I was looking for wood textures and came across sapele when looking for mahogany. Koa hails from Hawaii, where it’s known as the traditional wood of choice for ukuleles construction. Thanks for your comments. It’s harder than both Honduran and African Mahogany. The deep, pronounced grain is very reminiscent of mahogany but sapele tends to be a little lighter red/amber coloured and can often be striped between large dark and light patches (sometimes an inch or more in thickness). 21 Guitar Playing Tips Every Beginner Should Know, Tips for Learning How to Play the Guitar and Sing at the Same Time, Acoustic Guitar Stands: Ways to Keep Your Guitar When Not Playing, Takamine Serial Numbers: What They Can Tell You and How to Decode Them. I ended up to your site, trying to understand the difference between sapele & mahogany, as I’m considering to buy an inexpensive nylon strung electroacoustic crossover guitar, and the 2 candidates are full sapele the one and full mahogany the other. Engelmann tends to be marginally lighter and less stiff, which results in slightly less projection, while Adirondack is generally slightly heavier and stiffer resulting in a louder guitar, but they are all relatively loud top woods. This is the average hardness and an individual piece of wood will differ. Thanks for the message. Check out our ‘Electric Guitar Tonewood‘ guide! Imagine two rooms, one small and one large. Utile: Janka Hardness 1,180 lbf (5,260 N) For a frame of reference White Oak is 1,350 lb f (5,990 N) while Eastern White Pine has a Hardness of 380 lbf (1,690 N). Sapele is definitely a real wood! Everything you need to know about the acoustic guitar tonewood options available on the market today! The Janka test measures the amount of force required to embed a 0.444" steel ball into the wood to half of its diameter. Hardwood Lumber:All of our lumber is of the highest quality and kiln dried (unless otherwise noted. Sapele Wood can also be used in interior and exterior usage and is actually a cost-effective alternative to Spanish Cedar or Western Red Cedar. I know it’s very subjective but could a satin finish be any better than shiny high gloss finish? Oil makes it extra shiny and prolongs the life of the board. Naturally, the pieces of wood that are used to make acoustic guitars are thin, as they need to be manipulated into a shape that works with the intended design. The result is a tough, resilient material that lends itself well to fretboard use. Sapele then adds some extra high end into the mix. your information on both Mahogany and Sapele tone woods was very helpful. The main reason for this is that it suits just about any and every style of playing. Modac X. But I’m glad you found the info helpful for your purposes. Fundamental vs. Overtones A fundamental tone is the initial sound heard when you pick or pluck a note (and which decays at varying rates depending on the sustain); the overtones are complex harmonic layers that can make the note swell after the fundamental is initiated. Laminated wood is often quicker to warp or mark due to its compound nature. I am going to buy a concert uke made of mahogany just for kicks and I usually have tow of each instrument any way; one for playing seriously and another to travel with, taker to the beach, parties etc. Glad you found this article helpful. Some people are good at distinguishing the difference. Interested in finding out more about music gear and expanding your knowledge? most notably rosewood , was lifted on 14/12/19. I was also more of a Martin guy before starting this website but over the last couple of years Taylor have become equals for me. The Brazilian variety tends to have the more striking appearance of the two, with a dark brown complexion with rich orange hints, and fine black lines in the figuring. Last updated: August 22, 2019 by Nate 19 Comments. Although maple is frequently employed as the back and sides tone wood for violins, it’s not quite as common in acoustic guitar building. It is also popular as a top wood. Hickory 1820 Walnut, Caribbean 1400 Imbuia 950 Walnut, Mayan/Aztec 1400 Iroko/Kambala 1260 Maple, Hard North American 1450 Ironwood, Green 3680 Mahogany, African, Sapele 1500 Jarrah, Australian 1915 Maple, Ivory 1500 Kenpass 1854 Afromosia 1560 Lacewood 840 Timborana 1570 Lapacho 3670 Zebrawood 1575 Mahogany, African, Khaya 845 Gingerwood 1600 Different manufacturers have different approaches to this. I have a distinct fondness for maple bodied guitars. Don’t be fooled into believing that means that is a lesser quality, however; it’s just different. Sapele Wood also has beautiful ribboning when quarter sawn as you can see in the video. I am not a musician; I am a 3D enthusiast. But it’s going to be closer to Mahogany than it is to say Rosewood. Thanks! So, in the battle of Sapele vs Mahogany, which is the better tonewood? The midrange is where it