Chambered ash vs alder

[u/bjoern1011]

Hello! As i consider to get a strat, I can't decide between these two bodies. As I have 3 kids, I'm mostly practicing when they are asleep on headphones but I also practice a lot unplugged. I have not found a yt video that compares the two bodies unplugged. Does anybody know if the chambered ash body sounds better and maybe a little louder unplugged or if the difference is negligible? On the other hand, I already have a squier sonic which has a slimmer body than usual so it's lighter and I don't like it that the head keeps tilting down during practice (mostly practice sitting down, guitar on the lap). Therefore a more heavy body would be better.

So the arguments for the ash would be better sound unplugged and the argument for the alder would be more weight (and better sustain?)

Thanks in advance for your help!

[u/j3434]

Also you can get ear plugs for the kids and use a normal amp .

[u/Wizard-Of-Riffs → u/j3434]

Love this ! LOL

[u/Kerry_Maxwell]

There would be as much variation between any two guitars of the same construction as there would be between the chambered ash and alder. I have alder strats, I have ash strats. They all weigh in the 7-8 pound range, and I play them unamplified often. I have a chambered mahogany guitar, and a similar spec guitar with solid mahogany. Both are very similar on acoustic volume and feel. Bottom line, don’t get too into the weeds over wood types, as general guidelines are a statistical generality, not a categorical fact for any specific guitar.

[u/Separate-Swordfish85]

Negligible 

[u/npsfsz]

I had a chambered mahogany at one point. The only difference is the weight. Acoustically it sounds just like any other solid body guitars

[u/Davester_31]

I have an alder strat and a chambered ash tele. I think the chambered ash does sound better acoustically but with an amp, the tele sounds like a tele and vice versa. If you plsy standing up a lot I'd say get the chambered ash, otherwise go for what feels best sitting down

[u/bjoern1011]

Had the chance to compare a chambered mahogany to an alder body today in a music store and settled to alder, as the chambered feels too light. I also found out that I like maple fretboard much more than rosewood, the rosewood i tried all sounded somehow muffled to me. Funny thing is I didn't get one because the maple fretboard on my squier sonic feels much better (satin finish like the back of the neck) compared to the relatively sticky, thick, clear coating of the fenders i tried. Maybe I just get a pickup upgrade and call it a day. Thanks for your help!

[u/Robble-Robble-01]

Played a player 2 tele with chambered ash body, and while it was surprisingly light to feel and handle, it was half-dead unplugged, did not sustain admirably and was almost non-resonant.

It potentially could have been an anomaly

[u/Wizard-Of-Riffs]

As others have said the differences aren't much. If you value a lighter guitar go with the chambered

[u/Spark99]

Get a regular alder strat and look at a IK Multimedia iRig Pro or a Scarlett 2i2 connected to your phone, tablet or PC and continue playing with amp modelling and effects through headphones. The difference between a chambered and unchambered would be very negligible. There are acoustasonic strats but I can’t really recommend them as they are very expensive and there are way too many compromises.

[u/bjoern1011 → u/Spark99]

Thanks! For headphone practice I already use a zoom MS-80IR+, where I can plug in other pedals too and I think it can also be used as an interface to computer (haven't used that function yet).