Effect of paint on sound

[spauldingrules]

I built an alder strat style warmoth that sounds fantastic (see it in action here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=6w8WDAXlM58 ) with a maple/kingwood neck.  I finished it in tru-oil with a light coat of Minwax Poly Matte.  It sounds so much better than "stock" guitars that I have played (with identical pickups), and I think the lack of paint/finish may help it sustain and resonate.  I am interested in assembling a painted Warmoth strat, and my question is how will the resonance, sustain, and brightness compare to my tru-oiled strat style?  Does the paint kill the sound a little bit? I have a humbucker in my current one and want to put vintage single coils in my new one - can the paint actually help the sound with single coils?  I still plan on finishing the neck myself the same way (tru-oil and a touch of poly).

Thanks for any input!

- TS