Tonewood Details: M
Begun as a private project, I was asked to make this available to others. For my own use, attribution was not a particular concern - which of course I regret now. If you see something you said or a photo or yours is in there, please first allow me the opportunity to properly credit it - or to remove it if you object.
Much of what has been said is highly subjective. We can post your experiences as well. My own are limited enough that they are best kept to myself. Two pieces of wood may exhibit very different characteristics; this is part of what makes wood so fascinating. And two luthiers may have differing opinions, based upon the wood they use, their techniques in handling it, and the level of their expertise. The more information that is gathered, the easier it will be to draw conclusions which help us all.
I have adopted a rating scale from the Elly Guitar site in which their ratings are given a numerical form of from 1 to 5. These numerical renditions of Highs ("H"), Mids ("M"), Bass ("B"), Sustain ("S"), Overtones ("O"), and Tone ("T") can give you a sense of the kind of sound which may be expected from any given wood. Remember, there is a vast amount of overlap and difference between each wood, each builder, and how they handle the woods. Like most everywhere here, we discuss in very broad generalities. You may wish to visit Elly Guitars and see for yourself their more graphical way of presenting this kind of material.
A click on each underlined wood takes you to a Sub-Page where photos are arranged alphabetically by wood.
Much of what has been said is highly subjective. We can post your experiences as well. My own are limited enough that they are best kept to myself. Two pieces of wood may exhibit very different characteristics; this is part of what makes wood so fascinating. And two luthiers may have differing opinions, based upon the wood they use, their techniques in handling it, and the level of their expertise. The more information that is gathered, the easier it will be to draw conclusions which help us all.
I have adopted a rating scale from the Elly Guitar site in which their ratings are given a numerical form of from 1 to 5. These numerical renditions of Highs ("H"), Mids ("M"), Bass ("B"), Sustain ("S"), Overtones ("O"), and Tone ("T") can give you a sense of the kind of sound which may be expected from any given wood. Remember, there is a vast amount of overlap and difference between each wood, each builder, and how they handle the woods. Like most everywhere here, we discuss in very broad generalities. You may wish to visit Elly Guitars and see for yourself their more graphical way of presenting this kind of material.
A click on each underlined wood takes you to a Sub-Page where photos are arranged alphabetically by wood.
-Macacauba Platymiscium pinnatum, Macawood H=3.8, =3.6, B=4.3, S=4.1, O=3.8, T=4 Also called Granadillo. Also see Hormigo.
From Brazil, it is very similar in appearance to Indian rosewood except the color is more chocolate brown with brick-red highlights (no purples, as in Indian). Occasionally gold-brown and very dark brown streaks. In use by a number of prominent Brazilian luthiers, it is quite dense, making it a responsive and lively tonewood. Dense, with variable color. The sapwood ranges from white to yellow. High luster, fine texture.
It is lively and responsive in its sound, percussive at times, with long sustain and strong overtones in the bass.
Macassar Ebony Indonesia, Ebony Diospyros celebica
H=3, M=2.5, B= 4.2, S=3.7, O=2.6, T= 3.8
1) Another dense hardwood, Macassar boasts a lot of presence and is typically clear and loud with a broad dynamic range. It seems to be a wood that is uniquely responsive to different playing styles. It has a strong bass and lower mids; clear and transparent highs that respond like an accelerator pedal as you move your right hand closer to the bridge and dig in a bit; and a slightly scooped midrange. Tons of sustain, good projection.
Macassar likes to be played hard, and tends to take a slightly longer period of playing time to open up. When it’s used with a softer top wood like cedar or redwood, it makes a balanced instrument. Paired with an Englemann Spruce top it can make a wonderful guitar, both aesthetically and tonally. When topped with Adirondack spruce it becomes an all-out cannon. Some players tend to pull more brightness out of the wood; others tap into its darker side. Similar sound to EIR, but darker, rich. Full, but not overpowering bass.
