Ash is the wood that instantly comes to mind when you think of classic guitars from companies like Fender. It is, in my opinion the most beautiful and sought after wood for making guitar bodies. They all have a highly individual grain and every body is unique because of this, particularly if you have a single piece body.
Both White Ash and Olive Ash are the same species, the difference is that White Ash (being the most common) has a light heartwood colour and typically wider spaced growth rings. Olive Ash (which is less common) on the other hand, has a darker, streaked heartwood and is called 'Olive' Ash because it resembles the heartwood of the olive tree.
White Ash is typically the image that comes to mind when you think of a natural finish. Whether you use a clear nitro, poly or oil rubbed finish, they look stunning just with the natural wood colour. If you want to use a transparent colour or stain, many people use a grain filler that matches the stain colour in order to accentuate or 'pop' the grain further.
Olive Ash also looks stunning in a pure natural finish, however, it also lends itself particularly well to transparent coloured finished. The grain patterns tends to be less subtle, therefore once a transparent colour is applied, particularly a darker or more vibrant colour, the grain can still be clearly seen. Colouring your grain filler using the same colour as the finish also accentuates the grain further.
Are they the same to work with?
Yes, both white ash and olive ash 'work' the same from a woodworking point of view. Specifically for guitar bodies, they behave the same when cutting, routing and sanding and both will require grain filling if a completely smooth finish is required. Both White and Olive Ash share the same characteristics so the choice for you is really a cosmetic one.
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