American Ash Tele

hankk · May 18th, 2008, 03:56 PM

This may have been covered before but who else out there has noticed how much better these are for only a few dollars extra. I'm still deciding, but it might be the best sounding Tele I ever owned

91xlntS-3 · May 18th, 2008, 04:11 PM

hankk,
I bought mine last summer, best purchase I ever made! Bought it sight unseen (except for pics on web) and without ever finding one to play. Got mine thru M.F. and it's the perfect Tele for me.

Love the "U" shaped neck and the vintage/modern p-ups. Gives me all I want/expect out of a Tele. Got mine in HoneyBlonde.

It appears they have been discontinued, so I may have to pick up another in the future. So, if you can find one--BUY IT!

hankk · May 18th, 2008, 04:34 PM

+1 Tele Holic, I bought a new '06 last fall. The tone and playability are outstanding! Mine is also the honey finnish. When I bought it I thought I might re-paint it seafoam, but I couldn't bring myself to touch such a well done original. If I ever run across a two tone I will probably have to get it. I didn't know they quit making them,to bad. It's got good spank but it also rocks like a Les Paul Jr I have. I have a lot of guitars, this might be my favorite.

Colt W. Knight · May 18th, 2008, 04:38 PM

If I had the cash, I would consider buying one of these in a heart beat. I thought they were fantastic guitars.

boris bubbanov · May 18th, 2008, 04:43 PM

Some folks call these 8502s, to distinguish them from the American Series (8402) which was also found in ash.

The 8502 has a 6 saddle modern bridge plate, but of a different composition that the similar looking American Series plate with the sintered steel saddles.

Kept wonderin if these ever would be closed out; no doubt, they got stranded when the American Series was replaced by the American Standard. If it came back it'd be well after initial excitement about the new Am Std was over. IMO.

I guess the closet thing in the 2008 catalog is the 1702 Am Dlx Ash, but that has SCN pickups.

Tele Jr · May 19th, 2008, 06:26 PM

Best "Modern" Tele ever built by Fender IMHO, although it's really an expression of the newer so called "Modern Vintage" concept.

They were always produced in short limited runs and I don't think Fender ever intended it to be a mainstream replacement for the 8402, my gut feeling is the profit margins on the 8502's were less than the usual American Fender pieces and that's why they limited the availability of it when it was still being made.

91xlntS-3 · May 19th, 2008, 08:58 PM

When I ordered mine from M.F., it was the LAST one they had in stock! I was so lucky to get it. I was also worried if I would like it when it came.

Once I took it out of the case and tuned it up, I couldn't believe how it played/felt, just incredible! It's been my number 1 since then. My 50's Classic #2 and my Tele Special at #3 (for now). So many Teles, so little MONEY!

markinlondon · May 19th, 2008, 11:33 PM

Welcome to The Brotherhood of the 8502 (TM). Fender's secret best modern tele'. The design always reminded me of those Custom Shop Player models that used to pop up from time to time, a nice mix of vintage and modern design elements. I can report that the MV pickups take a 4 way switch mod very nicely making the AA tele a very versatile beast indeed. A keeper if ever there was one, it edged out a CIJ '52RI and a 50s Classic for no.1 slot.

outbreak · May 19th, 2008, 11:38 PM

is this those lite ash teles? or another model

jimd · May 19th, 2008, 11:52 PM

No, the lite ash are made in Korea and are a totally different beast. I've got an American Ash and really love it. I do have my doubts about the U neck from time to time, but I never dwell on it long enough to do something about it.

Jellecaster · May 20th, 2008, 11:43 AM

They are very nice guitars - I own two. But for some reason, every time this subject comes up, people start talking about the magic of the "8502" or the "Brotherhood of the 8502" like they've just grabbed Excalibur and are going on a quest for the Grail. It's just a nice Tele!

Sorry, but referring to guitars by model number gets my panties in a bunch!

johnny guitar · May 20th, 2008, 01:35 PM

I owned a bunch of 8502s and loved about 1/2 of them. The best ones had a magic that definitely put them at a step up from the regular AmSe teles. There was a "brotherhood" of 8502s, sort of like the first people driving VW bugs back in the day. Those days are long gone now, though. You do have to call it an 8502, though, because nobody knows what American Ash Tele means....

It is sad that they are out of production. It has been one of the little secrets of tele life, that you could easily find one of these killer 8502s for about $750 used, with the seller almost always thinking it was a regular AmSe tele w/ash body.

gibsonjunkie · May 20th, 2008, 04:40 PM

My american ash tele weighs 6 1/2 pounds according to the UPS scale...

91xlntS-3 · May 20th, 2008, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jellecaster

They are very nice guitars - I own two. But for some reason, every time this subject comes up, people start talking about the magic of the "8502" or the "Brotherhood of the 8502" like they've just grabbed Excalibur and are going on a quest for the Grail. It's just a nice Tele!

