Actually it's quite comfortable. There is a wooden lip below the tuners that your forearm rests on & it places your fingers between the sound hole and the end of the fret board which seems to be the sweet spot for strumming.
I have not picked up the Ashbury for a few weeks, but I went back to it yesterday & popped it up to a D tuning, if anyone else out there has one try it in D - such an improvement in tone.
I bought one of these today from Hobgoblin--their USA location in Red Wing, MN. We are going to be holding a monthly uke jam there...details to follow on the uke and the jam!