Lite Ash Tele Club

I've had mine for a couple of years now and made a few changes to her.
Wouldn't sell or trade her because she sounds so good.
She is a true light ash, not heavy like the early ones in the series.

Since I seem to be the only member, does that mean that I belong to an exclusive club? :cool:

Here's an old pic of mine, just to get the party started!
http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/500/Lite_Ash_Tele-2.JPG

Nice guitar.

I have both the Lite Ash Tele and Strat. Had them for a few years now. I'll post some pics a bit later after my kids elementary school orientation.

Cheers

Bob

I'll join, so you don't feel so all alone...:wink:
got it in 2006 and changed the tuners to Kluson styled ones with conversion bushings. I also installed an electro-socket - that's it though.
sounds great and plays nice - allthough since the Squier CV is in the house...the Lite Ash gets a little neglected^^
the CV is a tad lighter in weight.
one thing I'm not so fond of are the abalone dots. no biggie, but on dark stages, I can't see them.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b237/open-g/Tele%20Projekt/MIKRockinger-1.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b237/open-g/Guitars/HPIM0158.jpg

Mine is a black Lite Ash Tele that I got in a nice gear swap. It is stock and usually kept in G tuning.

Here's my pair...

http://home.comcast.net/~bwrenn/Tele1.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~bwrenn/Strat1.jpg

I replaced the original pickguards with Fender 3 ply guards. I also removed the D/G string trees. Bridge on the Tele can top or bottom load. I have it top loaded right now but plan on going back to bottom load. Seems to sustain better bottom loaded.

Strat has a new Tusq nut. Both guitars have Schaller Mini tuning keys.

Cheers,

Bob

I love mine. It's my number one, you wouldn't recognize it. I don't access to any pics other than my avatar. I got a ridiculous deal on a new one a few users ago, so I went to town on it: Replaced the neck with an allparts rw 60's style, and refinished it in black nitro, compensated barrel saddles, upgraded pots, and a different bridge p/up finished it off. She's my frankentele extrordinaire!

It's my main go to for playing out side of the house. Put flatwounds on it and I'm in love.

Mines out gettin a B/G bender installed.
Should be home this week.
Meanwhile I hope she's not jealous when she gets home to find the Buckocaster/gold sparklecaster hangin in her place.This is how she looked when she left:
OOPS! THE LITE ASH IS ON THE BOTTOM IN BLACK.

I've currently got two, both in natural, one with a two piece body and one with a three piece body. Put bone nuts on both of 'em, and a red tortoise guard on the three piece along with a Fender Vintage Noiseless Tele Neck pickup and new CTS pots and a Switchcraft switch. Aside from the bone nut, the two piece body is still stock and sounds great. If/when the pots or switch wear out I'll replace them with US parts, but after 4 years the original parts are still working fine. Sorry, no pics at the moment!

i got a natural finish 3 peice body one,it has a crl switch and full size pots,has cloth wire on both pickups but not the jack, rear pu says seymour duncan front has chrome cover is this the stock setup?

Mine is an 07 natural. Put a Duncan hot tele lead bridge pickup that is tapped, and a Dimarzio hot strat in the neck. This tele jangles.

i got a natural finish 3 peice body one,it has a crl switch and full size pots,has cloth wire on both pickups but not the jack, rear pu says seymour duncan front has chrome cover is this the stock setup?

It is. The Duncan Designed pups came from the factory with cloth wires. Fender Korea used plastic insulated wire to install the jack.

I had the pickguard and the control plate off my lite ash tele this weekend and made the same observation. I did some research and found the pickup specs are still listed on the SD website.

Worked mine over pretty good. Now its the "Lite Ash Nash!"

http://i369.photobucket.com/albums/oo132/porknblue/8LiteAshNash.jpg

Yep I got one second hand a couple of years ago, natural finish, two piece body.
Its built like a tank, never goes out of tune.

I have since installed a 4 way switch, with phase reversal and added a hipshot B,G bender and drop D

I'll post a few photo's later.
I keep coming back to playing this guitar, I love the birdseye maple neck. I cna get a spanking country bite , or a growling dirty blues out of this baby

Pics , the beauty of a tele, a change of pickguard takes 5 mins

Good to see some other MIK beauties on here! I'll join in with this one -

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs411.snc4/47430_1586416268491_1478314809_1528256_6972595_n.j pg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs302.ash2/58200_1586416628500_1478314809_1528259_1264514_n.j pg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs302.ash2/58200_1586416668501_1478314809_1528260_2187684_n.j pg

The only thing I did was replace the block pickguard with this red one. I think the pattern really looks good against the body color. I'm really happy with the neck and stock pickups on this!

