I recently partnered with the guys at Ashbury instruments. I’ve been playing the Tenor guitar as part of myself and Ross’ gig since the release of Symbiosis. It’s become an important weapon in my arsenal. I was first introduced to Ashbury Tenor guitars by Duncan lyall. He had one on loan from the mighty Damien o’ Kane. I remember playing it and falling in love with the sound immediately. The model was made from Sapele wood. It had a really rich, warm sound. The treble didn’t jump out. It was really smooth. Great for strumming and picking. I recorded Symbiosis with this model, and have been gigging it (courtesy of Andrea Gobbi) ever since.
So I decided to approach Ashbury about an endorsement deal. The guys were very kind and agreed to partnering up. This was brilliant news. It’s really rewarding forming these relationships and promoting people’s instruments. If you believe in the product, it’s very beneficial to both parties. People ask about your instruments all the time at gigs. Why not point them in the direction of instrument makers that you’ve developed a relationship with?!? Adam, at Hobgoblin, advised me to go for the Lindisfarne model. It has a solid cedar top, and Koa back and sides. It also comes with a built in fishman pickup, which I’m yet to road test. It’s has a brighter sound than the Sapele model, but it’s just as lovely sounding. It projects the sound far better because of this more present top end. This increase in treble is obviously to do with the type of wood and finish. It’s a very beautiful sounding instrument. It looks stunning too! If you’re looking for a great sounding tenor guitar, for a reasonable price. I would highly recommended either of these models.
Here’s a few pics………
Ali Hutton 