Is African mahogany a good tonewood?
The cross-grained nature of true mahogany makes it remarkably stable, though African mahogany is also very stable in its own right. As a tonewood, mahogany offers a warm tone with pronounced lower mids, mellow high-end and superb sustain. It’s slightly warmer than many other hardwoods, thanks to its density.
What is the best wood for making guitars?
Mahogany. This hardwood is the most commonly used wood for musical instruments because it’s durable, easy to work with and wonderfully resonant (though it doesn’t have the sonic brilliance of rosewood).
What is Sapele wood on guitar?
Sapele is a hardwood tonewood with fine grain. It offers a warm tone with sustaining lower-mids and pronounced high-end. Sapele is popular in the sides/backs of acoustic and hollowbody electric guitars but doesn’t see much use in solid bodies, fretboards or necks.
What type of mahogany is used on guitars?
The most common of these is khaya, which is typically referred to as African mahogany. As a general rule, most guitar builders feel that this is such an acceptable substitute for mahogany that they can comfortably call it mahogany.
Is Black Walnut good for guitars?
Walnut is a superb tonewood for electric guitars. As discussed previously, black walnut and English walnut are the typical species used as tonewood. Most manufacturers don’t designate the difference. That being said, the other varieties also make excellent electric guitar tonewoods.
Is African mahogany wood expensive?
Sales of African mahogany, in particular, have increased significantly during the last several years. However, African mahogany definitely differs from the genuine article. “It’s less expensive than genuine mahogany, [but] it’s a little harder to deal with, grain-wise.
Is Ebony a good tonewood?
Ebony is also a fantastic tonewood for acoustic and classical guitars. Not only is it perhaps the most commonly-used fretboard material, but it can also excel in acoustic bodies if worked correctly.
Is walnut good for guitars?
Walnut is remarkably easy to bend and work into guitar backs and sides. It’s a great choice for acoustic and classical guitars and is an option available with several big-name manufacturers/brands. Walnut back and sides will yield a strong low-end and midrange response while maintaining the clarity it’s known for.
Is African Mahogany real mahogany?
African Mahogany, Khaya spp Today this is the most widely used wood called “mahogany”. It is not related to South American Mahogany but has a similar look and even though it is more brittle it has acceptable working properties.
Is Sapele African Mahogany?
Although genuine mahogany, also known as bigleaf mahogany and Honduras mahogany, still trickles into the United States, popular alternatives have emerged such as African mahogany (Khaya spp.), sapele (Entandrophragma cylindricum), sipo (Entandrophragma utile), and Spanish cedar (Cedrela odorata).
What is the difference between mahogany and African mahogany?
The main difference between African mahogany and its South American counterpart is the wood’s color variation, often appearing as a series of light and dark bands or as a ribbon figure. The African species occasionally has interlocked grain, making it more difficult to work with than genuine mahogany.
What is African mahogany called?
Khaya ivorensis
Khaya ivorensis (African mahogany)
Is Australian blackwood good for making guitars?
Since this tree is a close relative of the Koa wood, which has been around for many years and has been considered a highly desirable tonewood for crafting guitars for the past five decades, there is a high possibility that people have used the Australian Blackwood to make guitars for at least three decades.
What is African blackwood lumber?
The African Blackwood trees themselves are rather scraggly and often contain large voids, heart rot, bug holes, soil, and other foreign matter. This makes them poor candidates for large lumber, but a good option for small blanks. From the African Blackwood cants, the mill cuts mostly woodwind blanks that range in size from 1×1” to 4×4”.
What is the best tonewood for guitars?
While Brazilian rosewood remains the standard wood for comparing sounds made by guitars, many musicians choose the Tasmanian or Australian Blackwood as their guitar tonewood. The sounds and tones these guitars make is “sweet,” and distinct.
What does African blackwood sound like?
African blackwood is denser and harder than either ebony or Brazilian rosewood. It is perhaps the ultimate wood for power, clarity, punch, and harmonic complexity. It has a tight, but robust sound; powerful and crisp; a dark bell-like overtone with a slow response. onally, it is not as deep as Brazilian rosewood, and not as tight as mahogany.