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ASHTON ASA 2000 ARCHTOP GUITAR |
ASHTON ASA 2000 ARCHTOP GUITAR
Over the last few issues of Australian Musician, the focus has been on the intermediate level of products, the instruments that do the job required and don’t send you broke. While there fierce competition among manufacturers in this area, some are definitely producing better products than their rivals, which is certainly healthy for the consumer as the choice is becoming endless. One such company turning out a fine instrument is Ashton. Ashton manufacture and distributes a wide range of products from guitars and basses to amps and P.A. equipment. I’ve had the pleasure of testing many products in the Ashton range and I must say for quality and value, they are certainly up there. This issue’s road test, the Ashton ASA 2000 Archtop guitar is no exception, as it will not only turn a few heads but have to be one of the best value for money instruments going around at the moment. At under $700.00 retail, the Ashton ASA 2000 has all the striking qualities of a traditional archtop guitar yet at a fraction of the price. So how do they do it?
Ashton ASA 2000…
Australis Music is the main distributor of Ashton products in Australia. These guys are in constant liaison with the Ashton factory in Asia ensuring technical standards are met and the quality control is second to none. On first appearance the ASA 2000 looks considerably more expensive than it actually is. This is mainly due to the construction methods adopted by Ashton, utilising laminated timbers rather than a costly solid timber. This will definitely keep costs down, as quality timber can be outrageously expensive. Having a laminated body is not a bad thing because it can be as strong and durable as solid timber construction and still gives you a genuine sound. Ashton has used Russian Walnut laminate on the top and with the orange sunburst finish gives the guitar a classy look. The gold hardware is beautifully offset and the neck and fretwork are finished extremely well. The guitar comes with flat-wound strings, which are perfect for the Jazz player, and you have the standard 3-way toggle for switching between pickups and 2 volume & 2 tone controls. The construction and finish is excellent to say the least and full marks go to Ashton for providing something that really is value for money. Once you plug in the ASA 2000, you’ll realise that you’re holding a serious musical instrument. The pickups give you a very workable sound, the tone pots offer plenty of roll-off and the Bigsby-style tremolo works extremely well. It is very well constructed and will impress many, especially when it comes to price.
The bottom line…
Ashton has had a few winners in the past most notably the AB1100 4-string neck-through active bass for $599.00 (still the cheapest neck-through around!) and this archtop continues the tradition. They’ve continued to provide quality products at very affordable prices and if it is an archtop that you’re after, then the ASA 2000 could well be an option. It is by far the cheapest archtop on the market at the moment and the quality and playability is excellent. With most guitars of this sort starting at @$1,500.00, the Ashton ASA 2000 certainly has a future. If a floating bridge and Bigsby-style tremolo is not your thing, then the fixed bridge ASA 1000 could be more to your liking. It’s about a hundred bucks cheaper and that’s got to make you happy. For more information on the Ashton range, give the distributor a call or visit your local music shop and ask by name. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
QUALITY
PLAYABILITY
BANG-F0R-YOUR-BUCK
OVERALL
