Hard Ash vs. Swamp Ash for a '50s style Fender replica

[shuie]

Im getting ready to order a '50s style strat body for an ash/maple guitar and Im looking for some input on Swamp Ash vs. Hard Ash. I understand that every piece of wood is different, but what would Fender have been using in the early to mid '50s? In the books I've read, there is no distinction between different species of Ash, they just call it Ash. Was Swamp Ash likely to even have been used on the old guitars?

TIA

[Martian]

I can't definitively answer your question but the way I figure it, Hard Ash would have been and still is, more plentiful and cheaper for Fender's purposes, regardless of the years. I have an Ash Strat and I asked Fender Customer Service point blank, which kind of Ash I have. The guy at Fender asked me for my guitar's serial number. I gave it to him. He e-mailed me the official, printed Fender specs of the guitar which simply read, "Ash". Obviously, he didn't know either nor was he about to research it for me. The mystery continues...

[lon]

Hey Shuie!

The answer about ash is not about a variety as in a different species or name. It's all about where the ash was grown. In the early days there was a lot of ash naturally growing in swamps.

In Louisiana, there still is alot of it. As you go north and northeast where the wood is not grown underwater in warm climates. the wood picks up density and mineral content.

The easiest way to ID swamp ash in early fenders is by grain pattern, then
by weight. i have a swap ash Tele repro that weighs about 6.25 pounds. A heavy ash version could easily gain a couple of pounds.

Generally the lighter instruments are more "scooped" in the mids and have better dynamic range. The heavier instruments work better with louder, higher wattage amps.

Hope that helps.

Best

Lon

[EL 34 X2]

It was a matter of what was cheap and easy to supply for Fender in the '50s; The market isn't much different, in that regard, these days.

The southern swamp ash was plentiful and reasonably priced. When supplies dwindled in the 1970s, suppliers began using more northern ash. As Lon stated above, the northern ash is usually much heavier.

That said, there were still early Fender Broadcasters which were very, very heavy. So the 1950s = lighter guitars formula doesn't ALWAYS hold true. The consistency of the 50s Fender wood supply probably varied quite a bit.

[Lucidology]

My mush heavier '71 Ash Tele cuts through the mix & has a great deal
more presence then my two Swamp Ash Teles ... (one a Melancon, the other a Warmoth partscaster)

All the guys I play with always notice the difference & prefer the heavy Ash Tele because of it's presence ...

[shuie]

Thanks, guys. I did a little research and I went ahead and decided to go with a Guitar Mill swamp ash body.