differs, however, with a healthy bark that puts it somewhere in between rosewood and mahogany. That said, it is also sometimes mistakenly called Mahogany, which could also lead to less awareness of this wood. It also has to look great, right? They’re not exactly the same, tonally, but they are close. Well done article. Glad the article helped with your decision and glad that you’ve found the tonewood combo that suits you the best. This allows me the opportunity to make any changes as well as virtually disassemble the project and layout all of the pieces in an efficient way that they will be cut according to the material I … You’ll get a consistent sound regardless of your style of playing; some consider this to be lacking in character, but it does mean that spruce could be considered versatile in terms of its sound. Mahogany tops are often left unpolished so that the natural aesthetic of the wood can be enjoyed. The wood choices for the body, neck and fretboard form upwards of 90% of the construction of an acoustic guitar, and if you take electronics and hardware out of the equation, they’re almost entirely responsible for the way an acoustic guitar sounds! Peruvian walnut is slightly more dense than North American Walnuts, which may increase volume and/or projection. Sapele. That makes it a highly versatile wood for an acoustic guitar, ideal for a number of styles. Sapele vs Mahogany. When used as a back/side wood to compliment a brighter sounding top wood, Mahogany is good for mellowing out the brightness and adding some warmth and a stronger mid-range plus softening the highs and reducing the overtones. Sapele Mahogany. Of course, this hardness isn’t the only thing that determines the sound qualities. This is no surprise given that it’s quite a hard wood but is still easy to carve. It has a straighter grain pattern than its Brazilian counterpart with less striking figuring, and it can include hints of purple, red, and grey highlights. Summary: bright, immediate tone with excellent projection. Sign up! I do have guitar back and sides sets in rosewood, mahogany, sapele, maple, cherry and walnut, so I can tap to my heart's delight. It’s closer to Rosewood than Mahogany is but it’s much more similar to Mahogany than it is to Rosewood. In time, the brightness mellows, resulting in a warm rounded sparkle and rich low end. You may have seen some guitars that have Sapele back and sides or Mahogany back and sides or Mahogany tops but you might wonder what the difference is. Both varieties offer a clear, bright sound with a fairly even response across all frequencies. Sapele is offered in many of our wood door styles.When “Solid” is noted, that is the version available. Honduran Mahogany (aka genuine mahogany, Tropical Mahogany, American mahogany, Big Leaf Mahogany, Brazilian Mahogany), Sapele – yes sometimes, just to be confusing, some manufacturers call Sapele “Sapele Mahogany”, Stronger treble presence than Mahogany – that will be the main difference. It’s not a particularly common fretboard wood for acoustic guitars, more often seen on electrics. Don’t yet know the acoustic resonances and vibrations on this guitar. An African tone wood closely related to Mahogany, Sapele is similar in both look and sound. 2,192 3. My cynical mind tends to think sapele has a negative reputation, deserved or undeserved, and now the name of Okoume as a mahogany is exotic enough for people to take a chance on it. It is also cost effective compared to some of the other high end wood used in guitars. The Asian variety often features brown stripes that many players find ugly or distracting when they are looking for frets, which means that it’s the African alternative with its uniform colour that is more commonly found on guitar fretboards. It should also be noted that Sapele on one guitar (with different materials and construction) will sound different to Sapele on another – and the same goes for Mahogany. It’s been used to very good effect for decades, and there are two main varieties that have been employed throughout this time: East Indian rosewood, and it’s more elusive and expensive alternative, Brazilian rosewood. As well as looking great on the top of an acoustic, it lends itself very well to plugged-in performances thanks to that quality note definition. Hi, I have a question about varnish finish.. A dark, luxurious appearance with fine black lines in the grain. Privacy Policy. Yeah it’s hard to know if yours is Sapele or Hog. In my opinion both are great tonewoods anyway and if you like the tone of your 000-15, that’s the main thing! Its instantly recognisable dark appearance is both subtle and striking at the same time. Restrictions to many of these woods. A Walnut and Sapele Gift Box Before starting any project I make sure everything works out in SketchUp. Claro walnut is a medium-sized tree of short bulky proportions. It has a relatively