The CMG Guitars Ashlee Georgia Honey electric guitar is a single cutaway, double humbucker guitar with a mahogany body and neck and a curly maple top. It is sourced and built in the USA, aimed at players who want a boutique look and tone without boutique pricing. That is the short version. The rest of this guide covers the build, the sound, the finish, the price range, and what to check before you spend money on one.
What Is the CMG Guitars Ashlee?
The Ashlee is the flagship model from CMG Guitars, a small American builder. It was the company’s first model, and the builder has kept refining it over the years. Think of it as a Les Paul-style single cut guitar with a few practical changes that make it easier to play and easier to look at. The full model details are on CMG’s official Ashlee page.
The Brand Behind It
CMG Guitars is run by Chris Mitchell and his team, who focus on building instruments in the US at a lower price than you would normally expect. The company says it makes guitars for the working musician and also builds customs on request.
That “working musician” focus shows up in the design. There are fewer knobs, sturdy hardware, and a body shape that most guitarists already know how to hold.
Why It Is Called Ashlee
The model is named after Chris’s wife. It is a small detail, but it says something about how personal the brand feels compared to large factory names.
The Georgia Honey Finish
Georgia Honey is one of the color options for the Ashlee. It is a warm, golden amber tone, and it tends to make a maple top look rich rather than flat. One seller calls the color simply gorgeous.
Finish choice matters more on this guitar than on most, because of the way the top is built. The masked binding (more on that below) leaves the maple visible right up to the edge, so the color is on full display.
A reviewer noted that the Ashlee comes in 15 standard colors, and that you can also order a custom finish through the CMG website. If Georgia Honey is not your style, you have plenty of other choices. If it is, it is a classic pick that ages well.
CMG Guitars Ashlee Georgia Honey Electric Guitar Specs
Specs can differ slightly from one listing to the next, since CMG builds to order and dealers stock different setups. Here is what the listings and reviews commonly report:
- Body: Mahogany with an arched maple top. One listing calls it a flame maple arched top.
- Neck: A set mahogany neck with a 22 fret rosewood fretboard and a 12 inch radius.
- Scale length: 24.75 inches on the model that was reviewed.
- Pickups: Dual Frog Dog humbuckers on one dealer listing. Buyers can also choose DiMarzio or Seymour Duncan upgrades.
- Bridge and tuners: A Tune-O-Matic style bridge with Grover tuners.
- Finish: Nitrocellulose gloss on the reviewed guitar.
- Case: A Cort padded gig bag with a neck cradle comes with the listing.
Always check the exact listing you are looking at. A guitar with upgraded pickups or a different case will not match a basic one.
Design Features That Set the Ashlee Apart
Plenty of guitars copy the Les Paul outline. The Ashlee stands out because of three build choices that change how it looks and plays.
Masked Binding
The standard Ashlee has masked binding, which means the top is masked off from the side so the natural beauty of the wood can show. Traditional binding covers the edge of the top with a plastic strip. Masked binding gives a cleaner, more modern look, and it puts the maple front and center.
The E Bend Cut
The lower horn is cut back below the 22nd fret, which lets you bend a whole step on the high E string at the very last fret. This is a small change with a big payoff. On many single cut guitars, the last frets are hard to reach, and bending up there feels awkward or blocked.
Lead players will notice this right away. If you play high solos, this feature alone may justify the guitar.
The Belly Cut
All Ashlee models come with a belly cut, which makes the guitar hug the player’s body. A belly cut is a curve carved into the back of the body. It sits better against your ribs when you play seated, and it makes long sessions less tiring.
How the Ashlee Sounds and Plays
Numbers on a spec sheet only tell you so much. What most buyers want to know is how it feels and what comes out of the amp.
Tone
One reviewer described the sound as rich, warm, and full, and called it one of the best Les Paul-style guitars you could buy. That fits what you would expect from mahogany and maple with two humbuckers. Expect thick low mids, a smooth top end, and plenty of push for rock, blues, and heavier styles.
The pickups shape a lot of this. A stock set will sound good, but if you already have a sound in mind, choosing a specific brand at the time of order is worth considering.
Sustain and Weight
A seller compares the feel to older Les Pauls that had no weight relief, describing them as beefy with great sustain. The reviewer’s guitar was purposely built with a heavy body, and the sustain was outstanding.
Here is the trade-off. A heavier body sustains longer, but it can wear on your shoulder over a three hour gig. Ask about the weight of the specific guitar before you buy, since it can vary from one build to another.
Playing Feel
A 12 inch fretboard radius sits in a comfortable middle ground. It is flatter than vintage-style radii, which makes bends and fast runs easier, but it is not so flat that chords feel strange. Combined with the E bend cut and belly cut, the Ashlee is built to be played, not just admired.
Wiring and Controls
The Ashlee keeps its layout simple. Instead of two volume and two tone knobs, it uses one volume and one tone control. A three way switch selects between the pickups.