I have one too, would post a pic but it's standard except for Fralin 7% blues specials PUPs in both the bridge and neck (I have the white pickguard, it's slick). Doesn't have a ton of high end pop and sustain in my current signal chain but it plays fast sometimes too much so for my own good haha. I really like this guitar, at the moment I run it through dunlop wah, visual sound double trouble, then vox AC4tv8. It just oozes blues and can really bump up the gain. Good stuff glad to see everyone else supporting the MIKs!

So, what's the neck like on these? Width at the nut? Contour C, D or U?

I've had my natural LAT for about 18 months - love it, my backup to my '83 Alder Tele, and I love the snap, snarl and growl of the SD pickups.

So, what's the neck like on these? Width at the nut? Contour C, D or U?

It is a C-shaped neck. Very comfortable and fast. I cannot find width at nut dimensions.

I never owned a tele before I got my lite ash used at Guitar Center.

The person that priced it probably thought it was a knockoff (due to the weird logo/headstock shape.) I never even gave teles a second look before but the price tag forced to me to snatch the guitar off the wall. I couldn't figure out why something with the fender name on it would be $189.99. A cursory inspection found no major flaws. I fell in love with the baseball bat sized necked decided to buy my first tele. The clerk at the register had to call the manager to verify the price. The manager squinted at the price, looked me over from top to bottom, and compared the description to the guitar. Finally he nodded his head and grumbled something like, "...is gonna get my size 12's if he ever screws up like that again..."

I noticed it's common for people to change out the pickups on these things. That's ironic to me because I love the stock pups. I've always been a P90 guy and the Duncan Designed units emulate them pretty well. Sweet and meaty with distinct mids. I recently bought a MIM tele with vintage reissue pups and was really disappointed. The neck was thin and the sound was like an ice pick to the eardrum. I guess I'm just not a twang guy.

This guitar sustains for days and stays in tune regardless of how much it's abused. The only thing I've done is shielded the routs and the underside of the pickguard. It's my number one and won't be replaced anytime soon.

Here's mine: https://picasaweb.google.com/famous1000/MIK_Tele#
Just got it and setting it up next weekend. A very nice guitar but quite different compared to my 2 other MIM teles (Nash Deluxe 2003, FSR BSB 2010). I remember when these came into the market and almost bought one. Glad I didn't because now I've got one, cheap and propably almost unplayed.

I love mine. Other than personal taste, do you think anything on it screams upgrade? I was recommended Lollar pickups.

How "lite " are they ?

I love mine I'm not going to change a thing well worth the money

Here is mine!
I was looking for a good backup Tele, but this is even better than that.
Wow, nice guitar. Looks are good (birdseye) and sound is excellent (resonance, Seymour Duncan pickups).
Pics or it didn't happen:

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g258/rocker_71/GEAR/LiteAshTelecaster17edit2.jpg

Beautiful headstock (birdseye):
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g258/rocker_71/GEAR/LiteAshTelecaster9edit.jpg

SD pickups:
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g258/rocker_71/GEAR/LiteAshTelecaster1edit.jpg

Glad to see this club getting some new members. I did put a bone nut and compensated brass saddles on after my original post but nothing else. I also raised the pickups and now it blooms and sustains like no guitar I've ever owned. :cool:

I love mine!!!!!!

Bought it new in 2006. It felt, played and sounded a lot better to me than the much more expensive american Tele I had at the time. So the Lite Ash Tele is the one I kept and I've never looked back :grin:

Here's a pic of it, together with my little boy (he's highly interested in my gear) and one of my cats (she's not that interested) :razz:

I bought mine 2005 i guess. Love it.

Does anyone know when they changed the logo. Mine's got a sorta transition logo but I saw others with spaghetti logos. Which was first???


Thanks

http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/3835/fenderr.jpgHi,new in the forum,and trying to send an image... anyone can answer if the tele bridge cover available for american and mexican fenders fits korean lite ash? Thanks...

