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Topic: Questions about Asher Electro Hawaiian Jr..... |
Christopher Blood
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 5 May 2020 11:46 am |
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Got mine today and it seems pretty nice.
Changed out the strings so I could tune it GBDGBD dobro tuning. The heavier gauge strings were hard to get out of the wrap around bridge. The ball ends would get wedged against the pickup covers. Is there a trick to this I should know?
Also one of the tuner buttons is rattling like crazy but there's no screw to tighten. Anyone else have this issue? can to suggest a fix? |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 5 May 2020 12:42 pm
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Chris, you may or may not recall from Resohangout when I posted that my Jr. (2014 model) was stolen when my car was broken into over two years ago, and I know Bill changed some of the features on the guitar last year including the bridge. So the bridge was different on the guitar I had.
I'm trying to imagine it - but I can't figure out what you're talking about with the ball ends getting wedged against the pickup covers. Why would the ball ends ever even come in contact with the pickup covers?
Too late now since you changed the strings - but did you buy this guitar new? If that's the case Bill's 15-58 set works great for Open G tuning. Those are all I've been using since I had the Jr. and awhile back replaced the stolen guitar with an Electro-Hawaiian 1 Custom.
If you bought the guitar used and it came with something like a C6 set then never mind.
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Mark |
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Christopher Blood
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 5 May 2020 1:50 pm
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Hi Mark,
Thanks for the reply.
Here's a photo of the bridge.
ok I'm Talking about the plastic ring going around the pickup. Called it the wrong thing (See red arrow) not a cover. The ball end has to travel in the direction of the ring (Yellow arrow) to come out. The ball end gets caught against the ring and is hard to remove. Hope that's a better explanation.
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Christopher Blood
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 5 May 2020 1:53 pm
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| also I like a little heavier on the treble end. I usually string. 56w,46w,36w,28w,18p,16p. on my smaller scale I went a little heavier on bass end. |
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Christopher Blood
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 5 May 2020 1:57 pm
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btw here she is....
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Jeff Highland
From:
New South Wales, Australia
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Posted 5 May 2020 1:57 pm
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Christopher, in that situation I'd be inclined to cut off the offending section of pickup ring, leaving it 3 sided.
Can you show us the tuners?
_________________
Duesenberg Fairytale
1949 Supro Supreme
1950 National New Yorker
2008 Highland Baritone Weissenborn
2020 Highland New Yorker.
2020 Highland Mohan Veena
2021 Highland Weissencone |
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Christopher Blood
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 5 May 2020 2:03 pm
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it's just one tuner button that rattles. If I grab the tuner button it stops.
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Jeff Highland
From:
New South Wales, Australia
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Posted 5 May 2020 2:08 pm
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With those tuners, I'd use some superthin CA glue and flow it in from the shaft end (with the guitar held so the button is below)
_________________
Duesenberg Fairytale
1949 Supro Supreme
1950 National New Yorker
2008 Highland Baritone Weissenborn
2020 Highland New Yorker.
2020 Highland Mohan Veena
2021 Highland Weissencone |
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Christopher Blood
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 5 May 2020 2:17 pm
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| Sorry for the stupid question. What is CA glue? |
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Jeff Highland
From:
New South Wales, Australia
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Posted 5 May 2020 2:29 pm
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Cyanoacrylate also known as Superglue, crazy glue, But get the superthin variety from a hobby store it flows in like water I use Zap brand.
_________________
Duesenberg Fairytale
1949 Supro Supreme
1950 National New Yorker
2008 Highland Baritone Weissenborn
2020 Highland New Yorker.
2020 Highland Mohan Veena
2021 Highland Weissencone |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 5 May 2020 2:58 pm
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| Christopher Blood wrote: |
Hi Mark,
Thanks for the reply.
Here's a photo of the bridge.
ok I'm Talking about the plastic ring going around the pickup. Called it the wrong thing (See red arrow) not a cover. The ball end has to travel in the direction of the ring (Yellow arrow) to come out. The ball end gets caught against the ring and is hard to remove. Hope that's a better explanation.