“To me, Macassar has a great ‘low-fi,’ old Gibson vibe. “It’s dark, it’s dense, it’s heavy. It’s killer for a very manly, old school strum. We put a super clear ‘finishing salt’ on its tonal flavor using our style of construction to brighten it up, but to my ear the tonal beauty of this wood is the low-fi vibe. I love the sound.”
Goes well with old-school strummers and players with a heavy picking hand who like a thick old school sound; players who struggle to get enough brightness and articulation from traditional woods.
With alternating bands of black and light tan, striped Macassar Ebony is a most striking wood, but there is great variety from one set to the next. It may be dark brown with darker stripes or nearly black with lighter stripes. I had a guitar whose macqssar was so dark, you only saw the figuring when photogrqphed with flash. Then, it jumped out at you. In addition to a large group of hand-makers who use it, there are a number of prominent manufacturers who offer it on their more deluxe models, including Breedlove, McPherson and Goodall. From Celebes and Sulawesi Island in East Indonesia, Macassar Ebony offers good stability and superb, Rosewood-like tonality. Supply of this wood is erratic, especially in the higher grades, and demand has grown steadily over the years, so backorders are often necessary.
The quality and appearance of the Macassar Ebony varies widely. There's considerable variation in the appearance of Macassar ebony, from the predominately lighter background material to the inverse effect of a dark background with light striping. It finishes beautifully. Here are the various descriptions.
Striped: These are the rarest and most coveted. A white/light tan background with high contrast black striping. Often better selection in the OM size.
Moderate Stripe: Less contrast (darker background) but still eye-catching and dramatic. Usually black with blonde stripes.
Sapwood: Black with high contrast sapwood centers. Many of the sapwood centers are quite broad.
2) [diospyros insularis] Macassar Ebony is one of the most striking woods. By far the best value in Ebony. Many find the striping in this wood to be very beautiful. From East Indonesia, Macassar Ebony glues well and bends fairly easy. The heartwood of Diospyros celebica is variegated, streaky brown and black often striped. It s a hard, durable wood with a fine grain. It is brittle and can blunt tools easily.
However, there are ebonies sold as Macassar ebony which are not true Macassar ebony. One, which is on the market and is sold as striped ebony is from Papua-New Guinea and is known as Morola. It does not have the stability nor the density of Macassar (.65 to .75 vs. Macassar's .95 to 1.2). This wood is also not as easy to bend, nor does it glue as well as Macassar.
Pat Hawley is a big fan and says :” The thing that struck me about the dreadnought was its projection. With regard to sustain, I hadn’t noticed anything either way so I guess that means it was average. As I was building the guitar, I knew it was going to come out heavy and I was worried that there wouldn’t be much volume so I was surprised and pleased at how loud it was. The classical guitar was much lighter in comparison yet, when first played, it was relatively quiet and I was a little disappointed. However the change in just over a few hours of playing was amazing. I never knew a guitar could open up so much in so little time. It probably was also a function of the new strings settling in. I’m not very good at describing tonal qualities so all I can say is that this guitar, to my ear, sounded very sweet and beautiful. I would not call it overly bright”
Howard Klepper says :”Rather high damping. I’d consider it best suited for a blues type box if someone want a lot of thump but not a lot of sustain. “
Great wood for bridges, fretboards, binding and faceplates…lower damping than many other ebonies, has a great deal of visual appeal, and lower mass while retaining close to the same surface hardness. Great for binding, where the warm bittersweet chocolate color warms up what can otherwise be a too-cool color note. That color/texture contrast is just perfect with a wide range of top and body woods.
It has a Janka rating of ~3200-2500 and a specific gravity of approx. 0.89-1.2
Mark Hatcher: "Typically when I talk about the sound of the various back and side woods I say something along the lines that it goes from softer hardwoods, like mahogany, that tend to have a sweeter toned more fundamental effect where harder woods, like rosewood, sound more crystalline with more overtone highlights. Different woods generally fall in between there. However there is another area that this range doesn't cover. We can call it Rosewood and beyond. Ebony tends to be stiffer, heavier, and more reflective than most rosewoods so you get the highlights with more sustain because of the weight and often a deeper bass. At the same time, I believe, due to the surface reflectivity you get more of what some call "that piano like sound" or the more controversial term "reverb" (different from sustain)."