Hi,new in the forum,and trying to send an image... anyone can answer if the tele bridge cover available for american and mexican fenders fits korean lite ash? Thanks...

Yes they do fit, no problem.

...and welcome to the TDPRI.

Thanks for the answer,a beautiful welcome I think...

Iam joining! Changed bridge to ashtray vintage 3 saddles and put in some black label pups!

Does pauwlonia count as lite ash? :lol:

http://i.imgur.com/UeqlT.jpg

Here's mine!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9tw7Neptfk

NGD...like I need that, but it 'aint always about need now is it? ;) 2004 LAT...so far I've just straightened the bridge a bit and adjusted the pickup height. Someone replaced the tone control, so the hole has been drilled out for the larger shaft and I had to put some washers on the back to get the knob level with the volume knob. Looking to replace tuners with Klusons...I take it I'll need bushings, anybody have a good source for what I need to convert?

Pics...or it didn't happen...or so I'm told.

Play's like nobodys business, unplugged even!

NGD...like I need that, but it 'aint always about need now is it? ;) 2004 LAT...so far I've just straightened the bridge a bit and adjusted the pickup height. Someone replaced the tone control, so the hole has been drilled out for the larger shaft and I had to put some washers on the back to get the knob level with the volume knob. Looking to replace tuners with Klusons...I take it I'll need bushings, anybody have a good source for what I need to convert?

What I've got on mine, good looking and does a fine job. :cool:

http://store.guitarfetish.com/Wilkinson-Fender-Style-Nickel-Tuners-Six-for-Strats-and-Teles_p_891.html

http://store.guitarfetish.com/Nickel-Vintage-Tuner-Conversion-Bushings_p_559.html

They don't have 'em in stock...i'm going with the Gotoh vintage machines and conversion bushings from AllParts. These are the exact tuners made for Fender by Gotoh for the RI guitars and the same ones that are on my Mayer Stratocaster.

http://www.allparts.com/Gotoh-6-in-line-Vintage-Keys-Nickel-p/tk-0880-001.htm

http://www.allparts.com/Gotoh-Nickel-Vintage-Adapter-Bushings-p/tk-0901-001.htm

:cool:

Hi All, thought I'd join in if that's OK. I bought my Lite Ash via Ebay after a few vinos in a French cafe. Absolute gem and a bargain price, even when I had sobered up later. I have a few teles and this is more controllable souundwise than my USA Standard but with a much better tone than my Modern Player. Build quality seems pretty good too, althought it's definitely not lite in weight. Maybe if I had my way the neck would be a fraction thinner and one piece. Not sure of the proper name for the yellowish colour (my other half calls it my custard guitar) but having seen the pics on here I'm very tempted by a red tortoiseshell pick guard.

Update on my tuner upgrade....love the Gotoh/Vintage Fender splits. The bushings I got from allparts were 10.0mm OD, and fit loose in the headstock. I used a bit of masking tape to shim them and get them to press in and not fall out, but the flange on the front of the headstock is very wide...about 15mm...and don't look vintage at all. So, I've ordered the 10.5mm conversion bushings from stewmac and those are spec'd at 11.61mm wide flange across the face...MUCH closer to what I get from measuring my '78 Thinline and 2006 Mayer Strat. Should make the LAT headstock look much better (to me at least) and I won't have to use masking tape to get the bushings to stay in the headstock. Will post pics of the allparts bushings since they are on the guitar now, and I'll take pics once i've changed the bushings out for the stewmac 10.5mm ones.

That weird ( knock off ) looking Fender logo is only seen on the Korean made Teles.

Allparts 10mm vs. Stewart Macdonald 10.5mm bushings. The StewMac ones are the smaller flange and fit firmly in the mik headstock. The installed look is much more correct and vintage looking with the StewMac bushings.

Got a Ash-Lite, a pair with my early 90s '52 AMV Tele. From chicken to jazz, via englishmen as Knopfler and Summers, is a nice instrument to travel lite with, mine got all Tele & Strat & 335/LP sounds, plus a suggested acoustic one at hand.
I've put a fender Strat in the mid position and a PAF '59 on neck. A 4 way switch (tricky) wired L/L+M/L+R/R drives all (I never used M+R on strats and seldom M pup alone). A Fishman Power Bridge, wired to the stereo output jack, can be switched on/off by the push-pull tone pot. Maybe better a blender pot but I've eventually lost the control tone. MAster volume replaced with a 250k no load solid shaft. All visually correct (except for humb and mid), tortoiseshell pickguard, black mid pup cover as the tophat switch, flathead chrome knobs. My son re-christianized it Lite-Nash.

