CUSTOM RONDO GUITARS

[Jim Mitchell]

Custom lap Steel Guitar

I think we all agree the RONDO 6 string Lap Steel is a steal for the money.
What if some one could buy a case say 100 of these from the factory in a PLAN JANE version.

The Steel Guitar Forum could sell them for a source of revenue for site support.

I bet you could get 100 orders in a week

What don’t we want on the Guitar
1. The pickup can go
2. The tuners can go
3. The bridge can go
4. No finish no sanding you can do that
5. No strings
6. The volume and tone controls and Knobs can go
7. The fret board can stay or go I know some would like to install their own mother of pearl inlays


What do we want
1. The case
2. The strap
3. The stand
4. The hardware that holds the strap on


How much would we want to buy it for
Say $75.00 PLUS THE PRICE OF THE STAND

MY SITE FREE C6 TABS
http://www.geocities.com/insp/SUPRO6420.html

[Bill Hatcher]

For another $25, I would rather have all the stuff you did not want.

[Jim Mitchell]

I just thru a price out there I do not thnk the next order of RONDO guitars will be $99.00 I guess about $125.00

I would take a business man to contact the factory and see what price they could get

And would the factory sell to any one but RONDO

now this guy in Brisbane Australia is selling the same guitar not under the RONDO name for $290.00
on FLEE BAY

Link to auction on eBay Australia.

And if BOB wanted to sell these he needs a profit

IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME

[Sonny Jenkins]

I'm thinking very seriously of building some "mass produced" 8 string guitars in addition to my custom built keyless guitars,,but they would be in the 225 to 250 range. I would need to believe there would be a demand for ,,,say,,,100 of them before I could do it.

[Gary Stevenson]

It almost looks like there could be an interest in a bare stock body ready to receive tuners. As to the pick/up, you would have to leave it bare, since each pick/up needs different cavity routing. And if that is the case, I don't see how anyone stateside could compete with the 60 to 80 dollar lap steel on Ebay. I don't think personally, I could make it pay, to just turn out bodies.

[Tom Pettingill]

It almost looks like there could be an interest in a bare stock body ready to receive tuners. As to the pick/up, you would have to leave it bare, since each pick/up needs different cavity routing. And if that is the case, I don't see how anyone stateside could compete with the 60 to 80 dollar lap steel on Ebay. I don't think personally, I could make it pay, to just turn out bodies.

I think there is some interest in a roll your own so to speak.
I've had requests for custom body only builds, drilled, routed, ready for finish and assembly that went well.
Though they were a little more involved than the SX.

At $100, the SX was like getting a kit with a nice case.
My guess is that to get pricing like Rondo on those, your order would need to be substantial.
Rondo no doubt goes through several containers full of SX gear each year.

[James Harrison]

I believe Team International Music Co. has only one distributor for each of their brands in each country.
I think Rondo Music is the only place you can buy an SX instrument in the USA.
James

[Tony Prior]

I think most folks would prefer the guitar to be PLAYED out of the box rather than a kit form or just the body.

What are we trying to get for $100 ?

Considering this one is available from MF for $79 with bag and leg pouch. I bought one, it arrived last week. It's really fun to play and hard to believe they sell em' for $79 with case and leg pouch. I am not sure what they had in mind for tuning as it came with 4 wound strings and 2 plain. Not really sure of the gauges. I did tune it strait up C6 and it sounds pretty good.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=513453

heres the Rondo, given it does look much better but how much better can it really be ? But I certainly would buy one for about $109 as stated .The body design is obviously much better but I doubt the parts are any better.

http://www.rondomusic.com/lg1bk.html

here's a few photo's of the Rogue which looks to be the same as the other low cost Lap Steels selling on EBAY with other brand names.

[Jim Mitchell]

I remember SOME-ONE saying and I quote

" I PAID $99.00 FOR A GUITAR CASE AND IT CAME WITH A GUITAR "

I do think the case has some good value

[Mark Mansueto]

That was a good line, Jim.

I paid $99 for my first SX and $109 for the second one and I bet they'll go up again since there seems to be a demand for these things. Obviously a great value.

If I were to buy another I'd be interested in the unfinished body and case version but I enjoy projects like that. Keep in mind though that the finished SX is a gig worthy guitar straight out of the box (except for the strings). I'm going to upgrade mine but only because the SX has the potential to be more than just a "good" guitar.

[John Burton]

I'm thinking very seriously of building some "mass produced" 8 string guitars in addition to my custom built keyless guitars,,but they would be in the 225 to 250 range. I would need to believe there would be a demand for ,,,say,,,100 of them before I could do it.

I really believe there would be interest. 250 price range sounds good. Heck, there really aren't any other 8 strings available for this price. The Morrell is 270, and while I own a six string Morrell that I really like, I'd never buy another. Workmanship/qaulity control just isn't there (Morrell).
On mine the silkscreened fret markers wher shifted about 1/4 inch toward the bridge. Had to modify bridge a little and mount a new nut made from a nut riser.
But I digress, point is there are no mid/low priced 8 stringers anywhere.

[Brad Bechtel]

But I digress, point is there are no mid/low priced 8 stringers anywhere.

There most certainly are! I guess it depends on your definition of "mid/low priced".

Try West Coast Steel Guitars, Gold Tone, Morrell Music, etc.

