Goodness. Searching the forum for "lite ash tele" yields two whole threads.
Searching other forums, the Web, and Fender's site, I get the implication that the Lite Ash's "vintage style" bridge is physically interchangible with any of Fender's three-barrel bridges, but I can find no reference to anyone actually doing a swap. Can anyone confirm or deny that this bridge can be replaced by an "Original Vintage" or custome vintage replacement like Callaham?
Anyhoo, I was out Tele shopping yesterday, decided to kill some time in the Nashua GC after work. Spent a good couple hours in there. By which, I mean I spent all or the majority of the two hours there, not that they were, in fact, good hours.
'52RI: Very nice. The bridge plate wasn't quite flat, so you could see into the back pickup route. The grain printed through the finish (probably vintage correct) and the fretboard finish was a little wavy. I couldn't see myself paying what I assume even vigorous bargaining could accomplish, so I passed.
American Ash Deluxe: Unplayable. The nut had only been scratched at, the G string would pop out even without bending. The body was much heavier than the RI, making the guitar unbalanced. There were some other little issues, but the above totally eliminated it from consideration. Only $1350, I guess you can't expect perfection from a "bandsaw guitar" at that price point.
American Ash: Terrible neck joint. The misshapen, blunted off pocket had been built back up with epoxy or CA, and painted over. It was a transparent natural, so this half-assed work was plainly visible. Despite this putty job, the pocket was still entry-level loose. The bottom of the pocket was cut too far down, leaving a triangular shelf where the upper bout is supposed to butt against the neck. $1060. Steeerike two.
American Series: Another crappy neck joint, again with poorly radiused pocket "tips" this time they at least didn't insult the buyer's intellegence buy bondoing the errors. The pocket got a bit wider at the bottom, leaving a triangular void. $949? Notta chance.
Highway One(s): One new, one old. The old one wasn't too bad, but was the most beat up instrument I have ever seen marked "new." Pocket was OK. The new and improved version had a disappointing honey blonde finish, which, unlike the original, looked like a puddle of wet wood glue. The pocket was coarsely finished, having a nearly splintered look. Still, after talking them down to $500, Iconsidered it, until I saw the bottom of the bridge pickup rout extended a quarter-inch past the bridge plate. How many people at Fender had to fail to do their job before that shipped. It, along with the Ash Deluxe, were pulled from the shelves after I pointed them out.
Lite Ash's: One had a very heavy body, and a loose neck joint, the other had an acceptable joint, but a decent string rattle, even with rather high action. I passed.
MIM Standards: Mediocre neck joints, on two or three samples (record skips, I know). They were all quite body-heavy, and the necks felt a little cheesy for some reason I couldn't put my finger on.
On the plus side, all had pretty straight necks, and I didn't notice any catastrophic fret flaws. Some of the fretwork was, well, less than nice, but acceptable.
Fortunately, I stopped at Daddy's in Burlington, where they sold me a near perfect example of a Lite Ash for $495 with a bag and a Levi's strap.
Searching other forums, the Web, and Fender's site, I get the implication that the Lite Ash's "vintage style" bridge is physically interchangible with any of Fender's three-barrel bridges, but I can find no reference to anyone actually doing a swap. Can anyone confirm or deny that this bridge can be replaced by an "Original Vintage" or custome vintage replacement like Callaham?
Anyhoo, I was out Tele shopping yesterday, decided to kill some time in the Nashua GC after work. Spent a good couple hours in there. By which, I mean I spent all or the majority of the two hours there, not that they were, in fact, good hours.
'52RI: Very nice. The bridge plate wasn't quite flat, so you could see into the back pickup route. The grain printed through the finish (probably vintage correct) and the fretboard finish was a little wavy. I couldn't see myself paying what I assume even vigorous bargaining could accomplish, so I passed.
American Ash Deluxe: Unplayable. The nut had only been scratched at, the G string would pop out even without bending. The body was much heavier than the RI, making the guitar unbalanced. There were some other little issues, but the above totally eliminated it from consideration. Only $1350, I guess you can't expect perfection from a "bandsaw guitar" at that price point.
American Ash: Terrible neck joint. The misshapen, blunted off pocket had been built back up with epoxy or CA, and painted over. It was a transparent natural, so this half-assed work was plainly visible. Despite this putty job, the pocket was still entry-level loose. The bottom of the pocket was cut too far down, leaving a triangular shelf where the upper bout is supposed to butt against the neck. $1060. Steeerike two.
American Series: Another crappy neck joint, again with poorly radiused pocket "tips" this time they at least didn't insult the buyer's intellegence buy bondoing the errors. The pocket got a bit wider at the bottom, leaving a triangular void. $949? Notta chance.
Highway One(s): One new, one old. The old one wasn't too bad, but was the most beat up instrument I have ever seen marked "new." Pocket was OK. The new and improved version had a disappointing honey blonde finish, which, unlike the original, looked like a puddle of wet wood glue. The pocket was coarsely finished, having a nearly splintered look. Still, after talking them down to $500, Iconsidered it, until I saw the bottom of the bridge pickup rout extended a quarter-inch past the bridge plate. How many people at Fender had to fail to do their job before that shipped. It, along with the Ash Deluxe, were pulled from the shelves after I pointed them out.
Lite Ash's: One had a very heavy body, and a loose neck joint, the other had an acceptable joint, but a decent string rattle, even with rather high action. I passed.
MIM Standards: Mediocre neck joints, on two or three samples (record skips, I know). They were all quite body-heavy, and the necks felt a little cheesy for some reason I couldn't put my finger on.
On the plus side, all had pretty straight necks, and I didn't notice any catastrophic fret flaws. Some of the fretwork was, well, less than nice, but acceptable.
Fortunately, I stopped at Daddy's in Burlington, where they sold me a near perfect example of a Lite Ash for $495 with a bag and a Levi's strap.
