David Weaver
..the kits I've seen that have it specified as "Swamp ash", which it's not remotely close to, probably have a per-guitar lumber cost of about $5. They literally are sold including shipping, hardware, a maple neck with some kind of rosewood laminate, prefretted, etc. for $70 shipped, and that includes a retailer's margin.

It takes about 3-4 board feet of reasonably clear lumber to laminate a solid body guitar body, and it has to be 8/4 to start. Cheaper guitar bodies have more laminations in their width, but not since the 70s have guitars had laminations in thickness (electric guitars) on a regular basis.

I'm aware of the value of the clear stuff for japanese tools, though, having gotten a bunch of them in paulownia boxes. I'm surprised that the fast growth wood doesn't have bug or rot problems like a lot of our second growth wood (pine, mahogany, etc, where bug and rot resistance was great in old growth and is terrible in second growth).