I used to think that the wood used for the body of a solid body electric guitar didn’t really matter. Then I swapped out the extremely heavy ash body on my 1980 Strat for a new lightweight (3 lbs 14 oz) alder body, keeping everything else the same (same neck, electronics, bridge, etc.). Yes, it makes a big difference. Due to the quality of my video camera’s audio, I don’t think the difference is as apparent on the video as it is to me when I play the guitar. It used to sound much darker, without the typical Strat snap and sparkle. The alder body reveals a glassy quality to the pickups tone that I never heard before. So I am now definitely convinced that the wood matters!