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Birch
Laminated Birch consists of 1/32" layers of Birch wood which is bonded
with epoxy under high pressure into a composite material. This material is
remarkably tough and strong for its weight. It is denser than Birch, but not
excessively heavy. It is extremely stiff, and it's composite nature tends to
even out its frequency response, alleviating "dead spots" inherent in
single-piece necks. It is dark gray and in color, with alternating dark and
light layers.
Weight: 47
Grain: generally straight but sometimes found as wavy or curly grain.
Figure: the sapwood is a cream colored tan. The heartwood is a light brown.
Slight streaks of a darker color show from grain pattern.
Texture: medium and uniform, slightly on the brittle side.
Properties: an easy wood to work, with hand and power tools. Cuts clean and
finishes to a smooth surface. The wood is very tough and flexible, once bent
it will hold its shape.
Use: prime use is for framing, hull timbering and bent hull members such as
deck clamps.
Blackwood; African (Grenadillo)
This is the most common wood for the orchestral woodwinds. The tonal
quality is bright and stays clear and direct over the flute's full range.
Black with a marble like figure of dark purple and charcoal gray.
Boxwood
Boxwood has been used for centuries for making woodwind instruments. It
has a bright, sweet quality that can also be made rich and colorful by the
player.
Weight: 70
Grain: straight
Figure: an even straw yellow color.
Texture: ultra fine and uniform.
Properties: dense and hard. Finishes to a polished surface. Excellent
machining properties. The wood will hold a clean sharp edge. Working with
hand or carving tools is slow going due to the hardness of the wood.
Use: for all aspects of model work from fine tuned pieces to timbering. A
little stiff, but with some care, the wood makes nice looking planking.
Bubinga
This African import is a very heavy Rosewood, but some customers like it
for solid body guitars. Actually it's not a Rosewood because it's not
in the Dalbergia Family, Some people try to pass it off as
Rosewood.
Most of the material that begot the perception of quality in the rose
wood family is now long gone old growth trees, so perhaps it's time to
reevaluate our preferences. By the way, the publics desire for rose woods
has also motivated manufactures to fib from time to time. Pau Ferro is not a
rose wood, but is easily passed off as one. Bubinga is passed off as Chinese
Rose wood even though it is not of the rose wood genus.
A very stiff strong wood with a rusty brown color. Bright midrange and
bass tones.
From Africa; Gabon, Cameroon, Zaire, Equatorial Guinea, Congo, Liberia
and Nigeria.
Color is medium red-brown, with lighter red to purple veins. The grain is
typically straight. Fine pores are diffused throughout the wood, which often
contain a reddish gum. Texture is usually medium, and surface is highly
lustrous. Excellent polishing qualities.
Common uses included boat building, fine furniture, tool handles, figured
veneer, flooring, and handles.
Specific Gravity is .88 (very dense). Turns well. Salmon pink with streaks of brown.
Cedar; Alaskan (Cedar; Yellow)
Weight: 31
Grain: is always straight
Figure: is an even sulfur color with no distinctive pattern
Texture: fine and uniform
Properties: for a soft wood, Yellow Cedar is quite heavy with a density
about the same as Cherry. A very stable wood and it holds it shape with no
shrinkage. This wood is exceptionally easy to work, turns well on a lathe,
finishes smooth and carves well. Easy to glue. A durable wood resistant to
decay.
Use: masting and spars, deck and hull planking, hull timbering and carvings.
A good wood where a hand cutting joinery is used.
Cedar; Aromatic
Guitar tops of Red Cedar are the Best Buy today. Material is very fine
with good prices in the market.
From the United States and Canada.
The color is light reddish brown, purplish or rose-red, usually with streaks
of lighter colored sapwood. Grain is fine and even and texture is usually
fine and takes a high polish. Has a characteristic mild pencil-cedar odor
and taste.
Common uses include chests, interior trim, novelties, pencils, posts,
wardrobes, woodenware, fine furniture, foundation posts, moldings and
wainscoting.
Specific Gravity is .47 (medium density). Responds well to turning, but some
crumbling is reported.
Cedar; Spanish
Spanish Cedar is the Cedrela species from the Family Meliaceae (same
family as Honduran Mahogany). Cedrela occurs from Mexico to Argentina and is
found in all countries except Chile. Heartwood pinkish- to reddish brown
when freshly cut, becoming red or dark reddish brown, sometimes with a
purplish tinge. Grain usually straight, sometimes interlocked; texture
rather fine and uniform to coarse and uneven; luster medium to high and
golden; distinctive cedary odor. Specific gravity variable ranging from 0.30
to 0.60, averaging about 0.40; Easy to air-season or kiln-dry, slight warp
with little or no checking. Movement in service rated as small. Spanish
Cedar is easy to work with hand and machine tools and has good gluing
properties; stains and finishes well.
