That '79 looks really cool,...sounds good I'll bet.
What tweed amp is that?

My '79 Strat is a heavy SOB! My new Dlx, also ash, is so much lighter... I love the way both sound but I should add an alder so I can do a good comparison

Both species have been in use since the very early days of the strat. Alder is more commonly used by around 10 to 1. Both types of wood are tonally neutral, sitting right in the middle of the range betweem warm/dark (mahogany), and bright/thin (maple). Ash is a lot lighter and more figured, lending itself to transparent finishes. Alder, being less figured is less expensive. Average body weight run around 4 lbs for ash to 4.5-5 lbs for alder. Both are responsible for the strat sound and equally capable of producing it. If you want a burst finish, you'll most likely get an ash body, for the painted ones, it's alder.

Cheers!

Very well articulated..... One of the best short summaries I seen. One thing that has been discussed here already and I have seen, is that Ash can really vary in weight. I have owned a few Strats in solid Ash that were really light and a few that were near a Les Paul in weight. I think it depends on the type of Ash and where the slab is cut from the tree: butt verses higher up. I have been told a lot about the tonal qualities but really have not noticed a big difference.....that I could tell really.

Yes Ash is not always lighter, in fact in some cases it can be very heavy.