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I've read that African mahogany is not a true mahogany so I was wondering if any of you know how the stability of a one piece African mahogany neck compares to stability of one piece Honduras mahogany. It seems to be more available.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

I thought Bubinga was "african mahogany" so what is the real deal anyway. Is bubinga A.M. or is A.M. something else or does it matter or ... Zootman the zoot light is up in the sky and the Zoot phone is ringing. HELP!

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

My understanding is that African Mahogany is also known as Striped mahogany or Sapele. Its stringy unlike Honduran and is a little harder to work into a neck, but is very usable for that application, as well as neck and tail blocks.

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Dave

Bubinga is often Known as African Rosewood, although I don't think it is a true Rosewood.

Russell

Dave--"African Mahogany" is indeed a different species than Sapele. AM is Khaya sp. and Sapele is Entandrophragma something-or-other. This courtesy of LMI's catalogue. The AM that Bob just sent me is quite a bit different than Sapele..in some ways more "mahogany" like than Sapele. We'll see. I've wondered the same question about neck stock, but I would shy away from a one piece neck of just AM. Does seem a bit spongey. Two or three piece, or laminated w/ something else is the way I'd be inclined to go.

SK

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

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[QUOTE=old man] I've read that African mahogany is not a true mahogany so I was wondering if any of you know how the stability of a one piece African mahogany neck compares to stability of one piece Honduras mahogany. It seems to be more available.

Ron[/QUOTE]


I was reading something interesting the other day... sorry, I forget where...

It was saying that long long ago Martin was using African Mahogany for neck stock and actually preferred it to other species, but due to supplier reliability problems they were "forced" to use Honduran Mahogany.

Now the tide is shifting back again. Clearly, we are seeing the supply side of the H. Mahogany shorten and people are taking a harder look at African.

I am not trying to start a debate. I just found this story interesting.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Actually Bubinga is sometimes called African Rosewood and Russell is right.....it is NOT a true rosewood. Khaya is generally what is refered to as AM and can look and feel very different at times because there are several speices of Khaya. I have had some AM that I and others (much more experienced than I) were certain was HM but through testing turned out to be AM. Sapele is more dense with a sort of cedar like smell. If I were to guess I would say that AM is a true mahogany and Sapele is not.....Steve a Colonial Tonewoods, Can you answer this? As for a neck, I think I would laminate also.Brian Hawkins38589.9471180556

The African Mahogany I have is much, much more dense than Honduran Mahogany. Is this generally the case?

Of course, there are probably as many woods called Mahogany as there are called Ironwood.

Do you have a picture?

Eric I have found Sapele to be denser than Honduran Mahogany but not African Mahogany.
Couldn't sleep so here's a link to a few descriptons that I put togther from info gathered on the web. http://www.rctonewoods.rcefaluguitars.com/wood_desc.htm

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There are more than one species of wood that is called African Mahogany, Sapele and Khaya being the most common. Both can be figured or as plain as pattern grade S.A. Mahogany.

While Sapele tends to be harder and more dense than american mahoganies, Khaya can be lighter and less dense than some american mahoganies. This is not cut and dry in that there are also several species of american mahoganies.

Swietenia Macrophylla, Big Leafed Mahogany is what most people think of as Mahogany. The Caribbean Mahogany (also known as Cuban Mahogany) is Swietenia mahagoni. Small leafed Mahogany is Sweitenia Microphylla. I have Caribbean Mahogany that is so dense it makes sapele seem light.

Even the Bubinga which was mentioned is actually a few close related species from the same area. That is partly why you will large variations in the color and figure of wood sold as Bubinga...add to that the fact that Bubinga is our common name for it...in each country of even village they will have their own local name for the wood.

Colin, who is also a big fan of Mahogany had a very complete posting on the different Mahoganies that you can find by searching the archived posts.

I?ve built to this time 5 necks out of "African" Mahagoni, to be correct, 2 with Sapele and 3 with Khaya. These necks are as stable as the necks I built from Honduras Mahagoni, but a little bit heavier.

The African (Khaya) Mahagoni is easier to obtain here in Europe, and MUCH cheaper. From my point of view, there is no argument against the use for Necks.

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Shawn is right the only "True" Mahoganies we use are the three Swietenias spp. That doesn't mean that the African genuses can't often be interchanged with them. I won't go over them all again. As Shawn said, if interested search the archive.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

My mistake...I think the nitro is twisting the last few brain cells I have left! THANKS!

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

I appreciate the input, fellows. I'm making my first neck from one piece Honduran and I have two more blanks to use sometime. I thought I might try the African version and see, in the future. I also have started two built up cherry neck blanks from nice quartered stock. I'm a furniture builder turned "wanna-be" luthier and I love working with cherry. I bought two back/side sets from Steve at Colonial and am going to make my 2nd and 3rd guitars from that cherry. They will be a matched pair, for my two sons. This first one I've started is also cherry, but the back is flat sawn, where the two from Steve are quarter sawn.

Thanks, again

Ron

_________________
OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

I've used mostly African mahoganies (ie, Khaya, Sapele and Sipo, which I believe is in the same family as Sapele). All work well, look similar to 'geniuine' mahoganies, although they vary in weight and workability (Sapele heaviest, Khaya lightest, Sipo in between; just on average, with a boatload of variation available). I believe they're all in the same Family (Meliciae? Something like that), although not the same Genus as the genuine mahoganies.

Khaya, Sipo and Sapele cost about half what Honduran does over here, and there's a whole lot more of it. Of course, since I found 5 boards of perfectly (and I mean dead-on) quartered 1" Honduran boards, methinks at least some of the new necks will be stacked heel honduran. After that, well, I'll see what my lumber yard's in the mood for stocking. My first two acoustic necks are both Khaya, and I've got another 6 Khaya blanks kicking around, and have no compunctions about using them.