Bill Asher (guitar maker)

William Allen Asher (born 24 July 1964) is a Californian-born luthier (guitar maker)[1] in the Los Angeles area. He has been in the guitar repair and restoration business for over 30 years and has been building high-end, custom guitars for 15 years.[2] He is best known for helping revive the lap steel guitar instrument[3] into popular music by creating a modern-day lap steel guitar that is now used in a variety of musical genres.[4][5]

Early life

Asher was born in Santa Monica, California, and is the son of actress Elizabeth Montgomery and director William Asher.[6] He was brought up in Beverly Hills and lived with his brother Robert and sister Rebecca. He attended El Rodeo School, then Beverly Hills High School. He graduated from University High School in 1982. He was always interested in music, even at a young age. It was in this high school wood shop class where he attempted to build his first guitar body. After graduation from high school, Asher took his unfinished guitar to a Los Angeles repair shop owned by Jeff Lunsford. At the end of the summer, Lunsford offered Asher an apprenticeship at the guitar shop.[6]

Career

After the summer of 1982, Asher began an apprenticeship with luthier Jeff Lunsford at a Los Angeles guitar repair shop.[7] He worked with Lunsford for 4 years before moving on to work with other luthiers such as Rick Turner, and Mark Lacey, before opening up his own guitar repair shop, Guitar Traditions, in Santa Monica.[6][8] [9][10] He moved from Guitar Traditions and now works at a private shop in Los Angeles called Asher Guitars & Lap Steels. He services guitars for many famous musicians and builds high end guitars and lap steels.[6]

References
  1. Robert Shaw (2011). Electrified: The Art of the Contemporary Electric Guitar. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. ISBN 978-1-4027-4774-8.
  2. ROSS, MICHAEL. "Asher Ultra Tone T Deluxe". Guitar Player. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  3. "Electric Nonpedal Steel Guitar Manufacturers". Well.com. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  4. LILES, JEFF. "ECHOES AND REVERBERATIONS: WITHOUT YOU, I'M NOTHING". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  5. "Best Place To Buy A Guitar In Los Angeles". CBS Local. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  6. Volk, Andy. "Asher Guitars". Fretboard Journal. Archived from the original on 31 October 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  7. Osweiler, Rich. "Asher Guitars". Premier Guitar. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  8. Volk, Andy (2003). Lap Steel Guitar. Anaheim, CA: Centerstream Publications. p. 295. ISBN 1-57424-134-6.
  9. Shaw, Robert (2008). Hand Made Hand Played: The Art and Craft of Contemporary Guitars. New York: Lark Books. p. 416. ISBN 978-1-57990-787-7.
  10. Kellerman, Jonathan (2008). With Strings Attached:The Art and Beauty of Vintage Guitars. Italy: Ballantine Books. p. 344. ISBN 978-0-345-49978-3.
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