68lb/ft3
Machiche Lonchocarpus castilloi. "Brazilian Cherry"
Machiche is an excellent hardwood with deep browns, brick reds, and fine grain patterns. This makes the wood look somewhat like old growth Honduras Rosewood. Though it is hard, the wood machines fairly easily, responding well to sharp cutters and also finishes well, bringing out beautiful highlights in the grain. Good sustain and crisp projection make this Central American hardwood a good choice for acoustical properties as well as dollar value.
Machiche Andira inermis (go figure)
"Machiche has a brick red/brown color and fine, even grain lines-very reminiscent of Honduran Rosewood. And like Honduran Rosewood, it has a crisp, sustaining tap tone that indicates that it will be an excellent tonewood for both classical and steel string guitars, promising quick, even response and excellent volume." (LMI)
45-60lb/ft3
Machinga Brosimum alicastrum
Manchinga can have an interesting spalt-like figure on a light-tan to grayish-tan field. The grain of this unusual wood ranges from a fine-grained texture that is similar to a light-colored mahogany, to smooth fields of tan or grey-tan. Manchinga has small pores and is a medium weight wood that weights 47 pounds per cubic foot. It has moderate flexibility which helps this wood to deliver a medium to bright tone when used for backboards and rims. (Terra Tonewoods & Forgotten Woods) It has been used by Mike Baranak for necks as well. From Peru, it is apparently responsibly harvested. Tim McKnight has used it several times.
Resembles mid to heavier weight rosewoods in workability and appearance. Would work well for bridges, fingerboards and headplates as well.
Madagascan Rosewood Dalbergia grevaena, Dalbergia Baroroni
H=4.3, M=2.5, B=4.3, S=4.3, O=3.8, T=2
As a tonewood, Madgasacan Rosewood has been championed as a substitute to Brazilian Rosewood although it’s rarity and over-exploitation may push it towards a similar fate to BRW. It provides a dark and bell-like overtone content with a slow response. Woolson Guitars: “It produces guitars that are evenly responsive across the entire tonal register and have a crisp sound that has been attributed to old-growth Brazilian Rosewood. However, Madagascar Rosewood is not plagued by the negative flaws of Brazilian Rosewood (cracking, splitting and severe warping). Madagascar Rosewood will produce a beautiful guitar that will last for generations.”
Madagascar rosewood tonally is considered a kindred spirit to venerable Brazilian rosewood, boasting zesty, articulate highs, deep lows and ample dynamic range, and rewarding players with long rich sustain, liveiness, and complex overtones. Its comparison to Brazilian is reinforced by its often striking visual appeal and limited availability. If there was ever a Brazilian Rosewood copycat then this would be the one! It has a rich red-brown color with the classic spider webbing found in Brazilian. Tonally it combines deep lows and rich highs with strong mid-ranges to rival the best of Brazilian. The tonal distinctions between Maddie and East Indian rosewood tend to be subtle; if anything, Maddie may yield a bit more midrange bloom than East Indian, although it’s typically not quite as full as Ovangkol.
Goes well with most applications. Like East Indian, if you favor a guitar with full low end and sparkling treble, Maddie will deliver, and its reverby moderate midrange overtones will give you a broad swath along the frequency spectrum to get the tone you want. It’ll yield a wonderful traditional acoustic sound, and players with “dark” hands will find the brightness of the treble to be a nice complement. Provides a dark and bell-like overtone content with a slow response.
Little can be said about it that hasn't already been said about Brazilian rosewood! Visually, it is a dead-ringer for Brazilian, though in general it is more red or rust colored. This wood is gaining popularity as many builders and players are making the switch from Brazilian Rosewood to suitable alternatives.
The heartwood is purplish brown with darker stripes with a straight grain, fine, even texture. Color may vary from a rusty orange to a yellow-orange, along with the dominant browns. There may be spider-webbing in the figure. It has a propensity for checking and splitting and needs care when air dried. However this timber is very stable once dry. Of note, studies of extracts from the bark has shown activity against gram-positive bacteria in vitro.
