Guitars With Jon Way Episode 14 Raven West Guitars RM300DX

[Tony23533]

Ran a blind test with both up against my Gibson Les Paul Standard Traditional Pro which has in it BurstBucker 3 and a '57 Classic humbucker. Blind test was using members of the band I play in and through a Pevey 75 watt modeling amp. The results of the test in short, were that between the Agile and Gibson the guess on which was which was about 50%. Was hard for them to hear the difference. They picked the Rm out everytime between both the gibson and Agile. Rw sounds ok pup change coming 4 it.

[Tony23533]

Crazymike1706, You are mistaken. The AL 3000 to 3110 all come with triple edge binding. The AL 3100 comes with Solid mahogany (not a multi-ply!) arch top body

Graph Tec NVS 2 Bridge with string saver saddles , Tusq nut, Alnico V Humbuckers and is quite easy to tone tap by simply installing push pull pots and conecting the wires already there.

TONE! Umm Agile is Awsome compared to my RW. Granted the Abolone looks better on the RW, but the Agile tone wise, smokes my RW.

[Tony23533]

I own one each Al 3110 and a Rw Rm300DX in Sun quilt finish. The Rm was a bit less expensive than the AL 3110. RM cost me 329.00 and the Al cost me 429.00. Rm came with VOICED HUMBUCKERS BY G+B) and the AL came with Alnico V humbuckers. In short, my Agile is a whole lot more guitar than the RW. I also own a Gibson Les Paul Standard Traditional Pro. Hard to tell the diffence in tone between the Gibson and Agile. Gibson has BurstBucker 3 and '57 Classic pickups.

[crazymike1706]

How would you compare these to the Agile 3100 line?

[brianway1]

@crazymike1706

I'd say they are pretty evenly matched. Different features, but the build quality is close.

[ncemt]

@crazymike1706 I like the RW guitars better. I think the RWG have higher grade quilt and flame tops than the Agiles, both use real flame or quilt tops and not photofinishes or veneers. Also the RWG seem to have a sweeter tone. I did lots of research on both and I made sure I found a way to play both. I ordered the RWG RM300DX in Lizard Quilt. The tone it has, and not to mention the abalone block inlays, body binding, and headstock binding that Agiles don't have made me decide to buy the RWG.

[ncemt]

@crazymike1706 I like the RW guitars better. I think the RWG have higher grade quilt and flame tops than the Agiles, both use real flame or quilt tops and not photofinishes or veneers. Also the RWG seem to have a sweeter tone. I did lots of research on both and I made sure I found a way to play both. I ordered the RWG RM300DX in Lizard Quilt. The tone it has, and not to mention the abalone block inlays, body binding, and headstock binding that Agiles don't have made me decide to buy the RWG.

[Greenie93]

Sure is a beauty. I definitely have to look into these guitars!

[xxguitarhero48xx]

RWG vs. Michael Dolsey in quality, what do you think?

[Hysteriskull]

More stuff from the Un Sung factory in Incheon, South Korea.

If this is true to most of the stuff they produce, the top is just a veneer and everything that looks like Mahogany is really just Sapele.

The binding makes it easy to veneer the top, back and sides so it's quite possible the body is just basswood.

That would explain how microphonic the pickups sound. Duncans don't do that in mahogany.

A few years ago this same factory was calling extra dark, close grained rosewood Macassar Ebony.

[brianway1]

@Hysteriskull

I thought these were coming out of the Wolf factory in Korea. No question about the quilt top being veneer, but on mine the veneer is on a piece of maple (not 3/4" like a les paul), and the body is mahogany. This one has the wood grain that runs consistantly from the back to the sides, but I can't speak for the others that came out later in the 90s. There has been a lot of magic trick rosewood to ebony boards put in a few guitar lines now. pick one. rosewood OR ebony; right?

[Hysteriskull]

@brianway1

Wolf isn't actually a manufacturer. They're just a trading company.

[brianway1]

@Hysteriskull good info..thanks

[brianway1]

@MrXAVIERDB

You too my friend

[brianway1]

@MrXAVIERDB

Glad to hear you got one. They are great. Enjoy it and thanks for the comment. Let your wife know she can't go crazy until you have at least 60 guitars. Enjoy

[MusicToMyEars36]

which would u say ,in your preference is better playability? the Agile 3000 or this raven west guitar

[brianway1]

@MusicToMyEars36

My AL3000 is nice, but this RWG has a 1 piece mahogany body which helps this baby sustain. The RWG wins this hand.

[MusicToMyEars36]

@brianway1 cool, thanx for your input.