Spanish Cedar is favored for millwork, cabinets, fine furniture, cigar
wrappers, and cigar boxes. It is especially popular in boat building,
because of its resistance to rotting. It is used in musical instruments for
nylon string classical and flamenco guitars, because while similar in
appearance, strength and workability to Mahogany, it is considerably
lighter. We use it for that reason on our light weight instruments, weighing
about a pound less than a similar Mahogany bodied instrument.
Chechen/Chechin?
[Chechen:] Used for tops and fingerboards by Modulus; harvested in
Mexico.
[Chechin:] Marble like figure of shades of reds and maroons.
Cherry
From the United States, Switzerland and Canada.
The popularity of cherry in the furniture market is reported to have
increased over the years because of its warmth, personality, and ease of
use. The narrow sapwood is whitish to reddish brown or creamy pink. The
heartwood varies in color from reddish brown to deep red or light reddish
brown, usually with brown flecks and some gum pockets. Cherry is reported to
be very sensitive to UV light, and changes to its characteristic
reddish-brown, mahogany shade upon exposure. The grain is fine, but material
with dark wavy streaks which are described as striking in appearance are
frequently found. Texture is fine and uniform, and the wood often has narrow
brown pith flecks and small gum pockets. Luster is rich and satiny and
finishing characteristics are good.
Common uses include boat building, cabinetmaking, caskets, fine furniture,
musical instruments, scientific instruments, sculpture, figured veneer,
interior construction, handles and wainscoting.
Specific Gravity is .54 (medium density). Turns very easily.
Weight: 35
Grain: straight, also found as curly.
Figure: color is a light red to pink which darkens with age.
Texture: is close, firm and uniform.
Properties: the wood is very stable in use with little to no warpage or
movement. Capable of a smooth surface. Works easily with hand and power
tools, carves nicely with a clean sharp edge.
Use: a good wood for hull framing and timbering. Suitable for small fittings
and hull planking.
Cherry; Figured
Goncalvo
Orange Cocobolo is a beautifully colored hardwood, much like ebony, but
with a lot of orange, gold, and tones of brown in it. Goncalvo is much the
same but more rich browns mixed together.
Goncalva Alves
Very dense smooth texture with a waxy fast feel - no finish required.
Color is tan with darker chocolate stripes (used by Smith & Wesson for
pistol grips). Articulate clean warm tone. [As neck material.]
From Central and Latin America; Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, Bolivia,
Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Guyana and Peru.
Color is initially reddish-brown, golden-orange or brown-beige to red,
usually richly mottled with dark brown streaks and spots, becoming brown,
red, dark reddish brown with nearly black stripes after prolonged exposure.
Grain is irregular, straight to roey or interlocked. Irregular dark
longitudinal bands produce an attractive figure. Texture is fine to medium.
Can be polished and finished very easily. No grain filling is required and a
clear finish has been suggested to enhance the beauty of the wood.
Common uses include billiard-cue butts, brush backs & handles, figured
veneer, fine furniture, shafts/handles, sporting goods and tool handles.
Specific Gravity is .95 (very dense). Turns easily with sharp tools if
straight grain. Figured pieces require care when turning.
Light and dark brown marble figure.
Kingwood
There are roughly a dozen species of true rose woods in the world. (Yes,
they smell like roses when cut with a saw.) A partial list would include
Tulip wood, King wood, Cocobolo, East Indian Rose wood, and Brazilian Rose
wood. With the exception of the latter, these are oily to the point of being
dead in the tone department. So what is the point in coveting these
materials when there are sonic superiors available? The problem is that in
the public mind, rose wood is cool, so it has long been over harvested.
Because of this Brazilian Rose wood has been banned from importation to the
United States for over twenty five years.
From Brazil.
Color is light golden brown to violet, with irregular black to brown
streaks. The grain is irregular, and a mottled figure similar to that of
Rosewood is sometimes present. The texture is typically fine, and the wood
can be polished and finished very easily.
Common uses included bows, cabinetmaking, carvings, construction, fine
furniture, railroad ties, decorative veneer and wainscoting.
Specific Gravity is .79 (very dense). Turns easily with sharp tools if
straight grain. Figured pieces require care when turning.
Koa
It comes from Hawaii. The good Curly Koa is very hard to get.
This very beautiful wood comes exclusively from Hawaii and has been in
short supply. Weight varies somewhat from medium to heavy, a good wood for
basses. Koa has a warm sound similar to mahogany, but with a little more
brightness. Like walnut, this wood may be oiled, but generally will look its
best sprayed clear. Koa is sometimes available in flame figure. [As body
material.]