Sorry, but referring to guitars by model number gets my panties in a bunch!

So, Jelle; quit wearing panties!!

When I first got my Am. Ash. I also used "8502" in the description, just so everyone knew what I was talking about. Don't use it any more, just haven't needed to. But, you never know...

hankk · May 20th, 2008, 07:27 PM

Thanks for the input, guys. What ever you want to call it, it's a great Telecaster.

brownshoe · May 20th, 2008, 09:29 PM

I love my AA. I debated whether to replace the MV pups, which were great, with nocaster pups. The nocaster pups went in. The AA love grew.

johnny guitar · June 2nd, 2008, 05:41 PM

No offense, but I would not put Nocaster pups in an 8502. It is just not necessary, IMO. The Modern Vintage pups in the 8502 are also alnico 3, and are a similar ballpark to the Nocaster pups. Plus, there is a very large something to be said, in this case, for keeping the guitar stock. There is no question that the 8502 was a carefully designed guitar. It ended up having a magic to it that was even greater than the sum of the parts. I think without those MV pups, you will still have a great guitar; but I ask why you would do that to THIS guitar? (that's what American Series/Standards are for)

brownshoe · June 2nd, 2008, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnny guitar

No offense, but I would not put Nocaster pups in an 8502. It is just not necessary, IMO. The Modern Vintage pups in the 8502 are also alnico 3, and are a similar ballpark to the Nocaster pups. Plus, there is a very large something to be said, in this case, for keeping the guitar stock. There is no question that the 8502 was a carefully designed guitar. It ended up having a magic to it that was even greater than the sum of the parts. I think without those MV pups, you will still have a great guitar; but I ask why you would do that to THIS guitar? (that's what American Series/Standards are for)

As I said, I debated. IMO, it sounds better to me. Remember, I can change them back at any time, right? So, relax...

johnny guitar · June 2nd, 2008, 08:26 PM

maybe I'll just have another cup of coffee instead....

of course, keeping the MV pups makes sense. I have done lots of pup swapping; I just can't personally see taking them out of my American Ash Telecaster

May 18th, 2008, 03:56 PM	#1 (permalink)
hankk TDPRI Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: traverse city,mi Posts: 18	American Ash Tele This may have been covered before but who else out there has noticed how much better these are for only a few dollars extra. I'm still deciding, but it might be the best sounding Tele I ever owned

May 18th, 2008, 04:11 PM	#2 (permalink)
91xlntS-3 Tele-Holic Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 729	Don't hesitate--Just get it!! hankk, I bought mine last summer, best purchase I ever made! Bought it sight unseen (except for pics on web) and without ever finding one to play. Got mine thru M.F. and it's the perfect Tele for me. Love the "U" shaped neck and the vintage/modern p-ups. Gives me all I want/expect out of a Tele. Got mine in HoneyBlonde. It appears they have been discontinued, so I may have to pick up another in the future. So, if you can find one--BUY IT!

May 18th, 2008, 04:43 PM	#5 (permalink)
boris bubbanov Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: New Orleans, LA + in the past Posts: 8,521	Some folks call these 8502s, to distinguish them from the American Series (8402) which was also found in ash. The 8502 has a 6 saddle modern bridge plate, but of a different composition that the similar looking American Series plate with the sintered steel saddles. Kept wonderin if these ever would be closed out; no doubt, they got stranded when the American Series was replaced by the American Standard. If it came back it'd be well after initial excitement about the new Am Std was over. IMO. I guess the closet thing in the 2008 catalog is the 1702 Am Dlx Ash, but that has SCN pickups. __________________ Bubban0v

May 19th, 2008, 11:33 PM	#8 (permalink)
markinlondon Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Wellington, NZ Age: 48 Posts: 426	Welcome to The Brotherhood of the 8502 (TM). Fender's secret best modern tele'. The design always reminded me of those Custom Shop Player models that used to pop up from time to time, a nice mix of vintage and modern design elements. I can report that the MV pickups take a 4 way switch mod very nicely making the AA tele a very versatile beast indeed. A keeper if ever there was one, it edged out a CIJ '52RI and a 50s Classic for no.1 slot. __________________ Helping to invent english country dance guitar since 1981.

May 19th, 2008, 11:38 PM	#9 (permalink)
outbreak Tele-Meister Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Australia Age: 21 Posts: 459	is this those lite ash teles? or another model __________________ '07 MIM std tele '07 Epiphone Studio Dot '08 Gretsch 5120 '08 Ibanex accoustic '07 VOX ad50vt

May 18th, 2008, 04:34 PM	#3 (permalink)
hankk TDPRI Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: traverse city,mi Posts: 18	+1 Tele Holic, I bought a new '06 last fall. The tone and playability are outstanding! Mine is also the honey finnish. When I bought it I thought I might re-paint it seafoam, but I couldn't bring myself to touch such a well done original. If I ever run across a two tone I will probably have to get it. I didn't know they quit making them,to bad. It's got good spank but it also rocks like a Les Paul Jr I have. I have a lot of guitars, this might be my favorite.

