When is a raw guitar body just too light?

[TimBo266]

I just received a new ST style body from a foreign seller on Amazon. They said it was polished maple. When I got the box I almost thought it was empty because it is so light. I can knock on the wood and it sounds brittle. What kind of maple is this and can it be trusted with screws. Yes I do pilot holes for every screw. The bare body weighs 1 lb 13 oz. The neck I got feels solid. It weighs 1 lb 4 oz. If this body is maple, it has got to be way too dried out.

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

Is it neck heavy? If so, body is too light.

[Chris Pile]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

That is NOT maple.

[larryguitar]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

I'd guess some variety of Linden, what we in the US call Poplar.
Larry

[TimBo266]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

Is this not a good wood? Personally I almost feel cheated out of what I was expecting from the seller.

[GuitarStv]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

It might be fine, but it's not maple.

[AlexR]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

That looks to be Paulownia.....fits for the weight as well as the look.
Buying based on common name is hard. You can have misunderstandings, plain wrong associations of name, and misleading common names as well as just associating a local wholly unrelated wood to another simply due to useage in a similar way
Like a lot of the softer type woods, I would worry about the use of a trem with that - it is odds on the sides of the stud holes will simply crush/pull forward under long term string tension. I have only ever felt comfortable using this wood as a hardtail or as a back wood for a maple topped guitar.

[TimBo266]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

That looks to be Paulownia.....fits for the weight as well as the look.
Buying based on common name is hard. You can have misunderstandings, plain wrong associations of name, and misleading common names as well as just associating a local wholly unrelated wood to another simply due to useage in a similar way
Like a lot of the softer type woods, I would worry about the use of a trem with that - it is odds on the sides of the stud holes will simply crush/pull forward under long term string tension. I have only ever felt comfortable using this wood as a hardtail or as a back wood for a maple topped guitar.

Thanks. You may just have saved the day here.

[Chris Pile]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

Agreed.... what many Asian makers refer to as paulownia.... whatever the hell that is.

[Ascension]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

That is Poplar and is my favorite tone wood. My Pinky is Poplar not a pretty wood but super light and resonant!

[TimBo266]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

That looks to be Paulownia.....fits for the weight as well as the look.
Buying based on common name is hard. You can have misunderstandings, plain wrong associations of name, and misleading common names as well as just associating a local wholly unrelated wood to another simply due to useage in a similar way
Like a lot of the softer type woods, I would worry about the use of a trem with that - it is odds on the sides of the stud holes will simply crush/pull forward under long term string tension. I have only ever felt comfortable using this wood as a hardtail or as a back wood for a maple topped guitar.

I am using the 6 screw tremolo big block with this build. If I were using the two screw mount I too would be concerned about the durability of the tremolo mounts.

[chadd]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

That is Poplar and is my favorite tone wood. My Pinky is Poplar not a pretty wood but super light and resonant!

If I recall, all of Brad Paisley's Crook Telecasters are Poplar for the reasons you mention.

[Adieu]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

Wait... body and neck together weigh 3 lbs 1 oz????

Wth????

And that's definitely NOT maple

[TimBo266]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

Wait... body and neck together weigh 3 lbs 1 oz????

Wth????

And that's definitely NOT maple

Yep. No hardware at all except the fret wires. All the hardware was ordered from the Fender corporation or Fender distributors. I'm just guessing but I think this project will weigh around 6.5 pounds when done. It definitely will be a lightweight unless I find a heavier body at a decent price.

[Ascension]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

If I recall, all of Brad Paisley's Crook Telecasters are Poplar for the reasons you mention.

Yep. My pink Carvin X220C has a Poplar body is super light and sounds amazing.