It has a Janka rating of around 13,350 N (? rv)and a specific gravity of 1.08
Madrone Arbutus menziesii, Pacific madrone, Strawberry Tree. Also called "Madrona"
This beautiful Pacific hardwood has pink & tan colors with an occasional red streak. Green lumber is unstable unless it is carefully dried; once dried, it has excellent stability. Look for quarter sawn with light fiddleback or flame figure. Madrone is hard and fairly difficult to saw, but it is possible to get a beautiful, high polish in finishing. Madrone has been compared to the texture of European Pear wood, even thought to be superior in grain & workability. Some sets can have pinkish-red centers, ranges from light to dark browns and a reddish tint is common. It is prone to cracking while it dries. It's a really unstable wood, and often has a lot of tension in it because of the twisty way that Madrone trees grow. It's available here, but it's not easy to obtain nice, straight grain wood for guitar sets.
Pacific Madrone sapwood is a pinkish-cream color, while the heartwood is light pink to red-brown with patches of deep red. It resembles fruit woods in color and texture. Pacific Madrone is difficult to season, as it warps and checks quite easily. Pacific Madrone works well with all tools and polishes well, but is not easily glued. The wood is easily worked with tools and compares with hard maple and eastern white oak in ease of machining. "It’s very similar to birch or western maple tone-wise but very easy to work with (great smell as well). It’s an unusual pinkish color, kind of reminds me of cherry but not as much contrast in the grain." (Harvey Leach)
Madrone trees are large in size and grow in the Pacific Northwest. It ranges from California to British Columbia. Madrone ranges in color from red to orange to pink with blues and grays in the lighter wood. Madrone can often have a very dense and figured burl. Madrone is an Evergreen and has a uniform texture and is very stable in service. University of California at Berkeley did a study on commercial use of Madrone some time ago. Their conclusion: as a lumber product, unstable, prone to warping, cupping, twisting and in particular splitting.
Janka rating 1400-1600
**Magnolia - confusingly, also called Cucumber Tree, Tulip, Poplar or Tulip Poplar
It is sometimes compared to Poplar but is much denser, more comparable to Cherry. And it has much higher tensile strength. In appearance, Magnolia is predominantly brown, but can vary quite a bit, with streaks of purple, olive or black. It can exhibit much chatoyance. The sap wood is yellow but with exposure to sunlight, this very quickly turns to brown. It can bend very easily and is easy to sand, being a softer wood. Its Janka rating is 1020. Luthiers David MacCubbin and Bruce Sexauer have worked with it. The guitar I have from it I have is beautifully balanced, an open and clear sound.
**Mahogany Central and South America, Khaya sp.
Mahogany is a good wood to anchor a survey of tones, as a lot of other wood tones can be described in relation to it. Its essential sonic profile is well represented in the midrange frequencies. Acoustic guitars in general tend to live in the midrange portion of the sound spectrum, but mahogany in particular displays a lot of midrange character. That thick, present midrange sound is sometimes described in guitar circles as meaty, organic or even “chewy” — wherever a player digs in on the fretboard, they’re tapping into the core of the harmonic content of what a guitar produces. Those great midrange frequencies produce overtones that stack up and produce bloom, giving the sound extra girth. When one hears the resulting harmonics, the “chewy” tone serves up a big mouthful of midrange. As a popular tonewood for many decades, mahogany has been used on scads of old school acoustic recordings and that sonic heritage carries across various strains of roots music, from blues to folk to slack key.
Goes well with a broad range of players and musical style, people who like a well-balanced tone, nice dynamic range and a healthy serving of overtones. Blues and other rootsy players tend to respond well to mahogany’s midrange character. A smaller body mahogany guitar might appeal to fingerstyle players, whereas more aggressive flatpickers might opt for a mahogany Dreadnought. Because of mahogany’s midrange, a player with “dark hands” will tend to sound darker on a mahogany guitar. A bright player will sound slightly less bright.
