Lite Ash tele with Keystone

I've had this project tele sitting around for a while ... It's a Fender Lite Ash Korean made tele. I picked it up in a pawn shop for around $220. It came with Seymour Duncan pickups and I liked the bridge pickup but wasn't happy with the neck pickup. I had a buch of Tele parts lying around so I installed a Wilkinson bridge with brass saddles, stock tele pots from an US tele, and a Bill Lawrence Keystone (Wilde) neck pickup ...

http://fothda.yuku.com/topic/108/In-praise-of-the-Wilde-Bill-Lawrence-pickup#.T4tmPxB5mK0



I like the Keystone as much as my Fralin and it was about 1/4th the price. Very cool. The Keystone pickups are well loved on the Tele forum (tdpri.com) ... I can see why.

NICE combo, ya the KS are one heckofa pup 4 sure.

I was thinking those Ash Tele's from Korea are the ones with the birdseye neck. Is that correct ??

I looked at a foreign (not MIM) Ash model a few years ago in a geetar shop and it was like that. FINE looking geetar !!

NICE combo, ya the KS are one heckofa pup 4 sure.

I was thinking those Ash Tele's from Korea are the ones with the birdseye neck. Is that correct ??

I looked at a foreign (not MIM) Ash model a few years ago in a geetar shop and it was like that. FINE looking geetar !!

Yes it has the Birdseye maple neck. Nicely figured ...

Yes it has the Birdseye maple neck. Nicely figured ...

Yeah, they generally have some figure, although not a crazy amount.

Those stock Seymours are Alnico 2, and some guys find those kind of mellow.

I think the Keystones could be a great choice.

i have a '04 lite ash and don't like the pickups at all. sound kinda stiff and liveless to me if that makes sence. i see nocasters in there in nearer future. mine's got some crazy birdseye figuring going on. it's a really lovely guit otherwise.

I liked the bridge pickup after swapping the stock bridge for a Wilkinson, but the stock neck was too dark sounding for my taste. The Keystone in the neck position is really a good match for me.

Update ... I ended up putting in a seymour duncan Broadcaster in the treble position ... Love it. It has more bite ... Really cuts through. A perfect match for the KeysTone in the neck position.

Update ... I ended up putting in a seymour duncan Broadcaster in the treble position ... Love it. It has more bite ... Really cuts through. A perfect match for the KeysTone in the neck position.

How do SD Broadcaster-Keystone combo compare to SD APTL1-Keystone in the middle position? Which gives more classic spanky funky sound?

How do SD Broadcaster-Keystone combo compare to SD APTL1-Keystone in the middle position? Which gives more classic spanky funky sound?

Hmmm... Good question. I am able to dial in a nice middle sound with the Broadcaster - Keystone, I Really can't say if it's better ... Both were good. I definitely like the Broadcaster in solo mode better than the previous SD pickup.

FWIW -- I originally used the Broadcaster-Keystone combo in my Amer. Deluxe tele for a while and really liked the set up. I swapped for a set of Fralins which are great ... But I believe I like the Broadcaster - Keystone combo just as much ... Just a different sound.