Great question. For me, it's just academics. I don't really care if the wood affects the tonality of an electric guitar or not. I'm interested in it from an academic perspective just 'cuz I'm weird, like that! I get into the "sciencey" aspect of it just because I like learning stuff that kind of gets into the weeds. Call it an illness! But, from a purely personal point of view...I don't have a dog in the fight. Like you, I'm going to play the guitar and just work with what I've got!
For some, I think there is a desire to have some sense of what to expect from a guitar, based on it's composition, so the wood influences the predictive expectation. For others, I honestly think there is an emotional or nostalgic attachment to the idea of wood influencing the sound of an electric guitar. Perhaps there is some desire to share in the importance of materials in much the same way we see with acoustic instruments. I don't know; speculating about motives is a risky affair.
Now, do I think knowing to what extent wood makes a difference to sound is worthwhile? Yes, I do. Even though I don't feel personally constrained to one side or the other, I do think there is a value in the research study I linked and posted about (Post #6). The purpose of the study was not to settle any disputes among guitarists. Whereas the research study dealt with identifying if wood can influence the sound of an electric guitar, the overarching concern was that any observed differences could serve as motivation to find sustainable substitutes which have a similar tonality as the endangered, at-risk woods we currently use. Now, THAT does matter to me.
