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Topic: Mods to an Asher Electro Hawaiian Junior |
Mark Brooks
From:
California, USA
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Posted 12 Jul 2015 12:41 pm |
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Couldn't resist sharing the mods I just completed on my Asher Electro Hawaiian Junior:
More details and pix are here: http://onefoursix.com/eh.html
:-)
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Mark
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I'm new around here... |
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K Maul
From:
Hadley, NY/Hobe Sound, FL
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Posted 13 Jul 2015 6:15 am
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| Nice-did something similar to mine. GFS Gretsch style pickup in the bridge,Deathbucker in the neck and put the newer Hipshot straight bridge on. |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 17 Jul 2015 2:27 pm
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Cool upgrades!
I actually have one on the way next week from Bill in the tobacco sunburst finish with the upgraded electronics kit including Lollar Imperial humbuckers and the belly bar for standup playing with a strap.
I really like the Hipshot locking tuners on there, that might be my fist additional upgrade at some point down the line.
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Mark |
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Terry VunCannon
From:
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 16 Jan 2016 10:39 pm
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I put Lollar Phat Cats in mine. Custom wiring with two volume knobs. Asher is a great lap steel.
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Dave Rodgers
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 18 Jan 2016 2:31 am
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Is the Hipshot straight bridge a direct swap for the older style wrap around bridge or do the holes in the body have to be modified at all ?
I've never had a big problem with the curvature on the old style bridge on my pre 2011 'E H junior' but the bridge now has grooves with sharp edges worn in by the strings and for that reason only i'm considering replacement. |
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Terry VunCannon
From:
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 18 Jan 2016 6:39 am
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| Call Asher direct Dave, they will know the exact measurements and may know about the mod. |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 18 Jan 2016 7:48 am
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Terry, the "pin striping" looks really cool. Did this come from Bill when you ordered the guitar, or was it an aftermarket thing done in your neck of the woods?
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Mark |
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Terry VunCannon
From:
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 18 Jan 2016 12:34 pm
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Mark, I added this. It was done by artist Wayne Jarrett here in NC. He also did the Silverbird guitar for Guitar Player Magazine...
He has done work for Billy Gibbons, Prince, Jeff Cook and others thru the years. |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 2 Feb 2016 2:51 pm
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Thanks Terry.
I ordered this Electro-Hawaiian Jr. from Bill Asher last summer. I wanted a quality lap steel for standup playing with a strap, sort of a poor man's Jerry Douglas, or Cindy Cashdollar vibe - though she's a lot prettier than I am. I really wanted one of Bill's hand-built in L.A. Electro Hawaiians, but I had a budget to work with and they start at around $2500, which means the Ben Harper model pushing an additional $1K above that was even further out of the question.
This one has the upgrade kit, with the Lollar Imperial humbuckers, and the higher quality pots and capacitor. The body is African mahogany and Bill told me he was pretty relentless in working with a Chinese manufacturer to get it right so that he would be proud to have his name on the guitar. When clients for your hand-built guitars are the likes of Cindy, Ben Harper, Jackson Browne, Ry Cooder and Greg Leisz - you don't want the imported instruments to be draggin' down the neighborhood.
My feeling was that if you have a good quality slab of wood to begin with on a lap steel, having high end American parts installed at Bill's shop by him or one of his guys is going to get you pretty darn close to his hand-built in L.A. guitars in terms of actual sound. And the tobacco 'burst does look very good. The only thing I plan on changing out in the future (like Mark Brooks) is to get some better tuners. The Chinese imitation Klusons really aren't that bad, but I would like to go higher end and Bill told me to give him a call when I'm ready because he can recommend options direct "drop-ins" that won't leave a footprint.
That's my Bobby Poff strap, and you can see the "belly bar" to the bass side. I'm pretty comfortable with playing standing and of course I've done it for years on dobro, the only part that gets a little sketchy is above the 12th fret I really have to be careful about intonation.
I opted for the TKL case @ $183. I think the Asher logo and accompanying verbiage looks pretty slick.
The guitar really does kick some butt. I had a few options for Lollar pickups as upgrades and after listening to the sound samples on Jason's site and discussing it with Bill, we went with the Imperials.
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Mark |
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Terry VunCannon
From:
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 4 Feb 2016 11:19 am
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Looks great Mark. I like what you have done. The Asher shape is a classic, and so many things can be done with it.
Great job. |
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