These guitars are made in the traditional Hawaiian style of the 1930's with the sides continuing up to the head making the neck hollow. Dart uses both Koa and Mahogany for the guitar body. Koa is brighter in tone. Mahogany lends the guitar power and sustain.

Koa Wood Style 1 has a Dart logo on the head and Mother-of-pearl dots on the fretboard. Photo, left : Light inlay, frets, and sound hole. Gold tuners, dark bridge. Photo, right : Light inlay, frets, sound hole and bridge. Gold tuners. Starting at $2,500.

Mahogany Style 2 has binding around the top and back and an inlay of Mother-of-pearl or Abalone or some other material such as Ebony or Jade on the peghead but is otherwise the same as Style 1. Starting at $3,400.

Style 3 is for custom designs such as teardrop shape. The body of the guitar can be larger or deeper.

Style 4 has same sound as a style-1, but with lots of fancies. You can have light and dark chequered binding around the top, back, fretboard and peghead or Mother-of-pearl or Abalone inlay. Request what you want, i.e., Palm trees, Hula girls, or Pineapples. Starting at $4,500.

All styles and prices includes hard case.

Luthier : Bill Asher
Service department : Asher Guitars & Lap Steels
2554 Lincoln Blvd. Box 1037, Venice, California, 90291 - USA
Phone : 310-821-2888
Website : www.asherguitars.com | E-mail : info@asherguitars.com

Bill Asher originally designed the 'Ben Harper model' in 1998. The Ben Harper signature was limited to approximately 60 guitars. This design will continue as the Electro Hawaiian.

Asher Electro Hawaiian Model 1 This is a masterfully built instrument crafted from exotic tone woods with vintage and modern details. This lap steel has great low end and high end response, clean or with overdrive - the sustain and acoustic overtone are unbeatable.

* scale length: 25 inches
* neck & body: neck through solid Honduras mahogany with cylindrical body chambers
* top options: "A Superior" top has flamed figured koa with herringbone binding; "A Standard" top has striped koa with Ivoroid binding.
* pickups: two Asher custom lap steel pickups
* pickup switching: three-way toggle
* controls: master volume and master tone with pull pot to split pickup coils
* fret board: figured koa
* bridge: curly maple
* saddle: aluminum
* nut: ebony
* color: natural or tobacco burst
* finish: satin or gloss lacquer
* string spacing: nut: 1 7/8 inches, bridge: 2 3/8 inches
* case: custom hard shell
* number of frets: 22
* machine heads: Goto
* strings: Asher Electro Hawaiian Lap Steel Strings
* price in US dollars:
* $1,995 - "A Standard" top striped koa, Ivoroid binding, satin oil finish
* $2,400 - "A Superior" top flame koa, Ivoroid & herringbone binding, gloss lacquer finish
**price includes custom hard shell case valued at $250

Read more about | Bill Asher

Harper's guitars travel in white Jan-Al flight cases, with velvet rather than foam lining to protect the finish. The white color helps protect from the heat. The rest of gear travel in classic black Jan-Al flight cases.