Ashley, the first IYG acoustic-electric!
Oh, Ashley! Your hypnotic swirl and haunting tones enchant us! Ashley is a very special girl, the first acoustic guitar It’s Your Guitar has ever produced. We’re quite pleased with how she turned out! She’s not flawless, but this burl ash beauty sounds and plays like a dream!
She Ain’t Easy
Ashley challenged us every step of the way, from her snug neck joint, to her “just a hair off” bridge placement. (Ashley’s intonation is a tiny, tiny bit sharp above the 12th fret, but if you use a light touch her notes stay true all the way up the neck.)
Picky Pickup
Installing the Fishman pickup system was the hardest part of this build, especially, getting the saddle height and the piezo pickup right. Ashley has low action and a thin, fast neck, but I found the piezo wasn’t amplifying the strings evenly. First the low and high E-strings were too quiet; After an adjustment, the A and D weren’t loud enough.
This Fishman pickup system sounds great but gave me some troubles during install.
Bridge Hack 101
The solution was a bit tacky—I laid a thin strip of plastic (cut from one of my maxed-out credit cards) beneath the piezo pickup itself. Now all the strings amplify at equal volume! Well, the open G is a smidgen quieter, but that just adds to Ashley’s overall unique tonal character. Bear in mind, this is how Ashley sounds through the Fishman pick-up; mic her up in the studio and you’ll find she has a tight, clear tone.
She Is Ashley, Hear Her Roar!
Check out Ashley’s demos below. I plugged the guitar directly into my computer (Garageband),and added nothing but a dash of EQ and a hint of compression. The rest is pure Ashley!
Ashley Specs:
Behold Ashley in all her swirly glory!
Overall Length: 41″
Scale Length: 25.5″, 20 Frets
Top: Burl Ash
Neck: Nato
Back & Side: Burl Ash
Fingerboard & Bridge: Rosewood
Tuning Machines: Chrome Individual Covered
Body Binding: Single-Ply ABS
Nut/Saddle: Bone
Electronics: Fishman Presys+. Onboard Preamp & Tuner
Ashley…Burl Ashley! There’s plenty of room for your signature or logo on the headstock. After all, It’s Your Guitar! (Hey, get your fat foot out of the picture!)
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- Sunlight floods the sound hole.
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- Ashley dries between coats of lacquer.
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- Ashley…Burl Ashley! There’s plenty of room for your signature or logo on the headstock. After all, It’s your Guitar! (Hey, get your fat foot out of the picture!)
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- This Fishman pickup system sounds great but gave me some troubles during install.
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- Love the look of this wide open grain pattern.
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- Ashley got back!
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- Ashley, the first IYG acoustic-electric!
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- Tight neck joint!
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- Freshly dressed frets!
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- Drying time! That dark semi-circle is part of the grain.
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- Another look at the Fishman. Ashley’s sides flash a hint of green under certain light.
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- A look down the neck at Ashley’s low action.
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- Ashley’s nato neck is thin and fast. It’s got a light coat of stain, but is otherwise unfinished.
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- The endpin jack is nestled among amazing grain swirl.
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- A peek inside Ashley. The ribs and bracing look solid except for a few glue drips.
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- She’s a natural beauty!
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- Behold Ashley in all her swirly glory!