Nigeria where I come from has all these woods in commercial quantity and quality and we do have AGOA relationship with USA. Paul. It’s a popular choice nowadays for building guitar necks, back and sides. TMC buys from suppliers in these regions who supply the lumber which is most consistent in color and overall quality. Thanks 225 Lincoln Highway Fairless Hills, PA 19030, 5 things to look for in a Wholesale Ipe Decking Supplier, Center City Philadelphia Ipe Planters & Pergola, Ipe in the Caribbean: Saint Kitts and Nevis, Fairless Hills PA facility Grows 100%, New SC Facility added. Cameroon, Congo, Ivory Cost being the most prevalent while Ghana and Gabon are also producing Countries. All three are good for interior and exterior applications. Which is the best type of wood to use if you have a bunch of dogs? Also, quartersawn ribbon can have some interlocking grain. It might be a better idea to look for Spanish Cedar, Teak or Ipe just because those are more conventional outdoor woods. My concern with this is that you are planning on using a oil stain and then a water based top coat. If you have any further questions please let us know! Their sound is almost similar. premium for difficulty working with over say pine? Sapele vs Mahogany- Which is the Better Tonewood? This wood is great for guitars tops, body, and backs. African Mahogany historically, until about 6-8 years ago, had traded at about 10% higher in cost than Sapele. For a frame of reference White Oak is 1,350 lbf (5,990 N) while Eastern White Pine has a Hardness of 380 lbf (1,690 N). The species is more consistent for color, weight, texture, and hardness throughout the regions than African Mahogany. The two popular guitars which use Sapele in the back and sides are the Martin Dreadnought Junior and Taylor Academy Series 12e. Sapele will mill nice, glue nicely, and is a good exterior wood for doors. It can have pin-knots which are difficult to see in rough-sawn limber. But this is not recommended to be used inside. This leads to Sapele wood guitars being sold at a cheaper price than Mahogany guitars. I think a Clear Sealer and Lacquer combination would be fine for interior finishing. You can choose the guitar tone that appeals to you. Each type of wood brings out a unique tone, and it’s important to choose the guitar body that gives out a tone that you like. I’m using for first time Sapele in small carpentry projects, as winding sticks and similar other items. If you are a Guitar enthusiast and love playing the instrument, you probably know how important guitar wood is to its tone and sound quality. For beginners, it is practical to buy a Sapele wood guitar at a cheaper price than to go for an expensive Mahogany guitar. Steve, Steve, Thank you in advance, I’m concerned that dye or stain will mask or reduce the refraction. African Mahogany: Janka Hardness 1,070 lbf (4,760 N) The softest but still very close to Utile. Some companies specify they want African Mahogany from Ghana, which is considered almost all Khaya Ivorensis. Entandrophragma utile. I would suggest posting pictures on a online woodworkers forum or bringing a sample to a local retailer that sells exotic hardwood lumber. They need to be 9’/1/2″ x 2′-1/2″ and will be finished with a solid stain. Lighter from Ghana. Bamboo’s warmth and richness match a wide-range of … People buy sampele wood guitars thinking they have a Mahogany guitar. Some from Ghana, which is lighter in color. Hope this was helpful and Good luck! The woods we stock at Thompson Mahogany are: African Mahogany/Khaya, Sapele and Utile/Sipo. I am asking because you didn’t mention Nigeria as a possible source of supply. Entandrophragma cylindricum. It is lighter in color from Ghana which is not the main source. Thanks I plan to do some test pieces to confirm, but would appreciate any suggestions. There is a fair amount of Khaya Grandofolio, which is much heavier, harder, and inconsistent in weight and in color. Generally very straight, ranging from pencil-stripe to more pronounced. We buy directly from foreign mills who not only produce high quality, but are also practicing sustainability, and legal logging practices. From the research I have done I am pretty sure it’s an African mahogany. We buy it both air-dried and Kiln-dried. The average hardness of a piece of Honduran Mahogany would be around 900lb while a Sapele wood piece would be around 1,410lb. Light red-brown, with orange tint from Ghana. Try to find a fairly translucent coating and you should not have any major issues with loss. The hardness of the Sapele wood makes it better than the Mahogany but as noted earlier, … Sapele is easy to carve and work with as well. The most common and popular woods used for making guitars are Rosewood, Cedar, Maple, and Mahogany. 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