Genuine Honduran mahogany has been an ideal choice for a variety of woodworking applications. Its cross-grained structure makes it unusually stable and easy to carve. It is a superb choice for woodcarvings, furniture making and pattern making.
As a back and side wood, mahogany has sometimes been considered a "poor man's choice", but there is now a great appreciation for its unique tonal qualities. It seems that mahogany ages well and its true value may not reveal itself until a few years have passed. As far as stability is concerned, Honduran mahogany has no peers, but tonally there are some good alternatives in the mahogany family. The best is Sapele mahogany which features a very attractive ribbon figure that runs parallel to the grain.
Mahogany (Brazil) Was first introduced in 1922 on the lesser expensive Style 17 guitars. Tonally, it is less projective than spruce, producing a crisp and delicate response with emphasis on the midrange. It has recently become a standard top in the Baby Taylor travel guitars. Genuine Mahogany is yellowish brown to reddish brown in color, exceptionally stable and consistently clear. It is much lighter in weight than rosewood, koa, or maple but yields a surprisingly strong loud sound with an emphasis on clear bright treble.
Figured Mahogany Is a beautiful and rare variety of genuine mahogany. Though difficult to bend, it shares the same tonal properties of the unfigured mahogany.
Janka: 845 - 2200 (depending upon variety), change coefficient: .00238. 40lb/ft3
Makore Tieghemella heckelii, African Cherry, douka, baku, cherry mahogany
H=2.8, M=2.9. B=4.3, S=4, OP=3, T=2.3
Also known as African Cherry, Makore is pink to pinkish-brown and oxidizes to a golden brown. It can be very dark and is not so prone to change color as mahogany is. Commonly found figured. The figure is a block mottle type. It has high silica content, so make sure your tools are sharp. It has a nice tap tone. Makore has excellent finishing and gluing properties. The heartwood is pink to pinkish brown, with an soft appearance of tan streaks throughout. The sapwood can be up to 4.5 inches thick and is light pink or off-white in color. Fair workability using hand and machine tools. Blunting of cutting edges is caused by a high silica content. Fine textured. Glues and finishes well. Note: Nose and throat may be irritated by fine dust. Be sure to wear good breathing apparatus as the dust can be quite irritating.
Specific gravity of 0.55, 39-42lb/ft3.
Malaysian Blackwood Diospyros ebonasea (one of the ebonys)
H=4, M=4, B=3, S= 3.5, O-=1.4. T= 2
This wood was a big hit at the 2004 Guild of American Luthiers Convention in Tacoma. Several guitars of this beautiful wood were played at the classic guitar listening event, and they were "wowsers."
There are two variants. One is dark-reddish brown to black, and the other is greenish with brown streaks, similar to Macassar ebony (Diospyros celebica) A few on the list that have used the wood: George Smith, Bruce Petros, Steve and John Kinnaird, Bruce Sexauer, Michael Greenwood, Tom Blackshear, and Sakurai Kohno who uses it regularly. Similar in properties to African blackwood in many respects including density, sustain, tonal quality and workability. Medium brown to nearly black with contrasting streaks. There are tonal similarities to maple with clean and dry highs and mids. But it does show a full bass with long sustain.
Malaysian Blackwood is a premium tonewood that is well suited for all sorts of guitars. It has become a favorite of several well known high-end luthiers and it’s popularity is growing. Denser (ie - heavier) than most rosewoods, the sustaining, glassy tap tone draws comparisons to African Blackwood. It is slightly less brittle though, and unlike African Blackwood, most sets have attractive dark streaks (by the way, African Blackwood is a true rosewood, Malaysian Blackwood is not, it's an ebony). "For the fingerstylist, this wood, combined with a European spruce top manifests a rich balanced tone. Ebony imparts full bass notes that decay more quickly than rosewood." (Gerald Sheppard) The overall coloring is similar to Ziricote, with black and dark gray colors highlighted by subtle reddish brown and/or green hue. Some say that this wood makes an even better sounding guitar than the old Brazilian.