The wiring includes a treble bleed, so your tone does not get dull when you roll the volume back. That is a real benefit. On many humbucker guitars, turning the volume down to clean up your sound also steals the sparkle. A treble bleed helps you keep the top end while you lower the gain.
Some players miss having separate controls for each pickup. If you like to blend tones with four knobs, this may feel limited. Most players who value simplicity will not mind.
Hardware and Parts
The listings mention Grover tuners, Graph Tech nuts, and ResoMax bridges. These are respected parts. Grover tuners hold pitch well, Graph Tech nuts reduce friction so strings return to pitch after a bend, and a quality bridge keeps sustain strong.
Good hardware is one of the quiet ways a builder can save you money down the road. You are less likely to swap out tuners or a nut on this guitar than you would be on an entry-level import.
How It Compares to Other Single Cut Guitars
Buyers who search for this guitar are often weighing it against a Gibson Les Paul or an import copy. The comparison comes down to a few points:
- Versus a Gibson Les Paul: The Ashlee is generally priced lower, and it adds a belly cut and an E bend cut as standard. You give up the Gibson name and its resale reputation.
- Versus an import Les Paul-style guitar: The Ashlee is made in the USA and uses a solid mahogany and maple build. Imports can be good, but they rarely match the parts list or the build attention of a small American shop.
- Versus other boutique builders: CMG says the Ashlee offers the looks and tone you want without the high price of other boutique builders.
The resale point is honest advice. A lesser-known brand will not hold value like a big name, so buy it because you love how it plays, not as an investment.
Price and Where to Buy
Prices vary because each guitar is built or configured differently. A 2019 review listed the reviewed Ashlee at $1,099 and noted that the price depends on the specs of each guitar. Prices may have changed since then, so check current numbers.
For used options, Guitar Center listed CMG guitars in good, great, and excellent condition at prices between roughly $700 and $850. That page covers CMG guitars in general, so it will not always show an Ashlee.
Check the official CMG website, authorized dealers, and used marketplaces like Reverb. One dealer, The Music Farm, describes itself as an authorized CMG dealer that inspects each guitar before shipping. Buying from an authorized dealer gives you more confidence in condition and setup.
What to Check Before You Buy
Most problems can be spotted quickly if you know where to look. These are the checks that catch the most issues:
- Neck joint and heel: Look for gaps between the neck and body, and check that the heel is smooth.
- Binding edges: With masked binding, the line between the maple top and the side should be clean and even.
- Fret ends: Run your hand along the neck edges. Sharp fret ends are a setup problem, but they are worth knowing about.
- Pickup details: Confirm whether the guitar has stock Frog Dog humbuckers or an upgrade, since that changes the value.
- Volume roll-off: Plug in and turn the volume down slowly to hear whether the treble bleed does its job.
- Weight: If you can, hold it. A guitar that feels fine for ten minutes in a shop can feel heavy after an hour.
A common mistake is judging a guitar only by photos. Wood grain looks different in every light, and a maple top that looks perfect online may look plain in person, or the other way around. Ask for extra pictures, or better, play it.
Who This Guitar Suits
The Ashlee makes sense for a player who wants a classic single cut sound but also wants modern comfort. It fits rock, blues, and classic hard rock well. It is also a good match for players who like a simple control layout and do not want to tweak four knobs mid-song.
It may not be the best fit for someone who wants a lightweight guitar, a bright single coil sound, or a wide range of onboard tone options. If that sounds like you, a different style may serve you better.
FAQs
Where is the CMG Ashlee made?
CMG says its guitars are 100% sourced and built in the USA. The company is led by Chris Mitchell.
Is the CMG Ashlee a Les Paul copy?
It follows the single cut Les Paul style, but it is not a direct copy. The belly cut, E bend cut, and masked binding are CMG design choices that give it its own character.
What pickups does the Ashlee come with?
Frog Dog humbuckers are standard, with DiMarzio and Seymour Duncan upgrades available. Check each listing, since dealer stock can differ.
Does the Ashlee come with a case?
Some new listings include a Cort padded gig bag with a neck cradle. Used listings vary, and one used listing mentions a hard case, so confirm what is included.
Can I get a custom color?
Yes. There are 15 standard colors, and custom finishes can be ordered through the CMG website.
Final Thoughts
The CMG Guitars Ashlee Georgia Honey electric guitar earns attention because it pairs a familiar shape with practical touches that players actually notice: an easy reach to the top frets, a comfortable body, and a simple control setup. Before you commit, try to play one in person, compare the weight of a couple of units, and ask the seller exactly what pickups and case come with it. A guitar you enjoy picking up is the one you will end up playing.
I can also put this into a file, such as a Word doc or Markdown, if you’d like. One note: the search results only covered the Ashlee’s specs and reviews from 2019 onward, so it’s worth checking the current price and any spec changes on the CMG site before publishing.
