$40 Body Score/Wood Identification

[CanserDYI]

Hello all, I'm not sure if I've ever even posted here, but wanted to get peoples opinions on this score I got this week, and possibly identify the wood for me.

Attached are a few photos of what was sold to me on craigslist for $40 as a Swamp ash body, their pictures were quite dark but this is what I got when I arrived. The seller had no history of it, just had it from a trade or something. Its a beautiful one, piece, semi flamed piece of wood, and to my eye it looks like walnut? Anyone else able to help me identify? Bonus pic of what's to come, baritone neck going on after. So tell me, did I score? What is the wood? And would you drill into the top for a pickguard? Let me know your thoughts.

 

[lammie200]

I would say walnut.

 

[Killing Floor]

Rest it on your amp. It it adjusts the knobs it’s bass wood.

 

[eallen]

Walnut. A regular build wood in my shop.

 

[CanserDYI]

Well, forgot to buy strings and have to cut a backplate, but here she is all done up.

 

[hamerfan]

Walnut should be very heavy.

 

[Intubator]

Does look like walnut but I wouldn't be surprised if it was Koa. One of the photos really looks like Koa, left side second row. What does it weigh?

 

[schmee]

Maybe Walnut, looks a lot like Koa though ...which would be a score!

 

[stratisfied]

Wow! That turned out really nice. Beautiful fretboard wood on that neck also!

 

[CanserDYI]

Maybe Walnut, looks a lot like Koa though ...which would be a score!

It does have a little bit of the "bacon"ing that koa gets but this looks just like my solid walnut Kiesel/Carvin necks, so I'm pretty sure it is.

Thanks guys! I appreciate the kind words, this started life as a Squier Baritone Custom Telecaster, but the sharp body edges on the flat slab body really bothered me, when I saw this pop up locally I just had to have it. It's old and patina'd and just feels so nice in playing position.

And yes, it's VERY heavy. I don't have a scale, but the body alone is heavier than the entire guitar was pre body swap; neck, pickups, pots, tuners and all. I personally love heavy guitars.

All in all, an AMAZING way to spend 40 bucks, especially better when the original body sold last night for 4 times what I paid for the aftermarket haha.

 

[CanserDYI]

Bonus pic of it with my quilted Vanquish, my top two right now.

 

[Blue Bill]

Wow that's gorgeous, I like the choice pf pickguard. My first thought was koa, too, but it could be walnut. What a beauty.

 

[CanserDYI]

Actually finished; added a nickel cover to a Seymour Duncan Pegasus and threw it on, and found a chrome switch tip which I usually would think would be gaudy, but the chrome and the wood just all work so well for me.

 

[fretknot]

Looks to me like Walnut. Here are a couple sample pics of walnut:

 

[Alex_C]

It does have a little bit of the "bacon"ing that koa gets but this looks just like my solid walnut Kiesel/Carvin necks, so I'm pretty sure it is.

Thanks guys! I appreciate the kind words, this started life as a Squier Baritone Custom Telecaster, but the sharp body edges on the flat slab body really bothered me, when I saw this pop up locally I just had to have it. It's old and patina'd and just feels so nice in playing position.

And yes, it's VERY heavy. I don't have a scale, but the body alone is heavier than the entire guitar was pre body swap; neck, pickups, pots, tuners and all. I personally love heavy guitars.

All in all, an AMAZING way to spend 40 bucks, especially better when the original body sold last night for 4 times what I paid for the aftermarket haha.

I vote walnut, especially if it is heavy. Beautiful guitar, btw. Also, I'm a huge Carvin/Kiesel fan. I have 3, and a few partscasters with Carvin necks.

 

[CanserDYI]

One more just for fun.

 

[robt57]

Looks really nice. Good job IMO.

 

[shallbe]

That is a beauty! I made a walnut superstrat in the early 80's. Looks like the same wood.

In 1982, this body cost me $90 unfinished! You did good.

 

[Sax-son]

It's really beautiful, but I doubt that it's Koa wood. Walnut seems to be in order as others have suggested. It has a similar color to KOA, but the grain looks different to me. It's really nice, nonetheless.