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Okay, I see what you're talking about. "Something is wrong with this picture" - literally.
I have a big old stash of strings and I just pulled out one that gets up toward bridge cable territory (.062w) and compared it to the ball end of a typical .046w 5th string for G tuned dobro. The "balls" are identical. then I pulled a .017 plain 1st string - same size ball.
Your photo shows all the balls recessed into their openings, yet the 6th string ball sticks out like a sore thumb. Maybe a mistake in manufacturing and the hole for the 6th string isn't bored out wide enough on the bridge?
Did you get this guitar new directly from Bill Asher? If my assessment is correct, I don't think you should even even have to dink around with chasing down a round file and doing the work - if that is in fact what would fix it, can't really tell from the photo.If it went through Bill's shop in Venice, I'm surprised they let it go out the door this way and nobody caught it. Everything they do is first class.
I would get a hold of Bill or his wife Jessica. They will make it right, whether it's advising you on an easy fix, or perhaps sending you a new bridge.
_________________
Mark |
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Christopher Blood
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 5 May 2020 5:29 pm
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Mark, this is one of the Korean imports, not one of his USA ones.
Bought from MF |
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Christopher Blood
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 5 May 2020 6:17 pm
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| Loosened the 6th string and was able to get the ball end to go into the bridge. This is just different from what I'm used to. I'll get it. Now if I can just get the tuner button to quit rattling. I'll work on that next. |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 5 May 2020 10:11 pm
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I’m glad you got the ball end thing figured out.
Yes, I’m aware it’s the import. If you look at my first post I mention in the first paragraph regarding my guitar that was stolen I typed that it was the “Jr.†from 2014. I even had the same finish, tobacco sunburst. Great looking guitar!
Bill Asher has a similar deal with these Juniors as Paul Beard does in the resonator world with the Gold Tone/Beard guitars. Some ship from Asia to Bill’s shop in Southern California, while others (apparently) go to dealers like Musician’s Friend, so I’m guessing Bill and his crew never see those guitars. Same sort of deal with Gold Tone/Beard resonators, though the main difference is Gold Tone is the brand. Only a small percentage of Gold Tone/Beard guitars ever make a trip through the Beard shop in Maryland.
I ordered mine originally from Bill Asher direct because I went for the upgrades: Lollar Imperial humbucker pickups, upgraded pots/wiring, the “belly bar†for standup playing with a strap, and the hard shell case.
I’m blessed to have one of Bill’s custom Electro-Hawaiian 1 guitars that I found slightly used in mint condition, but prior to the scumbag breaking into my car in 2018 and stealing my Junior along with a lot of other stuff, I was very happy with that guitar.
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Mark |
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Steve Lipsey
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 6 May 2020 7:08 pm
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I've seen other people post on that issue with the ball ends - I seem to remember that they said you need to loosen the bridge a bit to free up the ball end and let it go into the hole...I think that the new ones have a slightly different arrangement that eliminates this. but yes, talk to bill, for sure.
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www.facebook.com/swingaliband & a few more....
Williams S10s, Milkman Pedal Steel Mini & "The Amp"
Ben Bonham Resos, 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 6 May 2020 10:14 pm
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I don’t recall any of those comments Steve but regardless, any idea what it means to “loosen the bridge?â€
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Mark |
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Christopher Blood
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 7 May 2020 5:47 am
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| There are two bolts (?) On either side of the bridge. I suppose one could loosen those with the supplied Allen wrench but not sure how good of an idea it would be to loosen and tighten the bridge every time you change strings. There is no owners manual provided with the instrument and nothing online. |
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Christopher Blood
From:
Missouri, USA
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Michael Butler
From:
California, USA
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Posted 7 May 2020 9:19 am
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i'd contact bill directly.
play music!
