Matt Muehling Takes His Signature Ashburn Into the Studio for "Challenge Day"
If you've caught Matt Muehling on Kill Tony, you've already seen his John Page Signature Ashburn in action — but a late-night comedy show only tells part of the story. We wanted to hear what the guitar could do in a real studio setting, with a full band, on an original song. So we got Matt into Estuary Recording in Austin, TX, with his band Muehling, Davila & Steele, to record "Challenge Day" live.
The band
Muehling, Davila & Steele is Matt Muehling on guitar, Michael Davila (Ty Myers) on drums, and Christina Steele on violin — joined on this session by Montez Garner (Sir Woman) on electric bass and synth bass, Dayne Reliford (Gary Clark Jr.) on keys, and Carolyn Trowbridge on marimba. "Challenge Day" was composed by Matt and Michael together, and the result is a track that moves through a lot of ground — Mahavishnu-tinged polyrhythmic rock, syncopated atmospheric funk, and everything in between — which is exactly the kind of range Matt's guitar was built to handle.
Built for a player who doesn't stay in one lane
Matt's Signature Ashburn came out of a hands-on collaboration with John Page, built around the exact tones and feel Matt needed on stage, in the studio, and the woodshed. An HSH pickup configuration featuring Bloodline® by John Page pickups with coil-split and a five-way switch offers nine distinct tonal variations, from full humbucker push to single-coil clarity to everything in between. A recessed tremolo cavity lets you dig into the expressive vibrato that has become one of his signatures. The result is a guitar versatile enough for any gig, in any genre, on any night — which matters when your day job means playing something different every single show.
Like every John Page Guitar, the Signature Ashburn is designed by John Page and hand-built in the USA, backed by our Lifetime Performance Guarantee™.
Watch it live
"Challenge Day" was recorded and shot as a full live performance video — no overdubs standing in for what actually happened in the room. Watch the full performance on YouTube.
If you want to see and play the guitar Matt used on this track, book a private appointment at our Austin showroom or find an authorized dealer near you.
