2009 Asher Ultra Tone T Deluxe Black

No sales tax for customers outside California.

Asher makes some fine guitars! I hadn't ever laid my hands on one until our friend Dana Olsen brought this by the shop (and another one that'll show up on the site soon).

This is a remarkably light piece for a guitar with a one-piece, ash body. It weighs just 6 pounds, 3 ounces. The offset body shape hangs very comfortably when slung on a strap. The finish is light, sinking into the grain here and there like a vintage guitar.

The neck is a nice, medium thickness with a satin finish over birdseye maple with great feel and the benefit of excellent fret work.

Use the standard pickup switch and knobs to vary your tone, and lean on the rotary for other variations. It is a really versatile guitar!

Included is the original case and paperwork.

Here is a short review of a similar guitar by the Fretboard Journal.

To me, this Asher Ultra Tone T Deluxe looks like the sort of guitar that would have resulted from a late 50s collaboration between Fender and Gibson. The body silhouette and pickup arrangement are definitely inspired by the Telecaster, but the pickups themselves, the headstock and body wood all have more of a Gibson vibe. The pickups are Asher’s own T-Blades, which he has custom wound by Pete Biltoft, and the single blade rather than separate pole pieces look like they were inspired by Gibson classic Charlie Christian pickups. The body is made from korina, a great sounding but relatively scarce wood that Gibson used on the original Flying Vs and Explorers.

The basic pickup controls are very simple–volume, tone, three-way selector switch–but Asher has added an interesting twist to this classic setup: A Stellartone ToneStyler. This device is a rotary pot that cycles through a series of capacitors that roll off the high frequencies without affecting the mid range frequencies. Ever since we ran an interview with Bill Asher in Issue 30 I’ve wanted to get my hands on one of his standard guitars. (I’ve played a few of his lap steels and I really liked them.) So I was pleased that I actually got to play this guitar the other day and I was very impressed with the playability and the way the ToneStyler sounded. I was able to get a huge ranges of tones out of the guitar. I’m not sure that I would want to try and find a particular setting on stage in a hurry, but in the studio I think it would be really useful.

Color: Black
Weight: 6lbs 3.2ozs
Body: One piece Swamp Ash
Neck: Birdseye Maple
Fretboard: Rosewood
Inlays: Abalone dots
Frets: Original
Fret count: 22
Nut: Original
Nut width: 1 11/16"
Scale: 25.5"
Radius: 9.5"
Neck thickness at 1st fret: 0.83"
Neck thickness at 12th fret: 0.9"
Action 1st String at 12th Fret: 1.25mm
Action 6th String at 12th Fret: 1.5mm
Total length: 37.5"
Lower bout: 12.875"
Waist: 8.75"
Upper bout: 10.75"
Body depth/thickness: 1.75"
String gauge: 10-46
Hardware Color: Chrome
Bridge Pickup Brand: Original bound blade single coil
Bridge Pickup Reading: 7.75k
Pickup Original?: Yes
Neck Pickup Brand: Original bound blade single coil
Neck Pickup Reading: 7.71k
Pickup Original?: Yes
Bridge: Original Glendale
Tuners: Original
Switch: Original
Pots/Codes: Original
Case: OHSC G&G
Notes: Aftermarket Glendale knurled aluminum knobs included in case.
Shipping policy:

Three day UPS air shipments will be automatic for buyers including these states and those to the east of them: Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas. Shipments will require signature on delivery, no exceptions. If there is damage, the buyer must retain all packing materials intact and picture them immediately and send them to sales@maharsvintageguitars.com. Less than 1% of our shipments are damaged in transit, and we are committed to making sure your item arrives safely, but we are taking these additional measures to make sure you are happy with your purchase.