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please see my Snakeskin's Virtual Music Museum below.
http://muscmp.wordpress.com/ |
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Brooks Montgomery
From:
Idaho, USA
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Posted 7 May 2020 9:25 am
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Hey Christopher, nice looking Asher. I don't know what tuning you plan on using, but if you'll use a tuning where you might want a capo, I recommend the Walworth for that Asher.
I have several different capos over the years that I use on my dobros, but on the electric I prefer the Walworth. It easily clamps on the other side of the nut when not using it, and goes on real quick and easy. I play in D, and capo 2 for E quite a bit, and it's been real handy.
https://robickes.com/product/walworth-capo/
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A banjo, like a pet monkey, seems like a good idea at first. |
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Christopher Blood
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 7 May 2020 9:38 am
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I play dobro so it's tuned open G.
Not sure if I'll need a capo or not. Hey what's the green box on top of the amp?
Also I see a strap in your pic, are you using the belly bar? I'm considering getting legs or a stand for mine. |
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Brooks Montgomery
From:
Idaho, USA
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Posted 7 May 2020 9:49 am
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| Christopher Blood wrote: |
I play dobro so it's tuned open G.
Not sure if I'll need a capo or not. Hey what's the green box on top of the amp?
Also I see a strap in your pic, are you using the belly bar? I'm considering getting legs or a stand for mine. |
Green mini stomp box is Hotone Grass, very inexpensive "Dumble" type OD pedal. I like it.
And yes, I had Asher do the install on the belly bar which comes with a nice leather strap. The belly bar is perfect.
Wouldn't change a thing. Makes it really easy to play standing up--don't notice any difference from sitting. And much easier than a dobro IMO. Of course, generally, I find lapsteel easier standing up than dobro regardless of the method used--it's more forgiving, because your working a throttle instead of splitting diamonds.
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A banjo, like a pet monkey, seems like a good idea at first. |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 7 May 2020 11:41 am
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This is the Electro-Hawaiian Jr. that was stolen from the trunk of my car. The scumbag who took it must have been really excited when he saw it was a guitar case. "This should keep me supplied in meth for awhile!" He was probably bummed out to see how thick the neck is, and that it must be a poorly made guitar because you can't press the strings down to the fretboard, "and what a second - this thing doesn't even have real frets! They're just lines on the wood!"
That Bobby Poff strap (along with the Beard Wave capo) was also part of the haul - ouch! Thankfully it was the plain one, not my fancy tooled custom strap that Bobby made for me in 2007. Upgraded Junior, Jason Lollar Imperial humbuckers.
I don't have any world class amps. A buddy of mine has a couple Fat Jimmy amps made in nearby Petaluma by Mike Pascale. Mike's other business is Vintage Fender Amp Repair. Mike has some big name Fat Jimmy clients, Bob Weir to name one.
I plugged this Junior into my friend's Fat Jimmy several years ago and it was like I was hearing the guitar for the first time. Amazing!
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Mark |
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Brooks Montgomery
From:
Idaho, USA
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Posted 7 May 2020 12:02 pm
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that sucks Mark. I hope it gets recovered somehow, someday.
I ended up having Asher do my belly bar install because of your sage advice on here or another forum some time ago.
Love my guitar. It really sounds great through my old mid-60's Princeton Black Face, but I honestly have more fun playing it through the new-fangled TM Fender Twin. The options with attenuator wattage for overdrive, and reverb and EQ and such are really cool, very intuitive, any room.
If we ever get back to hands-on in a guitar store, you might try your Asher bonafide through one.
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A banjo, like a pet monkey, seems like a good idea at first. |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 7 May 2020 12:17 pm
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As far as the link to the other thread about how tight it is to install strings on the redesigned bridge for the Junior, as Jessica Asher wrote - you shouldn't have to loosen the bridge.
Right - you sure shouldn't! Between owning a number of electric guitars and lap steels, if I had one, and only one out of the bunch where I would need to use an Allen wrench to loosen the bridge for string changes - I would say that's a serious design flaw which needs to be addressed.
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Mark |
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