Unique. Never to Market. Ampeg Prototype: ASH-22 or SH-22 2008 Flame Maple Black

*** Free shipping in EU *** Shipping cost split to everywhere else (around 100€ each)

People misuse words like “unique”, and terms like “one of a kind” so often as to render them near meaningless.

This is different. You will literally be the only person with this collectible and handmade item; the only person in the world.

Here is the short version of the tale of this handmade semi-hollow guitar:

I used to work at Ampeg’s parent company. We were developing this guitar for release in 2009. This guitar was made in 2008 and was slated to be the top-of-the-line guitar for the 2009 model year.

Well, the financial crisis hit and screwed supply chains (sound familiar?) along with plunging the world into a recession.

We had to make the decision to shelve the project after showing this very guitar at one private dealer event and having the regular round of promo photos done.

Due to production line issues with other products and the thought that a multi-thousand Dollar, top-of-the-line, limited production, semi-hollow would not be viable in the midst of financial turmoil; the launch and products were cancelled.

You can find info on these never-launched guitars via the Wayback Machine. Many dealers had their pages ready for launch.

I know that we produced fewer than 10 engineering examples, in various stages (no paint, no pickups, etc.) of incompletion. This one is complete (except for a model number) and has been set up by the technician that does all of the high-end & top-of-the-line guitars that come in to Europe from Yamaha Japan. I used to work there as well. Plays like a dream. Alas, it has been hanging, as seen, on my wall for many years.

I’m sure that there will be lots of questions. I’m happy to discuss over Skype, phone, whatever makes sense.

Oh, comes with Ampeg gig bag. We never did get around to making a hard case for this.

A literally unique piece of Ampeg history