Dark tan to brown with reds and purples. Same weights as mahogany but
more beautiful. Warm and solid tone. Sometimes available with flame figure.
[As neck material.]
From Hawaii, it is rare within its natural habitat.
Color varies from tree to tree, ranging from pale yellow or golden brown to
deep chocolate, but more commonly reddish brown with light and dark bands in
the growth rings and various attractive patterns, such as fiddleback and
rainbow. The wavy and curly grain is moderate to severely interlocked. The
texture is moderately coarse, and the surface is quite lustrous and takes a
high polish.
Popular for the manufacture of musical instruments because of its high
resonant properties, other common uses include canoes, decorative veneer,
gun stocks, joinery, excelsior, lifeboats, and rifle stock.
Specific Gravity is .67 (dense). Requires sharp tools.
Medium brown wood which looks like Teak.
Korina (Limba; White)
True name is White Limba, from Africa. Used in Gibson's Original Explorers and
[Flying] V's. A light weight wood similar to mahogany. Black Limba is
usually lighter weight with more interesting grain and darker color. [As
body material.]
Lacewood
It is a nice wood for Laminate Bodies, with good figure.
Not particularly good sounding.
From Australia: This can be had as a book-matched top, or solid body. The
size of the spots range from very small to very large, creating a very
striking, reptilian appearance. [As body material.]
From Australia
Color is pink to reddish brown, and is highly figured with a distinct small
lacelike pattern. The wood is lustrous and has good polishing properties.
Uses include cabinetmaking, fixtures, moldings, parquet flooring, baskets,
casks, drum sticks, fine furniture, organ pipes, pianos, sounding boards,
xylophones.
Specific Gravity is .53 (medium density). Turns easily, but crumbling caused
by the figure is often reported. Care is required to achieve a smooth
surface.
Mahogany
Mahogany is a porous, but strong wood which is easy to machine and
finish. It has a spiraling and interlocking grain pattern which makes it a
very stable wood. Honduran Mahogany is the favorite choice of instrument
builders, but is very hard to find. African and Spanish mahoganies are often
used as a replacement for Honduran Mahogany.
Light to moderately heavy wood with smooth attack and rich singing
sustain [when used as body material]. When it's very heavy, the wood losses
the warm round attributes. The Quicksilver is a classic example
of a mahogany body capped with a maple top. At least on the lower cost
models.
Mahogany; Curly
From Africa
Color is yellow to reddish-brown. Grain is interlocked with a stripe or roey
figure. Texture is typically medium to coarse, with a natural luster The
timber is reported to polish to yield and excellent finish. African mahogany
is reported to take stains well.
Uses include boat building, cabinetmaking, decorative veneer, furniture.
Specific Gravity is .44 (medium density). Requires sharp tools.
Mahogany; Honduran
Fender uses the Honduran variety on their set-neck series [as body
material]; provides a moderate to heavy weight (body weight at least 5 lb.)
with a warm, full sound and good sustain; used in conjunction with a maple
top to add brightness.
Swietenia macrophylla, from the Family Meliaceae it grows from Southern
Mexico southward to Colombia, Venezuela, and parts of the upper Amazon and
its tributaries in Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. Plantations have been
established within its natural range and elsewhere. Honduran Mahogany is
reddish, pinkish, salmon colored, or yellowish when fresh; deepening with
age to deep rich red or brown. Texture rather fine to coarse; grain straight
to roey, wavy, or curly, often with an attractive figure. Basic specific
gravity 0.40 to 0.68 averaging around 0.60. The wood can be air-seasoned and
kiln-dried easily without appreciable warping or checking. Movement after
manufacture is rated as small. Very easy to work with hand and machine
tools, Easy to finish and takes an excellent polish.
Long used in fine furniture and cabinet making, interior trim, paneling,
fancy veneers, boat building, pattern making, turnery, and carving. Often
called the queen of woods because of its working properties. It is the most
common timber used in acoustic guitars for their sides, backs, and necks.
Medium weight and resonant, we use this timber for out body wings.
Nice and lightweight, this wood is good for bodies, laminates and necks.
We use Honduran Mahogany, the wood LPs are made of. This is a fine wood
with good musical properties, the tone is warm and full with good sustain.
Weight-wise, mahogany is mid to heavy with a Strat body averaging 5 lbs. or
more. The grain is easy to fill although not particularly good looking for
clear finishes.
