Hi, Scentless,
I have a '65 Mustang which had been refinished, so I refinished it to my own taste. And before I did so, I did a bit of homework.
Yes, the vast majority of Mustangs were Poplar. Mahogany Mustangs are very rare. After 1969 there were Alder and Basswood Mustangs but lots of Poplar too. PM me and I'll send you the history & specs I've been collecting for three years in one document, much more info than you'll find in any one article.
Regarding the tonal properties of the wood, if you compare a Poplar Mustang with an Alder or Basswood or Mahogany Mustang...all settings & peripherals, and the player's attack being equal...you'll never tell the difference in tone. It would take scientific instruments to detect the difference. 😲
And the reason is that wood is a minor variable among so many other variables, the main ones being the pickups and the amp. Strings, the cord, pots, shielding, action, amp settings, the acoustics of the room...there are just too many variables that affect tone to consider the kind of wood anything but one of the lesser influences on the tone you actually hear.
Now acoustic guitars are a different story...but for your project, have fun 😀 and don't sweat the wood type.
Hope this helps.