Alto music in New York and online is selling these babies for $399. Free shipping. No tax outside of NY. I bit.

Here's the link (http://altomusic.com/shop/home.am) to their site. The guitar is the big feature of the home page.

This says it has the Seymour Duncan pickups. Was this guitar MIK or MIM?

I'm curious to compare this guitar to the Squier Custom Vibe 50's BSB that I recently received from Hello Music for about $100 less.

Love me some great, cheap, guitars. I hope this is another one that's a keeper.

Alto music in New York and online is selling these babies for $399. Free shipping. No tax outside of NY. I bit.

Here's the link (http://altomusic.com/shop/home.am) to their site. The guitar is the big feature of the home page.

This says it has the Seymour Duncan pickups. Was this guitar MIK or MIM?

I'm curious to compare this guitar to the Squier Custom Vibe 50's BSB that I recently received from Hello Music for about $100 less.

Love me some great, cheap, guitars. I hope this is another one that's a keeper.

Yes, Seymour Duncan APTR-1 and APTL-1 Alnico Pro2 pickups.
they're quite hot compared to the CV50s Alnico5.
The neck of the MIKorea Lite Ash is a bit chunky-er than the CV50s.
frets are taller and not so finely finished as CVs.

Not quite in the club yet but on my way.
Picked this up the weekend for a good price and now on the lookout for some pickups, neck and tuners, there are some Toneriders I have my eye on at Ebay uk and plenty of others so that won't be a problem.
I notice a few people swap out the original necks but I quite them so it would be good if one came up sometime as I'm in no hurry, or should I go for something else?
What I did find interesting was what at first seemed to be a two piece body on close inspection of the end grain was three, the top and middle is the same piece of wood but it looks like a 1/4 has been sawn through it, I assume to take out some imperfection??

Got mine today. I just got back from a business trip. It's been sitting in my office since Wednesday.

Took it out of the box. Made in Indonesia with a 2011 serial number. Otherwise, it appears to be the same as the MIKs I see on this thread. I'll take it home tonight, set it up, play it, and post some pix.

http://i610.photobucket.com/albums/tt185/3ChordMonte/072.jpg

http://i610.photobucket.com/albums/tt185/3ChordMonte/071.jpg

http://i610.photobucket.com/albums/tt185/3ChordMonte/070.jpg

http://i610.photobucket.com/albums/tt185/3ChordMonte/066.jpg

Nice one Papa Joe. Been a few months now. How are the post honeymoon thoughts on it ?

Specs on the MIK models

Model Name: Lite Ash Telecaster

Model Number: 026-5102-(521)

Series: Special Edition Series

Colors:
(506) Black
(521) Natural
(541) Vintage White
(Polyurethane Finish)

Body: Light Weight Ash

Neck: Birdseye Maple, Modern 'C' Shape, (Satin Polyurethane Finish)

Fingerboard: Birdseye Maple, 9.5 in. Radius (241mm)

No. of Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Frets

Pickups: Seymour Duncan® APTR-1, APTL-1, (Neck/Bridge) (AP=Alnico Pro)

Controls: Master Volume, Master Tone

Pickup Switching:
3-Position Blade:
Position 1. Bridge Pickup
Position 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups
Position 3. Neck Pickup

Bridge: Vintage Style with 3 Brass Saddles

Machine Heads: Cast/Sealed Tuning Machines

Hardware: Chrome

Pickguard: 1-Ply Black

Scale Length: 25.5 in. (648 mm)

Width at Nut: 1.625 in.

Unique Features:
Black Plastic Parts
Abalone Dot Position Inlays
Oversized Strap Buttons

Strings: Fender Super 250L, Nickel Plated Steel, (.009 to .042)

Accessories: None

Case: None

Introduced: 1/2004

My 2004 Vintage White. 8 lbs 2 ozs
http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z256/hwjennings1/1%20Tele/liteashtele005_zps846f9bd5.jpg

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z256/hwjennings1/1%20Tele/liteashtele007_zpsbf7b574b.jpg

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z256/hwjennings1/1%20Tele/liteashtele002_zps0833365d.jpg