Manchinga (Brosimun alicastrum) see also Machinga
Manchinga has an interesting spalt-like figure on a light-tan to grayish-tan field. The grain of this unusual wood ranges from a fine-grained texture that is similar to a light-colored mahogany, to smooth fields of tan or grey-tan. Manchinga has small pores and is a medium weight wood that weights 47 pounds per cubic foot. It has moderate flexibility which helps this wood to deliver a medium to bright tone when used for backboards and rims. (from "Forgotten Woods")
44-47lb/ft3
Mango Mangifera Indica H=3.7, M=3.5, B=4.2, S=3.8, O=3, T=4
A beautiful Hawaiian Hardwood, it also grows in Puerto Rico and Asia. A medium to large tree that frequently grows to around 50-65 feet in height and 2-3 feet in diameter. Dark brown, but with streaks of lighter wood sometimes, even orangish,. May have greens and yellows. Often spalted, frequently making a beautiful and exotic figure. Mango is hard, moderately heavy, works easily and sands beautifully making wonderful furniture and musical instruments. Others have said it is soft, go figure. I suspect the harder pieces make the best wood. It can also attract bugs (probably not a problem in a finished guitar!). Easy to work and to sand. It is much harder to find quality wood though, as much is too soft and cannot be cut thin enough. The tree is said to be very poisonous, but I don't believe that extends to the wood and certainly not to the fruit. I'd be dead if it did.
(from "Forgotten Woods") "Mango boasts an unusual and attractive appearance. The figure of mango consists of several anomalies including moderate curl, swirl, and spalting. This combined to the highly varied grain makes Mango a very decorative and interesting wood for backboards and rims. Mango weighs 40 pounds per cubic foot and provides a good mid-range response. Wormholes are common and add to the attractive features of this wood (the wormholes should be filled prior to finishing)."
Sound-wise, it may resemble Koa. It's warm, with a deep bass, wide range, drier rather than reverby, will take some pushing but not enough for bluegrass.The wood has a good bright tone similar to Hawaiian koa, dry and crisp. (Yes, I notice the odd juxtaposition too - the wood probably varies in tone as well as hardness.)
40-42lb/ft2
Maple Acer saccharum H=3.8, M=3, B=2.5, S=3.8, O=1.8, T=2
Maple is the only wood used for backs and sides in the violin family so it is well known to instrument makers, even though just a modest percentage of guitars are made with it. Of the 128 species, most are found in Asia yet most of the tonewood harvested is from North America. It is often under-rated and can be among the very most beautiful of the native American woods. The fact that it is a domestic wood augments its popularity. Maple is well known for imparting a bright tone to an instrument, good balance and projection, with excellent note separation and a tight bass (a guitar with good separation allows each note of a chord to ring independently as opposed to sounding thick or clustered). It requires less care for fluctuation in temperature and humidity than many other woods.
Well balanced sound on all 6 strings, one of the best tone woods and also one of the best neck woods. It really competes neck to neck with Brazilian rosewood and African Blackwood though on a different level... and, although normally bland and blond, the wood can look simply terrific. The great advantage of the species is that it is an American species, which translates in very little care when it comes to humidity conditions etc. It is very light compared to the tropical species but delivers with the same presence. It is one of the most beautiful woods and makes beautiful guitars. Often strikingly figured as “birds-eye”, "Quilted", or “flamed”.
The hard maple harvested in the northeastern part of the United States is dense, moderately stiff, and has low to medium internal dampening. It produces a clear, cutting, bright, and fundamental targeted tone. Very responsive in the mid to upper register with clear although un-complex bass overtones. Sustains slightly better than softer maples.
Birdseye Maple - is hard and stiff, whereas Flamed can run the gamut from hard and stiff to soft and warm. Uniquely figured American "Birdseye" maple displays characteristics and tonal properties similar to European Flamed maple.
Curly Maple comes in both soft and hard varieties. See Birdseye for a description of hard Curly Maple. Soft Curly maple is similar to hard although with a general tendency to be more bassy. Soft maple is slightly more responsive than Hard Maple but with less sustain.
