Ashbury uke

ukuleleninja

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 30, 2008
Messages
79
Reaction score
0
Mark,

Just got mine last week. They are great. I was having wrist issues with learning the bass and was overjoyed when I found the Ashbory, which requires a lot less pressure from both hands.

Details:
  • The silicon strings have a nice sound. Crank up the treble and bass of the onboard electronics and it sounds somewhat like an upright. Some funk effects just don't work, but it gives a very nice sound by tapping the string on the fret markers.
  • Its fretless. Some users complain the lines aren't accurate, but I think they are. The short 18 inch length just means you have to be more accurate on the upper frets since they're so close together.
  • Generally it's best to play with talcum powder on your fingers and the strings. This keeps the strings from sticking to the frets with age and is easier on the plucking fingers
  • The G string is susceptible to breaking. I fried my first one within the first week, but some players get a year out of them by loosening the G string during travel. I also have noticed that the new Fender replacement G strings seem to be made out of a more durable material.
I'm working on a bowing technique using the thumb. Sounds pretty bad at the moment, but then it probably sounds better than me trying to play cello. A very helpful site is LargeSound. A regular poster there sells G strings in GB. It's the busiest Ashbory forum on the net, not that it's really busy, but there's great advice there.

Anything else you want to know about it?
 
Thanks for that but I think you missunderstood. I'm looking at getting the Ashbury concert ukulele.

I do play bass as well and it does look pretty cool.

Thanks anyway.
 
Nevermind.

From what I know about the Ashbury Uke, it does not have rubber strings, does not require talcum powder and frets a lot, but a psychologist can help with that.

Sorry. I guess I was just so excited to talk about my weird bass.
 
Hi. I'm looking to upgrade my £25 uke and came across this.

Mark

My wife has got this Uke, It's got a lovely warm tone and for money IMHO its made very well, I have a Lanikai C-CK and I often find myself picking up the Ashbury, as I like the mellow late at night sound .
It could do with having better string, can't remember what was on it but I changed them for Aquilas and now she wouldn't change it. Well I bet she would if I offered to buy her a Kamaka.....in my dreams:D
 
Ashbury tenor

I've got an Ashbury tenor. It's a fantastic instrument. Which model are you looking at?
 
Mark,

Just got mine last week. They are great. I was having wrist issues with learning the bass and was overjoyed when I found the Ashbory, which requires a lot less pressure from both hands.

I have one of the eighty ever made Mark II Ashbory bass guitars from the Bass Centre London. It is a fantastic instrument and I love playing it. My "rational" reason for getting one was that I had had surgery and wasn't allowed to carry more than 2 kilos (the Ashbory only weighs 800g). Have a look at http://web.archive.org/web/20030605141040/www.ashelec.demon.co.uk/ashbory/index.htm for the history of this instrument.

Andreas
 
Both my concert ukes are Ashbury. ALL my videos have my Ashurys as the main instrument.

The First is this one. It has an oak top and it was an unpleasant sounding instrument, although it was always nice to play - that is - until I treated it to some Aquila's and now it is lovely sounding as well.

The second is this one which is an altogether different instrument. It has a beautiful, rich tone and a very smooth playing action. It is, howver, a little unbalanced because the electrics mean the weight distribution make it a little off kilter.

So, in short, I would recommend Ashbury, but I would advise trying before you buy. I have tried out the one you are looking at (This one) at the Hobgoblin shop and found it to be a really pleasant instrument. I tried it in a shop in Huddersfield and found it less pleasant sounding. When I mentioned this discrepancy in Hobgoblin, they told me that they order their instruments from Ashbury pre-strung with Aquilas which would probably account for the difference.

Hope this helps
 
if you change that to $ I'm sure it would bo easier to a lot of pepole..
 
The First is this one. It has an oak top and it was an unpleasant sounding instrument, although it was always nice to play - that is - until I treated it to some Aquila's and now it is lovely sounding as well.
Hmmmm. I had not heard of a ukulele with an oak top before. Laminated, I expect. I did some surfing about oak as a tonewood and came across an interesting article, The Heretics' Guide to Tonewoods . The author notes about oak:
This wood is so far outside of musicians' expectations that oak instruments always take them by surprise, especially if they hear them before seeing them.
Live and learn!
 
I've got an Ashbury tenor. It's a fantastic instrument. Which model are you looking at?

I'm looking at getting the GR3514: Ashbury Concert Koa Ukulele.

Thanks casetone for the info. I'm trying one tomorrow and if its any good I'm going for it.
 
Top Bottom