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Quilted Sapele is beautiful stuff, anyone have any opinions as to it's tonewood use?

Thanks,
Greg

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Gwaltney Guitars

Super tonewood you will love it both tone, beauty and workability

Pretty much sounds like Mahogany.

Well, great guitars have been built with it, and it's some of the most stunning wood I've got in my stash, but it's not the one with the most exciting tap tone. You pays your money and you takes your chances.

Hummmm Three sets built and they all seemed reasonably close to the same to me as far as tap tone. I have never had a dead one yet but like I said I only have 3 under my belt with it.

I have a beautiful set of pomelle figured Sapele that I got from Brad Goodman... Looks awesome... I can't wait to put it to good use... Well... to use it, anyway.

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

The four sets I got from Bob sound OK, but they don't ring out quite as well/fully as the perfectly quartered sapele sets I have. They're also a little bit lighter. This is just tapping the unbraced sets.

Sounds like mahogany, bends like butter, smells like cinnamon, looks great even under a 'burst. My favorite wood to work with.

Beautiful guitar James. Sapele is a very good tonewood.
Good to see you drop buy once in a while.

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Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

Drool...


....and that from a guy who isn't all that jacked about bursts...

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I like that burst!

Any thoughts as to whether the figure would change the tone? I.e., do
you think quilted sapele would sound different than non-figured sapele
(taking for granted that every piece of wood is unique and possibly
sounds slightly different, figured or not).

My asumption is that there is no recognized difference in tone between
figured and non-figured specimens of the same species. I'm guessing no
one has made two of the exact same guitar (size, bracing, woods, etc.)
with a figured set and a non-figured set, but if you have, I'd love to hear
about it!

Good question... I've heard that the only difference between figured and none figured is in stability issues. The tone seems to remain the same. (always some variation between pieces of the same type of wood of course) Sapele is pretty good wood. Actually it is a mahogany and it shares a afmily resemblance...

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

[QUOTE=Joe Beaver]Actually it is a mahogany [/QUOTE]
Nope, don't think so. It's understandable, though, why you would think that, 'cause so many of the larger manufacturers have used them interchangeably and called it all mahogany.

My assumption is that heavily figured woods will have, all else being equal, higher damping than straight grained ones. Irregular fibres (basically: runout! RUNOUT EVERYWHERE) and less-than-straight grain would account for that. I'm fairly certain I've seen Al Carruth write something on this topic before.

Thing is, particularly with backs/sides? You can probably 'overcome' such differences by selecting the right topwood, and building the guitar 'right'.

If Sapele sounds like Mahogany, my question is....what are the characteristic tonal traits of Mahogany as a tonewood. You know I'm not sure I've ever heard anyone with building experience mention what tonal flavor Mahogany adds to a guitar.

Thanks,
Greg

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Gwaltney Guitars

Methinks I'll just wait for Colin to chime in, but...Mahogany and East Indian Rosewood are, hands down, the two most common tonewoods. Lots and lots of discussion/description of that 'mahogany tone' by amateur builders, pro luthiers, and players alike.

Alright but I won't get carried away, everyone here knows the truth in the statement that 'Mahogany is the finest tonewood out there'. By mahogany I mean the three common "Genuine" mahoganies, the Swietenia genus the small and large leaved mahoganies and Cuban mahogany. All of them make guitars that give a classic woody sound and separation with a strong fundamental that can be driven without going muddy. Where rosewoods will give you long sustain and many overtones, the mahoganies have a stronger fundamental, some would say a purer tone .

Though not true mahogany, sapele and it's other African cousin Khaya make good guitars, with many of the same characteristics of their New World rivals. I have never heard of anyone not liking their finished Sapele bodied guitar.

Don't forget that it's the top wood that provides most of the characteristic sound of the guitar, that and the hand of the builder!

Colin

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

Paul was your guitar that was featured on the cover of GuitarMaker -- quilted Sapele (I've mislayed my issue). In any event -- that is one killer looking guitar.

Mahogany also records quite well--seems to give a more balanced output into a microphone. I've read of pros who take their "flashier" guitars on the road, but have a mahogany guitar for the studio.