This is why i like the warmoth bodies with channels routed out to reduce weight. If you have a very lightweight body that still has a nice amount of stiffness then it will still sound good and resonant.
![alder lightwright strat body alder lightwright strat body](https://images.reverb.com/image/upload/s--z2-jyXqY--/f_auto,t_large/v1601945041/wbvorsh0mnb0nmoofaaq.jpg)
Stiffness is a more important variable that often gets ignored because its harder to quantify. in this case i would take a chance on a nice lightweight one from warmoth - but as with any guitar parts ordered without trying you are taking a chance Its very very hard to find lightweight alder these days 60s vintage cut, no holes drilled except for the bridge mounting and neck mounting holes done by warmoth. Not helpfull i know - but it really does come down to checking each piece of wood. Top quality lightweight Alder two piece body by Warmoth. I am not saying a 3lb body sounds the same as a 5lb body, i am saying that you will get good and bad tone in each weight bracket. I dont think there is a strong relationship between weight and tone, there is a relationship there but its effects would be hard to see over a pound or two difference in a body blank. but we could debate that all day and not get anywhere.Īnyway, the topic at hand. unless you are referring to a neck through design. I disagree that the neck changes the tone way more than the body. (I haven't totally ruled out getting a Warmoth hollow body (" these bodies remain stiff but light weight for that fat, rich tone with great sustain"), but I'm afraid it'll end up sounding like a Thinline which really isn't what I want.) I don't want to fall into that trap, but how light is "too light"? You see people talking about great Strats and Teles which weigh less than 7lbs, but even with vintage hardware that means the bodies must be well under 4lbs. However, I've read a few comments in various places (including the Warmoth site) saying that lightweight bodies can sound more resonant acoustically, but if they're "too light" they can lack midrange or sound indistinct and muddy. I'd ideally like to knock a little off that total weight, especially since a trem system is a lot heavier than a hardtail bridge, so I've been looking at bodies around the 3.5lbs to 4.0lbs range - preferably at the lower end of that range. I dismantled my hardtail Strat and found that the body weighs 4lbs, 8oz and the guitar weighs a few ounces under 8 pounds in total (it has heavier modern style hardware). The big question is how heavy a body should I go for?
![alder lightwright strat body alder lightwright strat body](https://www.gordonsmithguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/BODY-WOOD_Alder-7-1026x1536.jpg)
I've decided on "swamp" ash for the body, because I like the looks and it'll make a change from the many alder Strats I've owned in the past. I may have mentioned once or twice ( :roll: ) that I'm putting together a Strat.