# Poplar wood for a Strat body?



## Doug B (Jun 19, 2017)

Looking for some feedback. 

How is Poplar Wood as a body wood for a Strat? 

I've heard of using alder, ash, mahogany, pine, basswood and a few more. But never Poplar.

Thanks


----------



## mister.zed (Jun 8, 2011)

It's not popular.


----------



## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

nothing really wrong with it. light weight, not very hard, light coloured, not much for grain pattern. Around here anyway, the life span of a poplar is only about 50 years and they rot from the inside out. Big ones might be hard to come by. But if you find a good one, no reason it wouldn't work for an electric. About as hard & heavy as pine.

Also, they are the favored species of the pulp mills so that's usually where they end up.

In Washington state, all the lumber stores sell poplar 1x's in widths right up to about 12" and some 2x's as well. We just don't see them here in the stores.


----------



## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

mister.zed said:


> It's not popular.


IIRC, Popular is the more expensive and sought after version of Poplar


----------



## cboutilier (Jan 12, 2016)

I've played a poplar guitar before. Dont remember which style.


----------



## Doug B (Jun 19, 2017)

Lincoln said:


> nothing really wrong with it. light weight, not very hard, light coloured, not much for grain pattern. Around here anyway, the life span of a poplar is only about 50 years and they rot from the inside out. Big ones might be hard to come by. But if you find a good one, no reason it wouldn't work for an electric. About as hard & heavy as pine.
> 
> Also, they are the favored species of the pulp mills so that's usually where they end up.
> 
> In Washington state, all the lumber stores sell poplar 1x's in widths right up to about 12" and some 2x's as well. We just don't see them here in the stores.


Thanks for the info, but I was meaning in a musical instrument sense-how does it sound compared to other woods. 

The reason I ask is that I saw these bodies on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.ca/MAKA-Finish-E...8&qid=1517022316&sr=1-27&keywords=guitar+body

When I saw they were made of poplar I was curious.


----------



## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

Very similar to alder in tonal peoperties


----------



## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

knight_yyz said:


> Very similar to alder in tonal properties


The aldernate to popular?


----------



## Doug B (Jun 19, 2017)

knight_yyz said:


> Very similar to alder in tonal peoperties


Hmm-if that's the case, that body I mentioned might not be too bad. Thanks.


----------



## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

I have read that it is called the poor man's alder.


----------



## Ayr Guitars (Oct 24, 2016)

It has very similar properties to alder. And it costs less. 

Only useful if the body is being painted a solid colour. I wouldn't stain it or leave it natural.


----------



## Doug B (Jun 19, 2017)

Ayr Guitars said:


> It has very similar properties to alder. And it costs less.
> 
> Only useful if the body is being painted a solid colour. I wouldn't stain it or leave it natural.


If you go to the link I posted above, the bodies are a solid colour.


----------



## BSTheTech (Sep 30, 2015)




----------



## nnieman (Jun 19, 2013)

BSTheTech said:


>


Yep. ^ That.

It will make very little difference to an electric guitar. You will notice way more sound difference by changing to different strings, bridge material, nut material, pickups etc etc etc.

Nathan


----------



## Guest (Jan 27, 2018)

Cardboard is technically wood.


----------



## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

BSTheTech said:


>


I didn't want to be the one to say it first, but yeah, I agree. With electrics the only thing that matters is weight, how easily it marks, and what it looks like. Solid colour removes looks from the list of concerns.


----------



## Macki (Jun 14, 2010)

I agree that the wood would not make that much of a difference. You can taylor your sound with strings and pickups 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## tomee2 (Feb 27, 2017)

Apparently Fender used it in the 90s on some Strats.


----------



## oheare (Jun 18, 2012)

I'm more than 90% sure that my '72 Fender Jazz Bass has a poplar body*, and it sounds great. Not horribly heavy, a little soft so it's a little easy to dent.

Of course, there are about a zillion varieties of "poplar", and some things called poplar that are really other things, and some woods (aspen, cottonwood) that are called other things but are really poplar, and most poplars are actually willows anyhow. So remember, when reading my postings, always ask yourself "Ahh, what the heck does he know?"

_*likely black cottonwood, actually_


----------



## Blue Velvet (Aug 16, 2012)

Poplar is a little lighter than alder. It's a fairly soft and very resonant hardwood.


----------



## rollingdam (May 11, 2006)

Fender used poplar in the 90's and veneered it with alder and did not tell anyone.


----------



## Printer2 (Apr 8, 2012)

Poplar is a little denser than pine and a touch harder so it is similar in nature.


----------



## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

The original Fender Mustangs were made from Poplar.


----------



## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

Ayr Guitars said:


> It has very similar properties to alder. And it costs less.
> 
> Only useful if the body is being painted a solid colour. I wouldn't stain it or leave it natural.



Disagree; it can be wonderfully figured with green and/or purple streaks. I know it is considered a paint-grade wood, but in my experience if you go select your piece, it can be rather beautiful. Costs less because usually local, if green considerations are important to anyone considering it. I use it for most things I do. Easier to work than Oak or Maple, but hard enough to not ding too easy like pine (which is really bland looking, unless knotty and that presents other issues).






































Now pine on the other hand, I would not use on a guitar ever. And if I did, it'd be plan Z and I'd use a super thick poly finish only (solid colour; knotty pine is a nonstarter for me personally for reasons other than aesthetic ones, though I know people do it, mostly for Teles as far as I have seen).



Printer2 said:


> Poplar is a little denser than pine and a touch harder so it is similar in nature.


Much harder (which isn't saying much cuz pine soft as a loose stool); tighter less open grain; not similar at all. like @Ayr Guitars said, close to alder.



Lincoln said:


> I didn't want to be the one to say it first, but yeah, I agree. With electrics the only thing that matters is weight, how easily it marks, and what it looks like.


I know this is a popular viewpoint (body material does not affect SB electric tone) but I do disagree - some guitars sing and resonate when you play them and maybe it's psychosomatic but those tend to sound and sustain better to me (e.g. my EB3, 1 pc real maho body with 1 pc maho neck, or my all maple RD Artist). That said it's not nearly as much a factor as with an acoustic or even a semi.

Putting that aside, because it is contentious, there are inarguable durability considerations (see above where I trash pine) as well as aesthetic ones, which still matter so some people (if less so to others).


----------

