I aint got no body!

[John M]

Seriously..
Im looking to put together a strat type guitar using the usual variety of components, but the body is the problem.
From the "construction" point of view which do the experts here think would be the best option?
I have the choice of a bare wood single piece body.. still to be drilled in a few places and obviously painted OR
a finished (drilled to spec) but unpainted 2 piece body.
The one piece body is ash around 2.3 kilos and the drilled to spec body is swamp ash around 2.6 kilos.
Apart from the grain pattern in the two bodies (which will be painted over anyway) is there, technically much difference between the one piece body or the two piece.

Just out of interest how do the various strats come out of the Fender factory? 1, 2, 3 or more pieces?

[kipper]

mainly 2, 3, 4. piece never seen a 1 piece heard of them but never seen one, seen lots 2 piece. peter

[RUSSET]

One piece bodies seem to be quite rare, & probably only occur these days in Custom Shop guitars where they get first choice of the prime wood samples. Most off the shelf guitars are three piece &, I guess upwards, especially the solid colour ones, where you can't see what's underneath. They say that the more glue that's in a body, the less resonance. Not sure if that's true, as I'm no expert, but it seems to make sense. I would imagine if you have a one or two piece body, you are off to a good start. Ash is supposed to give a nice resonant tone, although many samples are said to weigh a little on the heavy side, so be prepared for your guitar not to be the lightest you've had.

Tony.

[Martyn]

My 2007 Mexican 3T sunburst strat appears to have a one-piece body. I've peered really closely - the wood grain's very clear and I can see no joins. Now according to Fender UK, when I initially researched it a couple of years ago, the neck serial number indicates a 2-T sunburst body on their records. Fender USA records show the same number matched to a Fiesta Red body. Either way, these bodies would, according to them, be two or three-part components, whereas my 3T sunburst appears to be one piece. It does have superb sustain so maybe the previous owner changed bodies - er, the guitar, that is . . .

[Martyn]

Quick update - was speaking to a music shop owner today who said my strat may well have an outer veneer, which would explain my not seeing any joins as they'd be concealed by the veneer.
Oh well, it still has great sustain . . .

[roger bayliss]

My 57 vintage has a two piece body in Alder and I think most American strats are made that way over the years but my Mexican strat was apparently made of 5 pieces in poplar wood. I wood think the gluing and joining of the wood wood be so good as to probably have little effect on the tone of the guitar but the density of the wood wood I think .. The 2 piece bodies tend to have the main part connected to the neck and pickups etc with a smaller piece attached to the upper part of the body above the pickup cavity section. I have heard many strats over the years and I think it does not really mean a one piece body is better overall... more likely the sum of all the parts and good setup on the guitar. I suppose a one piece wood be better though overall but cannot see it making the tone much better IMHO

[ecca]

I remember Dave Robinson putting a soundfile up here from a guitar with an MDF body !
It was as good as any other soundfile.
There is a huge amount of sheer guff said about this sort of stuff.

[neil2726]

my late uncle, a very good electrcal engineer, always maintained that an electric guitar was just a plank of wood with six strings!