high velocity of sound, and the highest strength to weight ratio than any other wood. Many people have been charmed into spending their hard-earned cash on a guitar with maple back and sides almost purely thanks to its spellbinding aesthetics. There is certainly a difference but it’s pretty subtle and since there’s differences between even two bits of mahogany and two bits of sapele, that can make it even more difficult to determine. Through eliminating or amplifying different frequencies produced by the strings, these tonewoods can have a considerable effect on the overall tone generated by any given guitar. In the case of an electric guitar, there are a number of different design aspects that contribute to the overall sound; pickup types, configuration of electronics, hardware and tonewood choices are just a handful of things to consider. That’s because they’re easy to work with and respond well to tension. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Engelmann for example, tends to be a little whiter and creamier than Sitka, but all Spruces are in the same ballpark ‘creamy white’ category. I recently began a search for a mahogany top guitar like a D15 and learned that Martin uses both tropical mahogany and sapele interchangeably. Copyright © 2015 - 2020 - SixStringAcoustic.com - Privacy Policy. This, of course, as always, depends on your particular tastes – mostly. Micarta is worth a mention; though it’s not technically a type of tonewood, it’s becoming more popular as a significantly cheaper alternative. East Indian Rosewood (often referred to as EIR) is easier to produce and therefore considerably cheaper. Sapele trees are protected in such a way as to prevent over-harvesting which makes this a relatively sustainable wood that is being harvested responsibly. Is it truly just a different type of mahogany or is it closer to a sapele? Like Mahogany, Sapele is used as both a top wood and a back/sides wood. So, in the battle of Sapele vs Mahogany, which is the better tonewood? Maple is known for its density, resulting in a loud, bright and transparent tone as we mentioned earlier. It’s not half way between Rosewood and Mahogany but it’s closer to Rosewood than Mahogany is, if that makes sense. I hope this post has helped you to learn the difference in Mahogany and Sapele. Sapele comes from West Africa and its scientific name is Entandrophragma cylindricum. Thanks for the technical differences. I, too, have only recently become aware of this wood. It’s technically a brand name, but in the guitar world, it means a composite of materials that’s bonded by a number of resins. If you do buy a Koa guitar, bear in mind that it will seem very bright at first and will need some attention and use over time to mellow out. Also like Mahogany, Sapele is a popular wood for guitar necks. It’s dark, beautiful, and oiled in our BigWood Boards Premium Cutting Board Oil. As mentioned earlier, there are two types most commonly used: Indian and Brazilian. ‘Transparent’ is a word commonly used to describe the inherent tone of maple, and it will frequently provide considerably more treble than the rosewood or mahogany alternatives mentioned earlier. As a tonewood, maple provides excellent separation where every note sounding at the same time has clear definition. Sapele lumber is often marketed as a type of African Mahogany. Some sites referred to them as the same thing and they do look so very similar, but other sites claimed differences, so to be sure I googled sapele vs mahogany wood. It’s a less dense wood than spruce, providing you with a slightly darker tone. Many argue that it’s well worth the effort and the wait to get it there though! Again, we’ve already touched on maple in this article; with acoustic guitars, it’s more commonly used for the backs and sides, but it’s attractive patterned grain varieties make beautiful tops too. View all of our Learn articles by clicking below: Little by little I’m building some experience. It can be a rich dark chocolate brown color, sometimes broad, dark lines. One of the most common reasons for this practice is so that the guitar can feature an attractive natural grain on the surface without needing to use a thicker piece of wood. Light and unassuming in appearance. The wood is also naturally oily so it doesn’t need its own finish, meaning it feels extremely soft and natural under the fingers. Summary: bright, immediate tone with excellent projection that suits amplified performance. Durability Chart & Database has all of our wood door styles.When “ solid ” noted... M about to BUY an acoustic guitar fretboards I hope this post would ever be used for 3D modelling (! Individual piece of wood will differ as African Mahogany protected in such a way to. It truly just a different type of African Mahogany, let ’ s quite a hard wood is... 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