May 18th, 2008, 04:38 PM	#4 (permalink)
Colt W. Knight Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: West Virginia Age: 24 Posts: 2,148	If I had the cash, I would consider buying one of these in a heart beat. I thought they were fantastic guitars.

May 19th, 2008, 06:26 PM	#6 (permalink)
Tele Jr Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2004 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 209 9 Photos	Best "Modern" Tele ever built by Fender IMHO, although it's really an expression of the newer so called "Modern Vintage" concept. They were always produced in short limited runs and I don't think Fender ever intended it to be a mainstream replacement for the 8402, my gut feeling is the profit margins on the 8502's were less than the usual American Fender pieces and that's why they limited the availability of it when it was still being made.

May 19th, 2008, 08:58 PM	#7 (permalink)
91xlntS-3 Tele-Holic Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 729	When I ordered mine from M.F., it was the LAST one they had in stock! I was so lucky to get it. I was also worried if I would like it when it came. Once I took it out of the case and tuned it up, I couldn't believe how it played/felt, just incredible! It's been my number 1 since then. My 50's Classic #2 and my Tele Special at #3 (for now). So many Teles, so little MONEY!

May 19th, 2008, 11:52 PM	#10 (permalink)
jimd Tele-Holic Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Age: 42 Posts: 565	No, the lite ash are made in Korea and are a totally different beast. I've got an American Ash and really love it. I do have my doubts about the U neck from time to time, but I never dwell on it long enough to do something about it.

May 20th, 2008, 11:43 AM	#11 (permalink)
Jellecaster Friend of Leo's Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: New Hampshire, USA Age: 40 Posts: 2,145	They are very nice guitars - I own two. But for some reason, every time this subject comes up, people start talking about the magic of the "8502" or the "Brotherhood of the 8502" like they've just grabbed Excalibur and are going on a quest for the Grail. It's just a nice Tele! Sorry, but referring to guitars by model number gets my panties in a bunch! __________________ It was born at the junction of form and function...

May 20th, 2008, 01:35 PM	#12 (permalink)
johnny guitar Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Chicago NW burb Age: 45 Posts: 204	the brotherhood I owned a bunch of 8502s and loved about 1/2 of them. The best ones had a magic that definitely put them at a step up from the regular AmSe teles. There was a "brotherhood" of 8502s, sort of like the first people driving VW bugs back in the day. Those days are long gone now, though. You do have to call it an 8502, though, because nobody knows what American Ash Tele means.... It is sad that they are out of production. It has been one of the little secrets of tele life, that you could easily find one of these killer 8502s for about $750 used, with the seller almost always thinking it was a regular AmSe tele w/ash body. __________________ Enjoy it while you have it.... Last edited by johnny guitar; June 2nd, 2008 at 05:38 PM.

May 20th, 2008, 04:40 PM	#13 (permalink)
gibsonjunkie Tele-Holic Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Bloomfield, Connecticut Age: 55 Posts: 643	My american ash tele weighs 6 1/2 pounds according to the UPS scale... __________________ The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese...

May 20th, 2008, 07:27 PM	#15 (permalink)
hankk TDPRI Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: traverse city,mi Posts: 18	Thanks for the input, guys. What ever you want to call it, it's a great Telecaster.

May 20th, 2008, 09:29 PM	#16 (permalink)
brownshoe Tele-Meister Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sunnyvale, CA Posts: 208	I love my AA. I debated whether to replace the MV pups, which were great, with nocaster pups. The nocaster pups went in. The AA love grew. __________________ If I grow up I'll be a singer wearing rings on every finger

June 2nd, 2008, 05:41 PM	#17 (permalink)
johnny guitar Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Chicago NW burb Age: 45 Posts: 204	No offense, but I would not put Nocaster pups in an 8502. It is just not necessary, IMO. The Modern Vintage pups in the 8502 are also alnico 3, and are a similar ballpark to the Nocaster pups. Plus, there is a very large something to be said, in this case, for keeping the guitar stock. There is no question that the 8502 was a carefully designed guitar. It ended up having a magic to it that was even greater than the sum of the parts. I think without those MV pups, you will still have a great guitar; but I ask why you would do that to THIS guitar? (that's what American Series/Standards are for) __________________ Enjoy it while you have it....

June 2nd, 2008, 08:26 PM	#19 (permalink)
johnny guitar Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Chicago NW burb Age: 45 Posts: 204	maybe I'll just have another cup of coffee instead.... of course, keeping the MV pups makes sense. I have done lots of pup swapping; I just can't personally see taking them out of my American Ash Telecaster __________________ Enjoy it while you have it....