Maple
Mesquite
Mesquite is a member of the Legume family, Prosopis Glandulosa, and
produces bean pods yearly. It grows only in four southwestern states in the
U.S. and in Mexico. Mesquite is a heavy wood (Specific Gravity > .8) with a
unique quality. All woods shrink to some degree with changes in their
moisture content. Most woods will shrink more across the grain than along
the grain. This can lead to warpage if the forces are not equal or the grain
of the piece is not consistent. Mesquite shrinks equally in all directions,
meaning it is extremely stable and warp resistant.
Pau Ferro
(Morado, Rosewood; Bolivian)
South American Hardwood, combines rosewoods warm tone with Ebony's
smooth feel.
Also known as Bolivian Rosewood or Morado. It is heavy, brownish-orange
wood with dark black stripes.
Most of the material that begot the perception of quality in the rose
wood family is now long gone old growth trees, so perhaps it's time to
reevaluate our preferences. By the way, the publics desire for rose woods
has also motivated manufactures to fib from time to time. Pau Ferro is not a
rose wood, but is easily passed off as one. Bubinga is passed off as Chinese
Rose wood even though it is not of the rose wood genus
Primarily available as fingerboards. Medium brown color, very smooth
fine grain, warmer tone than ebony.
Maple neck with Pau Ferro fingerboard:] Quarter sawn Pau Ferro has the
good properties of ebony but seems to be more reliable and stable. Pau Ferro
is a tight grained hard wood with excellent clarity on the "chunk" tones
when using gain, especially when teamed up with an alder body. In overdrive
mode it has a fatter low end and more pronounced sparkle when compared to
maple. It adds excellent definition to the notes especially when using
overdriven tones. Strong in the lower mids and bass, scooped mids.
From Africa; Congo, Ivory Coast, Zaire, Gabon, Angola, Cameroon,
Equatorial Guine, and Nigeria.
The heartwood is pink, yellow, or dark brown in color and is often striped
with red-brown bands. The grain is usually wavy or interlocked. The wood is
rather coarse-textured. Polishing characteristics are rated as good.
Common uses include carvings, musical instruments, decorative veneer, fine
furniture, and sounding boards.
Specific Gravity is .82 (very dense). Responds well to turning.
Poplar
Poplar is similar to Maple in color and weight. The difference is in the
size of the pores.
Same as Basswood, as far as its application is concerned, and in the same
price range.
This is another standard music wood having been used by many companies
over the years. Due to the grey/green color, this wood is used only when
solid color finishes are to be applied. It's weight generally runs about
half a pound more than alder. Tonally it is much similar to alder as well.
Poplar is a closed grain wood that accepts finish well. [
Weight: 30
Grain: straight, sometimes with a slight wave.
Figure: heartwood has a greenish tint, sapwood is an even light yellow with
an occasional streak of darker color.
Texture: moderately fine and uniform with a close tough texture.
Properties: easy to work and suitable for carving. Capable of a smooth
surface but a non-lustrous finish. Stable and fairly strong.
Use: hull timbering and framing, deck beams and deck framing.
Rosewood; Bolivian (Pau Ferro, Morado)
[no further information available yet]
Rosewood; Bois de Rose
When you do order a Rosewood neck from Ed Roman, We can use this
instead of the cheap East Indian Rosewood that costs pennies per
fingerboard. It is a little more
expensive than East Indian, but a lot more rare; Even though it costs
a little more it's only a fraction of what Ebony costs.
Rich color, red brown
with interesting patterns to sometimes almost black. Bois de Rose seems to
have a wide frequency response brilliant highs and punchy lows. A tight
grained rosewood similar to Brazilian Rosewood. Good with darker sounding
body woods and humbucker settings. Strong upper midrange and presence.
We currently have very few pieces that we bought more than 20 years ago.
Rosewood; Brazilian
There are roughly a dozen species of true rose woods in the world. (Yes,
they smell like roses when cut with a saw.) A partial list would include
Tulip wood, King wood, Cocobolo, East Indian Rose wood, and Brazilian Rose
wood. With the exception of the latter, these are oily to the point of being
dead in the tone department. So what is the point in coveting these
materials when there are sonic superiors available? The problem is that in
the public mind, rose wood is cool, so it has long been over harvested.
Because of this Brazilian Rose wood has been banned from importation to the
United States for over twenty five years.
"Beautiful" wood. There are a wide range of colors and grain. [As body
material:] Book-matched tops only. Very limited supply. We also have some
necks with Brazilian rosewood fingerboards.
We always have a couple of Brazilian Rosewood Blanks Available for fingerboards . Very oily multicolored wood,
This wood will not take the smooth finish that the Macassar Ebony we offer.
From Brazil.