They are more expensive than the ridiculously low priced Rondo SX, but still very affordable. There probably isn't enough of a market to support an eight string steel guitar in the under $200 range, and I doubt the compromises needed to produce such a guitar for that price would leave players very happy.

[James Harrison]

I see some flak against the Morrell 8 string guitar. I have two 8 string Morrels, a 6 string SK, a RD340 resonator and an Emmons pedal steel. I play the Morrells more than the others and I like them. I moved the pickup on one Morrell, but it was not really needed, it was just a little off centered. I may sell a 2007 Morrell 8 string for $185.00 plus shipping in the lower 48 only, I am thinking I have more guitars than I need.
James

[Dom Franco]

I just bought an 8 string Morrell brand new from a local music store for $255.00. it sounds great!

I chose to move the bridge just a hair to center the pickup to the strings. With new D-Addario chromes this little baby sings.

Dom

[John Burton]

Well, let me repharase my opinion on Morrells.
I have a six string, maple (natural finish) "Pro" model, I really do like it and like the sound I get out of it in E13 (Don Helms type) Tuning. Really nice sounding instrument, especially after putting in a steel nut.
But..when I got it the bridge, nut and fret markings were simply off. A lot. I tried to contact Morrell, no response. I ended up first making a new fretboard, that worked for awhile. Then I decided to adjust the bridge and nut to match the original fretmarkings and remove the home made fret board I put on it. Now it's perfect.
Like I said I like the sound. Thick Maple and a good pickup is a wonderful thing!!
I'm just a little gun shy of Morrells "Quality Control". I mean how hard is it to use a ruler?
After reading your opinions on them..Maybe I should try one of their eight stringers..hmmm..
How is the pickup and string spacing on those on those stringers?

[George Piburn]

edit

[Jim Mitchell]

I just had a idea

What do Steel Guitar Players want

This could be a good past time for some retired player to start a product line

I am just a union man trying to make a living building CH47 Helicopters for the ARMY

[Alan Brookes]

Now Jim, you want a lap steel with no pickups, no tuners, no bridge, no nut, no fretboard, and, since you want to be able to use the pickups of your choice, you want no routing out, either. In order to use the tuners of your choice you would also need to have a blank headstock. To give you the opportunity to design your own body shape it would be better to leave that untouched too.

Suddenly your lap steel becomes a plank. You don't need to place a special order, just contact any luthiers' supply store and they will supply you with a body blank.

I'm reminded of the customer who went along to a bespoke taylor. "I want a suit made exactly to my specifications," he said. "Okay," said the taylor, "I've taken your measurements, now what exactly do you want ?"

"I want no pockets, no trim, no buttons, no cuffs, no lapels, no sleeves, no fly, no zips, no inside lining. How much will that cost ?"

"Well," said the taylor, "my suits usually run about $1,200, but with all these extras........"

[Jim Mitchell]

Now Jim, you want a lap steel with no pickups, no tuners, no bridge, no nut, no fretboard, and, since you want to be able to use the pickups of your choice, you want no routing out, either. In order to use the tuners of your choice you would also need to have a blank headstock. To give you the opportunity to design your own body shape it would be better to leave that untouched too.

Suddenly your lap steel becomes a plank. You don't need to place a special order, just contact any luthiers' supply store and they will supply you with a body blank.

I'm reminded of the customer who went along to a bespoke taylor. "I want a suit made exactly to my specifications," he said. "Okay," said the taylor, "I've taken your measurements, now what exactly do you want ?"

"I want no pockets, no trim, no buttons, no cuffs, no lapels, no sleeves, no fly, no zips, no inside lining. How much will that cost ?"

"Well," said the taylor, "my suits usually run about $1,200, but with all these extras........"

I my younger days I would buy radio kits and build them from HEATHKIT I could buy one ready made for half the price and I was not the only one

WHY DID WE DO IT ???????

Beside the fact we did not have computers yet to surff on
I DID BUILD A SINCLIAR anyone know what they were
LOOK HERE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_Research

and they are on EBAY FOR $100.00

[Alan Brookes]

Jim, we have a lot in common. I built the selfsame Heathkit during the 60s (or 70s: my memory isn't what it was !)
I, too, have three MultiKords, and I record on reel-to-reel.
...and I prefer Western Swing played on C6.

[Jim Mitchell]

ALEN,
WE MUST BE TWINS
Don't tell me you have AMERICAN FLYER TRAINS

[Alan Brookes]

No, but only because I was brought up in England and they didn't sell American Flyer there. I did have a Hornby Dublo train set, which developed into a lifelong hobby. Right now I have a layout which fills two rooms of the sub-basement and even runs through the crawl space.


Yes, we do seem to look a lot alike. I too have your magnificent physique.

[Steve Branscom]

Alan,
Is that a train form of GAS?

Through the crawl space? Is that like the long mountain tunnel? What happens if your maintenance crews haven't been doing their job and you get a derailment? Please tell me you don't have to belly crawl in to fix the derailment.

[Alan Brookes]

There aren't any switches is the crawlspace, just plain track, so the only time I have a derailment there is when a train is already derailed when it goes in. It's not a tunnel; the headroom is 6', so there's no climbing involved.

[Jim Mitchell]

Yes, we do seem to look a lot alike. I too have your magnificent physique.

Yes Alen we are in shape

ROUND IS A SHAPE

I never did like all of them sharp muscles shapes I like to round them out
No six pack abs for me I like the beer keg look

BUT We got muscles