Asher Alan Akaka 8 string

Steve Branscom · Post by **Steve Branscom** » 23 Jul 2014 10:04 am

Any news or new pictures of completed or near completed examples? Audio/video clip?

Ron Simpson · Post by **Ron Simpson** » 25 Jul 2014 7:36 am

This might be the guitar you are asking about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7leapEI ... e=youtu.be

Dana Blodgett · Post by **Dana Blodgett** » 25 Jul 2014 9:41 am

I'm pretty sure the guitar Alan is playing in the You tube video is a Canopus...try going to the Asher website to see the Akaka model and info...

Paul Honeycutt · Post by **Paul Honeycutt** » 27 Jul 2014 3:26 am

http://www.asherguitars.com/index.php?p ... -lap-steel

Peter den Hartogh · Post by **Peter den Hartogh** » 27 Jul 2014 7:40 am

Retail price: $3180 but my browser somehow does not show a picture of the instrument.

http://www.asherguitars.com/index.php?p ... -lap-steel

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 21 Aug 2014 3:20 am

Alan just received delivery of his prototype Asher and had this to say via Facebook ....

This lap steel is a winner. I have several in my collection and this one by far is superb as far as touch and tone is concerned. â€¦ Might I add that harmonics are easy to play on this steel. I kid you not.

Jack Aldrich · Post by **Jack Aldrich** » 21 Aug 2014 12:57 pm

Mine is almost finished! I can hardly wait! I've stopped by Bill's shop when I was in LA to see its progress.

David Matzenik · Post by **David Matzenik** » 21 Aug 2014 4:15 pm

With the exception of the Phillips head screws, that is one fine looking guitar!

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 21 Aug 2014 4:43 pm

I'm a big fan of Phillips ... Do you prefer slot, hex socket, Robertson or God forbid .. Torx ???

David Matzenik · Post by **David Matzenik** » 21 Aug 2014 6:24 pm

I prefer cut-nails.

Steve Green · Post by **Steve Green** » 22 Aug 2014 2:31 am

Taken from Facebook:

Alan Akaka will play his new steel guitar tonight at the Keawe Ohana Show at the Marriott in Waikiki.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 22 Aug 2014 7:14 am

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 22 Aug 2014 12:28 pm

Beautiful instrument! Interesting choice for the pickup.

Liz Williams · Post by **Liz Williams** » 23 Aug 2014 7:42 am

There's a clip of Malie Lyman playing Alan's Asher guitar on Alan's Facebook page. She and the guitar sound great. That kid can play.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10 ... =2&theater

Mark Roeder · Post by **Mark Roeder** » 23 Aug 2014 10:31 am

Tom said:Interesting choice for the pickup

I think it was made for the Asher

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 23 Aug 2014 6:22 pm

Liz Williams wrote:There's a clip of Malie Lyman playing Alan's Asher guitar on Alan's Facebook page. She and the guitar sound great. That kid can play.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10 ... =2&theater

Thanks for the link! Great tone and nice playing

Mark Roeder wrote:... I think it was made for the Asher

Cool, it sure does sound nice

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 25 Aug 2014 9:58 am

Kudos for the guitar, but far from that, a HUGE wow for MALIE LYMAN !!! What a talented young lady. Great timing, intonation, (the odd error, but so what ?)
This young lady is going to be awesome in a few years, (if not already!) Just wondering..."Lyman"...could she be related to the great, (late) vibraphonist of Hawai'i Arthur Lyman ?

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 25 Aug 2014 11:56 am

Malie is the great granddaughter of Genoa Keawe.

Jack Aldrich · Post by **Jack Aldrich** » 27 Aug 2014 10:35 am

Malei's dad told me that he is a grandnephew of Arthur. I can't decide on the name of her relationship with him. Of course, her mom is Pomoka'i Keawe Lyman, daughter of Eric Keawe, son of Aunty Genoa. I believe that there is a goddess who comes down and puts a spark in some of us to play music. Having know Malie since she was about 3, I know that she has been given the spark. She sings, plays steel and dances hula, all very well.

Steve Branscom · Post by **Steve Branscom** » 30 Aug 2014 12:06 pm

I noticed just how close the p/u is to the bridge. How would it affect the tone if the p/u was moved say an inch north of it's present position. Would it change it at all? Is there a specific reason it's so close to the bridge?

Kekoa Blanchet · Post by **Kekoa Blanchet** » 31 Aug 2014 1:29 pm

Tom Pettingill wrote:Interesting choice for the pickup.

Mark Roeder wrote:I think it was made for the Asher

So what is the pickup? From the markings, itÊ»s made by EMG, though the Hummingbird graphic isnÊ»t normally on their pickups. Is it customized in some way for this guitar? EMG is not a pickup IÊ»ve ever run across in person -- what distinguishes it from other pickups used in steel guitars?

Steve Branscom · Post by **Steve Branscom** » 1 Sep 2014 4:33 pm

Kekoa,
For a discussion of the emg p/u check out this topic on the forum. http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... 88d8e50af6

Kekoa Blanchet · Post by **Kekoa Blanchet** » 2 Sep 2014 2:30 am

Thanks for the info, Steve. An interesting choice indeed for the pickup. According to Bill Asher on the other thread, it's an EMG 707TW. So it's a humbucker with a built-in preamp, wound so it can be switched into a single coil mode. Since this guitar is an 8 string model, I assume that EMG adapted the 707TW, a 7 string pickup, to accommodate 8 strings.

I wonder if, in the Malie Lyman clip, the pickup is in the single coil configuration. It sure sounds nice!

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 2 Sep 2014 5:47 am

I think the Hummingbird logo is a custom addition as it has personal meaning for Alan.

Dustin Rhodes · Post by **Dustin Rhodes** » 2 Sep 2014 6:32 pm

Kekoa Blanchet wrote:Thanks for the info, Steve. An interesting choice indeed for the pickup. According to Bill Asher on the other thread, it's an EMG 707TW. So it's a humbucker with a built-in preamp, wound so it can be switched into a single coil mode. Since this guitar is an 8 string model, I assume that EMG adapted the 707TW, a 7 string pickup, to accommodate 8 strings.

I wonder if, in the Malie Lyman clip, the pickup is in the single coil configuration. It sure sounds nice!

Those EMG's are rail pickups so its possible that its a 7 string pickup thats just wide enough to work.