Official Luthiers Forum!

Well from the census it doesn't surprise me a bit that the wood of choice is Mahogany. I would have to agree with everyone. It's rather amazing that although we all agree on Mahogany as prefered wood of choice, most of us still choose the more exotic and colorful woods such as Brazilian Rosewood, Cocobolo, and a number of other woods costing us an arm and a leg. We love the beautiful colors that the more exotic woods produce for us and hope that they sound half as good as mahogany.

It's funny, the wood that is the least expensive and is not as colorful as others is often not chosen for it's high quality sound. Are we funny or what??

Walter

Yeah but...... Honduran Mahogany will get much harder to get in the future and be yet another example of something that we once took for granted (BRW) and then it became scarce and expensive.

I love mahogany and like Brock I am now committed to building approximately 75% of my guitars with "core" traditional woods.  I have been to the mountain top with BRW and the kool aid is indeed very fine.

I love maple or Indian!
Mahogany is a favorite also -so is Myrtle,Bubinga,Braz.
Walnut,Koa-etc!!

Sorry!
I love them all-But some sets are easier to work then others and the visual factor also comes into play!

BUT if I could only work with one wood it would be.........


Mike

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Mike Collins

Hey guys,

Sorry if this is a little off topic but i have been dying share this with you guys.

On the topic of mahogany a very very pretty (but very grubby)board of old stock,old growth genuine cuban mahogany (sweitinia macrophyla from cuba).

This wood belonged to a english cabinet maker who bought it early in his carear and put it away for that special job.
Unfortunatly he died before the job came along and his family not knowing what to do with it put in the barn for a further 30 years before deciding to sell it

That make this board in excess of 150 years old

This type of cuban mahogany stopped being exported from cuba in the 1920,s and became comercialy extinct in 1940.
Most people have never had the luxury of working with true cuban mahogany.
This is the stuff that decked the ships of the spanish armada and was used by the like of sheriton and chipendale for there finest furniture.

And with good reason it works like a dream with no tear out even in the figured stuff.

This board was not only perfectly quarter sawn but it has realy nice medium tight curl which was a most unexspected bonus.

here is a pick when it first arived



here is a pick after a little planeing



I have billitised it tonight and cut 12 side sets but the backs will have to wait a while.

This wood is the real thing not plantation stock from java or the pacific and the differnce in quality is noticable.


as for what its worth i am having trouble clculating.
Its rarer by far than Rio rosewood so i have no idea whats its worth all i know is what i paid for it so any thoughts let me know.

The reason i bring this up is becouse mahogany is my favourate wood as well but this stuff makes fine grained honduras look like wenge when you come to plane it.
It has hardly any pores and is smooth as silk at 240 grit.

I think my second favourate has to be good madagascan rosewood allthough this is another wood that is going to get harder to get in the next few years.

I just thought i would also point out that there is no true brazilian mahogany left in the uk on a comercial level i would think the states will follow soon.
We are going to see mahogany become a premium wood very soon so i would stock up now folks before the drought kiks in.

Joel,