The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Electric Guitars

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 11-26-2020, 08:55 AM
Don W Don W is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Mass
Posts: 896
Default Ash or Alder

I have a 1996 50th year anniversary American Standard Strat...sunburst. It seems heavier than my friends white Strat of the same year. Is my guitar ash or alder? Have done some research with conflicting results. I am wondering if different wood was used depending on color.
__________________
1980 Ovation Legend
Larrivee L09
Yamaha CG142S Classical
Fender 1996 American Standard Strat
Epiphone Elitist Casino
Kanai Lal Sitar
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 11-26-2020, 09:30 AM
Chickee Chickee is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: The Garden State
Posts: 2,856
Default

I’m sorry I can’t tell you what wood was used for the body of your guitar, but I can tell you that yes, Fender absolutely does use different woods for differently finished bodies. I’m surprised you can’t find a descriptor somewhere saying what they used on yours. Most times anything with a very apparent grain pattern showing thru the finish an ash, swamp ash or mahogany type is being used. Solid color paint and two or three color bursts are normally basswood or alder.
__________________
I love playing guitar
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 11-26-2020, 11:50 AM
Dru Edwards Dru Edwards is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 43,428
Default

Email Fender with the serial number - they should have the specs for it.

Guessing that Fender had the standard American production model as well as the "50th Anniversary" edition that year, which is what you said you have. It wouldn't surprise me if that the standard model was alder and the 50th anniversary was ash, which would account for the differences you're reading about.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 11-26-2020, 01:18 PM
Steel and wood Steel and wood is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 2,752
Default

If you can see the grain of the wood underneath the colour of the guitar (like whitewash) then it's ash, otherwise it's a good guess that it will be alder. (Alder is generally heavier also).

Save for a few models which Fender offers in ash, Fender uses alder for just about everything else and has done since the late 50's. (I have a Fender Telecaster and Stratocaster and they are both alder). All those custom colours were painted over alder bodies for the most part. (Doesn't soak up the paint like ash).

Can confirm with a picture of the guitar in question but if I was to guess, it would be alder.

Last edited by Steel and wood; 11-26-2020 at 04:26 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 11-26-2020, 05:26 PM
Res Ipsa Res Ipsa is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: VA
Posts: 198
Default

I don’t know if weight will tell you much. My two identical Fender American Standard Strats are ash. One is significantly heavier than the other.
__________________
- Res

“There’s no end to what I don’t know”
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 11-26-2020, 06:07 PM
Steel and wood Steel and wood is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 2,752
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Res Ipsa View Post
I don’t know if weight will tell you much. My two identical Fender American Standard Strats are ash. One is significantly heavier than the other.
My alder Telecaster (and other alder guitars) is considerably heavier than the ash body guitars I've picked up. (Prior to me putting a bigsby on it which made it even heavier).

Alder is generally heavier than ash, but there's always going to be exceptions.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 11-26-2020, 08:07 PM
DukeX DukeX is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: SoCal
Posts: 3,460
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steel and wood View Post
My alder Telecaster (and other alder guitars) is considerably heavier than the ash body guitars I've picked up. (Prior to me putting a bigsby on it which made it even heavier).

Alder is generally heavier than ash, but there's always going to be exceptions.
Except his point was that some ash guitars weigh more than others. Not that ash can weigh as much as alder.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 11-26-2020, 10:00 PM
Steel and wood Steel and wood is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 2,752
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by DukeX View Post
Except his point was that some ash guitars weigh more than others. Not that ash can weigh as much as alder.
Fair enough,

Same inconsistencies are true with any wood. (Some guitars heavier than same others with the same wood be it alder, ash, mahogany, etc. because of density differences).

Last edited by Steel and wood; 11-26-2020 at 10:08 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 11-26-2020, 11:17 PM
stephenT's Avatar
stephenT stephenT is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: GA & MN
Posts: 4,655
Default

In my experience an ash strat body can weigh 3.4lbs or it can be 5.8lbs for example, ditto alder, ditto mahogany.

So it's difficult to tell what the body wood is by weight alone. The vintage Fenders and some custom shop Fender were swamp ash which is desirable and light, but just recently Fender has stopped using ash in regular production models.
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Electric Guitars

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:40 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=