Wood type?

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stringman66

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Hi, I'm starting a new project guitar with a Fernandes body. Can any of you wood gurus identify this wood type for me?
TIA
Jeff

fernandes.jpg
 
Well it's not ash, so it's probably alder or (since it's Japanese, I assume) basswood. The grain looks right for alder, and that's the most common Strat body wood.

Mike
 
Even though it is most likely alder, it is difficult to tell from a photo.

Grain & color both must be taken into account.

Grain looks like it could be alder or ash but the color in areas is almost white, like ash.

what was the (original) finish on the body?
 
but what is the darker color, under the red?

If you look, there is a darker color, nearly black, at the inside edge of the red, and the trem route has a yellow, as a sunburst would have

I can assume anything but I would rather ask, and not be percieved as a know it all.................
 
Thanks for the feedback. I think the first layer (yellow) looks like some kind of sealer. Then blackish then the thick red. I guess it could have been a sunburst.
It's a 90's fernandes MIJ. Not their best era for strats so I took the belt sander to it. I'm going to paint it black and try to make the black Gilmour guitar.
I was just really curious what was underneath, now I know it's not particle board or anything like that. :lol:
 
Grain & weight can also provides clues to the type of wood

If the grain is fairly closed I would lean more toward guessing alder but if the grain has a more open type feature, then it could be ash


Strat bodies made from alder usually run in the 4.0 to 4.5 lb. range

Depending on the type of ash lumber, Strat bodies made from ash usually range from 3.25 lb. for light weight swamp ash to 5.5 lb. plus for hard ash examples

From my own experience, I would usually judge on openess of grain & coloration of the wood
 
Hi all, I'd bet that is Ash, probably sen Ash, which is heavier than American Ash, i have seen figured alder ,but to me that is some type of Ash, and the darker colour is the red burnt by a sander, when an electric sander is used on red it turns it almost brown from the heat it creates.

Mick
 
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