Varies in color from shades of brown to red or violet, and is irregularly
streaked with black. The grain is typically straight, occasionally wavy.
Texture is medium to coarse and of medium luster.
Common uses include cabinetmaking, fine furniture, marquetry, pianos, tool
handles, drum sticks, organ pipes, sounding boards, umbrella handles,
wainscoting, and xylophones.
Specific Gravity is .85 (very dense).
Dark red, violet and black streaks.
Rosewood; East Indian
It is preferred for musical instruments because it costs very little
and somehow it has gained a wide acceptance. Be careful of the Indonesian
Plantation Rosewood, which happens to be the same species, but with
different color and much wider grain. The grain will be uncomfortable on
your fingers and you will commonly find it on your basic Wal Mart guitars.
There are roughly a dozen species of true rose woods in the world. (Yes,
they smell like roses when cut with a saw.) A partial list would include
Tulip wood, King wood, Cocobolo, East Indian Rose wood, and Brazilian Rose
wood. With the exception of the latter, these are oily to the point of being
dead in the tone department. So what is the point in coveting these
materials when there are sonic superiors available? The problem is that in
the public mind, rose wood is cool, so it has long been over harvested.
Because of this Brazilian Rose wood has been banned from importation to the
United States for over twenty five years.
Rosewood; Honduran
From Belize.
Generally believed to be fairly scarce. Color is pink to purple brown with
darker and lighter bands in attractive combinations. The grain is typically
straight and the texture is medium to fine with a low to medium luster.
Common uses include cabinetmaking, marquetry, tool handles, drum sticks,
fine furniture, handles, organ pipes, piano keys, pianos and xylophones.
Specific Gravity is .96 (very dense). Has excellent turning qualities.
Spruce; Sitka
It used to be very easily available, at reasonable prices. This is not
the case anymore. )
Weight: 32
Grain: straight.
Figure: is a creamy white with a pink tint. The grain pattern appears as
narrow lines.
Texture: the wood is soft with a moderately fine to medium texture.
Properties: a tough strong wood, stable in use. When cut, the surface tends
to be a bit fuzzy, but careful sanding will bring the surface to a smooth
finish. The wood works well with both hand and power tools, sands easily.
Use: use for masting and spars. The wood can also be used for heavy
timbering, bulkheads, structural members and framing.
Tulipwood
This picture is an exceptionally nice
piece of tulipwood, Don't expect it too always look like this
There are roughly a dozen species of true rose woods in the world. (Yes,
they smell like roses when cut with a saw.) A partial list would include
Tulip wood, King wood, Cocobolo, East Indian Rose wood, and Brazilian Rose
wood. With the exception of the latter, these are oily to the point of being
dead in the tone department. So what is the point in coveting these
materials when there are sonic superiors available? The problem is that in
the public mind, rose wood is cool, so it has long been over harvested.
Because of this Brazilian Rose wood has been banned from importation to the
United States for over twenty five years.
Tulipwood has shades of red, pink, and yellow in it and is hard like
ebony.
From Central and Latin America; Brazil, Colombia, Guyana and Venezuela.
Straw colored background with irregular streaks of shades of yellow rose,
pink and violet. Grain is straight to roey, texture is fine, and wood is
highly lustrous with excellent polishing qualities.
Common uses included brush handles, cabinetmaking, flooring, furniture,
inlay work, marquetry, and veneer.
Specific Gravity is .96 (very dense). Requires sharp tools.
Very light cream color with bright thin streaks of pink or sometimes with
a few colored streaks.
Wenge
A black hard wood with chocolate brown stripes. Very hard, coarser
textured wood with open grain. Good midrange tone with warm lows.
Recommended for Bass Guitars
Basswood
Several [Fender] Japanese reissue models use Basswood [as body material].
Produces a light (body wt less than 4 lb.) guitar though some people find
the sound to be too "dark". Basswood is a very soft wood and cannot handle a
lot of abuse
Ideal for loud high gain tones [when used as body material]. The sound is
smooth, without many sharp edges. Attack is moderate and sustain is round
and even.
For a solid color guitar it is one of the better woods. It is used by
many well known large manufacturers. It comes from Northern U.S.A. and
Canada.
This is a lighter weight wood offering Strat bodies usually under 4 lbs.
The color is white, but often has nasty green mineral streaks in it. This is
a closed-grain wood, but can absorb a lot of finish. This is not a wood for
clear finishes, and it is quite soft, not good for much abuse. Sound wise,
Basswood has a nice, warm tone.
Strong Midrange, balanced tone and light weight. Light color and almost
no grain patterns Basswood is best suited for solid colors or is excellent
as a backing wood for a maple top.
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