imports wide neck tele, LP and strat copies with 1 7/8 necks - cheap, too. https://www.biglouguitar.com/products/

Agile also started making dam wide necks at 1 7/8 for a while. Not sure if they are still in production or not.

https://www.rondomusic.com/AL-3010SECSB****Wide.html

[ChrisN]

Originally Posted by fitness1

Agile also started making dam wide necks at 1 7/8 for a while. Not sure if they are still in production or not.

https://www.rondomusic.com/AL-3010SECSB****Wide.html

True, true. I've seen a couple offered new on Reverb this year (none in stock now), so OP could check the Rondo Music store periodically, or contact Kurt via Reverb - https://reverb.com/shop/rondo-music?...e=agile&page=1

If Kurt is still taking/doing bespoke orders, that's another possibility.

[mike o]

Thanks for the info folks. I’ll look into those

Todd (Fitness). Been a long time. We met at Simon Fays when he just started building guitars. I kind of dropped off the forums for about 10 years. Gigging took over our virtual show and tell. Had a blast. Kayte and I had a nice run on 300 shows during five years in Florida. Then things changed, Kayte landed a sweet corporate job but weekly national travel didn’t work with weekend shows. So she threw me out of the band LOL. I went back to bass while still in Florida and stuck with it up to a few weeks ago do my last double show in Georgia. Back we’re I was before tired of late night gigs with bands playing too loud, fast, etc. plus COVID. TIME to pull it back and resurrect the duo with Kayte. Hope to be up and gigging by the spring. LIFE CYCLES, SEASONS OF LIFE, I don’t know. I just love mixing it up and most importantly performing. Will be super fun with Kayte back.

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by mike o

Thanks for the info folks. I’ll look into those

Todd (Fitness). Been a long time. We met at Simon Fays when he just started building guitars. I kind of dropped off the forums for about 10 years. Gigging took over our virtual show and tell. Had a blast. Kayte and I had a nice run on 300 shows during five years in Florida. Then things changed, Kayte landed a sweet corporate job but weekly national travel didn’t work with weekend shows. So she threw me out of the band LOL. I went back to bass while still in Florida and stuck with it up to a few weeks ago do my last double show in Georgia. Back we’re I was before tired of late night gigs with bands playing too loud, fast, etc. plus COVID. TIME to pull it back and resurrect the duo with Kayte. Hope to be up and gigging by the spring. LIFE CYCLES, SEASONS OF LIFE, I don’t know. I just love mixing it up and most importantly performing. Will be super fun with Kayte back.

I remember our meeting and that day well. I also remember some of the great live videos of the two of you back then. Glad to hear it's come full circle and you are going to back together again. I also remember that baritone of yours and how cool it was.

Good to have you back here again!

[mike o]

Thanks and good to be back. I did reach out to Rondo. They are OOS on wide necks for six months

https://www.rondomusic.com/product10638.html

[blews]

Check Reverb from time to time....There have been a few custom builds in the $500 - $1000 range that have had wide nut widths...There was a nice "T" style guitar out there that sold....and it was under $1,000....

It amazes me that most people play 1.65" or 1.6875" electrics....I can deal with a 1.6875" ( 11/16th ), but not a 1.65" nut...

Love my Eastman which has a 1.75" nut and my Chad Underwood has a 1-13/16th inch nut that I commissioned.....these two are so much easier to play....

Good luck in the hunt!

[Jimi2]

Yeah, Eastman makes some nice electrics with 1.75” necks. I have a t486 semi hollow that’s really nice , got it used for just a little over your specified price, if you can find a similar deal.

[lowrider]

Are those Agile guitars any good?

[ChrisN]

Originally Posted by lowrider

Are those Agile guitars any good?

Besides the poly coat and cheaper ceramic magnet pickups, my MCC3100 (1.75" nut) is flawless, and compares favorably to my '93 Gibson LP Studio (but the Agile is prettier). My LP has a 1 piece body, while I believe the Agile is a 2 piece (at the 3100 level it's 2 piece, below that, it goes to 3 piece, I believe, but check with Kurt). My 3100 has OK tuners, double-bound (three lawyers) body, neck, and headstock, an Ebony board (as does my LP), and decent hardware. These specs are not necessarily present on models below 3100.

The Agile is superior to my LP when it comes to neck angle. My LP has a 5+ degree angle which is a bit overset, and that means the bridge and bridge pickup and tailpiece have to sit up higher in the air than I like. Gibson designed for a 4 degree angle, but there are plenty out there +/- 1.5 degrees either way, as construction talent varied.

The Agile came perfectly set up - I had to change nothing - even the nut slots were perfect. Electronics were paint shielded in the body and foil shielded on the cover, nice solder and tie-up work, too. The ones coming in now are neck-through construction for $550.

I love my Agile and don't hesitate to recommend them. They were "the" deal back in the day, but lately there's more overseas competition, pricewise, so they look more expensive, but they remain an excellent value.

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by mike o

Hey you all. Please advise who makes a reasonably priced ($ 500ish) wide neck guitar. Prefer 1-7/8 at nut like my acoustics.

This is a Flat Strat I put together with a no-name 1 & 7/8" neck. I have since put a Warmoth Superwide on it, which is also 1 & 7/8", and very thick & deep.

Perhaps I could be persuaded to part with it.



Here's a video of what it sounds like:



Regards,
Howard Emerson

[mike o]

Update: I had ordered a Big Lou 335 type guitar with 1-7/8 nut. Never plugged it in. The set up made the guitar unplayable. Couldn’t get any sound on 1st fret. I guess the first fret was filed low? Made me uneasy about keeping it. The company did the right thing and offered to replace the guitar or refund including shipping. I took a chance on a very inexpensive guitar. I chose to return. Note: I’m sure someone else can be happy with a different guitar than I received at this price point. Just wasn’t for me.

After a bit of research I purchased a new Eastman T486sb with a 1-3/4 nut. Very pleased with this guitar. The 1-3/4 does give me enough room to play. No different than the Taylor 314 I cut my teeth on years ago. Sounds great plugged in with plenty of sound options from one guitar. My goal is to actually learn how to improvise lead guitar at 62! Just digging the warm jazzy tone has me inspired to try some jazz stuff too. On my way and very happy!

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by lowrider

Are those Agile guitars any good?

If I lived in the US I would have bought an Agile from Rondo Music by now just to give it a try. Rondo is the US distributor, no Canadian distributor. I've read many great things about them.