[brianway1]

@MusicToMyEars36

We share your passion

[MrGuitarcovers10]

thats a real beautiful guitar 

[luiscelis01]

I bougth one of them last months and I need new pickups. what is a good pickups for this guitar.

Just for curiosity if I would like to buy another guitar in this les paul style better than raven west whitch one do you recomend.

Thanks

Luis Celis

[luiscelis01]

I bougth one of them last months and I need new pickups. what is a good pickups for this guitar.

Just for curiosity if I would like to buy another guitar in this les paul style better than raven west whitch one do you recomend.

Thanks

Luis Celis

[brianway1]

@luiscelis01

Mine has Seymour Duncan 59' pickups. You might like those, and you may want to take the guitar to a luthier to clean up the frets.

Another Les Paul style you may enjoy is the LTD EC-1000. You can check it out on Guitars with Jon Way Episode 35.

[multiplybyseven]

ANOTHER QUESTION...

have you played any of the Xavier Guitars by guitar Fetish? If so, what are your thoughts?

[brianway1]

@multiplybyseven

Haven't yet, but we'll check them out. I don't know if they make any lefties.

[multiplybyseven]

thx brian...have you had any experience with the mini-humbuckers on the Agile 3100?

[brianway1]

@multiplybyseven

Sorry, no we haven't had the opportunity to try the AL with mini humbuckers. However episode 21 features a Dillion with mini Humbuckers and because both guitars are made in korea, the pickups are probably similar. Hope this helps

[multiplybyseven]

Agile vs. Raven West?

[brianway1]

@multiplybyseven

Tough question. AL2000 vs. RWG RM300DX. No contest. RWG. Agile AL3000 vs. RWG RM300DX..........well 2piece mahogany vs. 1piece body front binding vs. front and back binding ebony vs. rosewood fingerboard and flame vs. quilt top. Both are really nice. If you could get both you'd be pleased.

[goodwilldaniel]

can someone tell me where i can get replacement parts for this same guitar. i need a bolt for the input jack but i cant seem to find one that works, they told me it was company specific. and my guitar is currently rigged in a very bad way to allow me to play it. please help if you can.

[brianway1]

@goodwilldaniel

Do you mean a screw for the input jack plate, or do you mean a nut for the input jack threads. You can replace the input jack itself pretty easily. Stewart MacDonald has a catalog with almost anything you can imagine for your guitar. Hope this helps.

[J1MB08]

Finally found someone who reviews Lefty guitars! WIN

[villainmaster1]

such a decent guitar ,, i might add the body on these are not solid one piece mahogany ! they have a mahogany 1/16" veiner on the back and the top is just a 1/16" maple veiner aswell (fact) also the middle wood of the body is not the same mahogany say like gibson uses american (usa) mahogany its the cheaper over sea's nato mahogyany big difference in grain density & quality of tone wood( also fact) the neck is several pieces dont get me wrong for 300 a awesome beginers guitar !!!!!

[brianway1]

@villainmaster1

Thanks for watching. I agree with you on the the top. The quilted maple is a thin veneer, but the body, at least on mine, is truly a one piece mahagany body. I've seen several of these guitars for sale, and I've yet to find another one piece back, sometimes two or more, but I agree that the mahogany does not have the same close grain you'd find in a Gibson Les Paul. The neck on mine uses a neck splice like Ibanez uses. We agree it's a lot of guitar for the buck.

[jjdpro]

Too MUch Verb..

[zakalwe101]

I have the exact same guitar and I have to say it is a beauty, utterly gorgeous finish - definitely the best looking guitar I've seen. My only complaint is it is really, really, heavy, (I'm just a little guy lol) so more often than not I play my RWG 570T instead.

[brianway1]

@zakalwe101

Yeah she's heavy, but what a sound. :)

[itsdizzylizzy]

My only disslike is neck could be fatter but is a personal feel thing.

[itsdizzylizzy]

Got exactly same axe. Excellent right out of box & sounds good with stock pickups. Can improve by putting in duncans but not necessary. Its better action than my Gibson Classic.That says something bout Gibson quality these days.

[brianway1]

We agree.

[zorky101]

how much would a guitar like that cost? and also, how is the action? is it satisfyingly low?

[brianway1]

@zorky101

About $400 from Raven West Guitar in California, and yes the action is nice and low

[synystergates151]

does it always click like that when you change the 3 way switch?

[jonway100]

Yes. Thanks for the comment. Maybe I'll put a switchcraft switch in.

[goemonronin]

Nice, not bad shredding either Jon

[jonway100]

@goemonronin

Thanks........more to come

[kennosen1]

Thanks for the review.

[Lenonx2]

muy lindaa !!!! quiero saber si tienen un sitio pa ver los modelos !!???