Swamp Ash - how light?

[Fretts]

Is there a point beyond which a guitar body doesn't sound good anymore? We like light bodied guitars, but how far can you go before it starts losing something? Anybody know?

[Lucidology]

I'm not one to ask.. However, here's a clip
of a my chambered body Swamp Ash guitar.. which is extremely light...
You might be able to judge a bit from it ...

Norwegian Wood (Got YouTubed) - The Gear Page

[AlexF]

go to the warmoth site, it explains the pluses and minuses of light materials
Al

[Fretts]

That's where I started, I'm looking for opinions from the field.

[soulohio]

I played a swamp ash strat that a buddy screwed together. it was light and had a unique, resonant sound...but the sound is one of those characteristics that you go for or don't. to me, it's just too resonant and bouncy...really vibrates in your hands. some people love that.

[uvacom]

You can't really pin down any single tonal characteristic to weight. In general, a material's strength/weight ratio determines sustain, but a guitar is not really a simple device from a physical standpoint, and wood is not a simple material. The bottom line is that there's no 100% reliable way to predict how any given piece of wood is going to sound, how well it will sustain, etc. Different species, construction techniques, etc. will have certain tendencies, but they're just that - tendencies. There will always be anomalies.

Anyway, FWIW (and that's not much) my main axe is a nice light swamp ash bolt-on (EBMM Albert Lee) and it has a nice snappy sound. I've played some chambered warmoths that sounded great too, nice and resonant.

[VaughnC]

Originally Posted by Fretts

Is there a point beyond which a guitar body doesn't sound good anymore? We like light bodied guitars, but how far can you go before it starts losing something? Anybody know?

While each individual guitar needs to be judged on its own merits, generally speaking, I've found that Strats under 7 lbs tend to loose their focus and note separation. However, there's always the exception to every rule....and "good" tone is VERY subjective.

[geetarman]

I agree with uvacom it really depends on each individual instrument as you're dealing with natural products, non-natural components and maybe most important the builder themselves. I have a swamp ash G&L ASAT that's about 8.5 Lbs fairly hefty that sounds great it surprised me at how alive it was when I played it.

[EADGBE]

I wouldn't go any lighter than alder.

[mdog114]

I've got a Warmoth SA chambered body Strat the is pretty light, I love it! It just seem more "alive" in my hands. It's also a hard tail, so it's got a pretty unique tone. It still sounds like a Strat, but it got a unique Strat tone.

[Mowcheeba]

As far as Swamp Ash bodies for Tele you should not go lighter than 3lbs 4oz.
Generally it starts loosing "focus" and sound more mushy.

[K-Line]

3.75 to 4.5 to me is the best of both worlds. I prefer the heavier, my ash T is 4.9 lbs and I would not trade it for the world. Real light ash to me is way to spanky on a tele and open and airey on a strat. These are all just my opinions and do not reflect the views of management!

[stratrat2000]

Originally Posted by Mowcheeba

As far as Swamp Ash bodies for Tele you should not go lighter than 3lbs 4oz.
Generally it starts loosing "focus" and sound more mushy.

+1. My ideal Strat Ash body weight is a little heavier, at about 3lbs 8oz. Much as I like the extra resonance of an extra light body, they do tend to lose some focus in a mix.

The hollow bodies are a special case, IMO, as it's a construction technique, rather than the wood structure that defines the weight. I'm willing to go down to about 3 lbs on a hollow.

[fusionbear]

One of my Suhrs is a Swamp Ash body that was custom ordered "light" and it is. It is also deliciously resonant, tight, and focused. i love this guitar. It is totally different than my Mohogany Guthrie Govan inspired model which is heavier and more compressed in its articulation.

[jgm]

A big part of what makes a given body weight work is how well the wind and magnets of the pickups compliment the mass of the body. When you get REALLY light, most pickups aren't going to sound quite right - they're wound with an average weight guitar in mind. I have to agree with K-line - 3.75 to 4.25 tele body (ash or alder) tends to dial in more often than not.