European Flamed Maple (Germany) Is a particular species of European maple, very hard and reflective, producing a loud powerful projective sound. It is a stable tonewood with a loud bright reflective voice. It balances a tight crisp high end with warm lows.
Quilted Maple is generally Big Leaf Maple, softer and warmer than it's eastern cousins. It is the least common of the figured maples and can be harder to build with as it is not quarter-sawn.
The wood of sugar maple and black maple is known as hard maple; that of silver maple, red maple, and boxelder as soft maple. The sapwood of the maples is commonly white with a slight reddish-brown tinge; the heartwood is light reddish brown, but sometimes is considerably darker. The sapwood is from 3 to 5+ inches (76 to 127+ mm) thick.
Hard maple has a fine, uniform texture, turns well on a lathe, is resistant to abrasion and has no characteristic odor or taste. The abrasion resistance may mean it is hard to sand out scratches. It is heavy, strong, stiff, hard, and resistant to shock, and it has large shrinkage. Sugar maple is generally straight grained but the grain also occurs as "birds-eye," "curly," and "fiddleback" grain. Figured maple may cause problems when bending and ripple badly across the grain.
The wood of soft maples resembles that of hard maples but is not as heavy, hard and strong, the better grade of soft maple has been substituted for hard maple in furniture. The sapwood in the soft maples is considerably wider than that in the hard maples and has a lighter heartwood color.
Maple lumber sometimes has olive or greenish black discolored areas known as mineral streak or mineral stain, which may be due to injury. Maple wood stains well and takes a high polish. It is intermediate in gluing and has low decay resistance. The wood turns well, is harder to work than softer woods, and has high nail-holding ability (like you're actually going to nail your guitar together!). It stains and polishes well, but is intermediate in gluing.
Maple has often been used for necks and occasionally for fretboards as well.
COLOR: Heartwood is creamy white to light reddish brown; sapwood is pale to creamy white.
GRAIN: Closed, subdued grain, with medium figuring and uniform texture. Occasionally shows quilted, fid- dleback, curly or bird’s-eye figuring. Figured boards often culled during grading and sold at a premium. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Black maple (B. nigrum) is also hard; other species are classified as soft.
HARDNESS (JANKA): 1450
DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Average (change coefficient .00353).
DURABILITY: Dense, strong, tough, stiff; excellent shock resistance. Markedly resistant to abrasive wear.
SAWING/MACHINING: Density makes machining difficult.
SANDING: Sands satisfactorily. Fair resistance to splitting.
FINISHING: Takes neutral finish well; does not stain uniformly.
39-45lb/ft3
Meranti Genus Shorea, with more than 135 species and Godknowshowmany different common names.
Jeff Huss found a small supply of this Filipino mahogany at a bluegrass jam and has been searching for more ever since. Its' fiddleback figure looks wonderful. There is little to say about it since it is a mahogany. “It looks amazing. At first I thought it was Mahogany, but the smell told me it's Meranti. The smell somewhat reminds me of fresh cut carrots! It has a very nice tap tone + it's light. It's quite hard too: I couldn't dent it using my thumbnails... Its grain is a LOT shorter than Mahogany. Meaning it's brittle. Also, it tends to contain a lot of empty pores and chalk-like grain, which I'm sure are not only going to stuff up vibration but also be a bugger to finish.”
A low cost timber favored more for its stability and structural strength than tonal properties. Allows factories to build low cost guitars that work properly, even if their tone isn't that spectacular! Used with some success in ukes.
Meru Oak Vitex Keniensis
One of the largest trees native to Kenya, Meru can reach 100' and 6' diameter. It grows in very moist montane mid altitude environments. Due to habitat loss and popularity for firewood, charcoal, and timber, it is rare to find it growing natively now, but it is plantation-grown as well and popular as a fast-growing ornamental. It has a black fruit which, in emergencies, is considered edible.
The trunks are normally quite straight. There are working similarites to Teak. It is hard, durable, and can be quite attractive. It has been used in cabinetry and furniture, but rarely (so far) in musical instruments. It is used for cabinet work, panelling, veneer, furniture, and coffin boards (that struck me funny). The very pale, greyish-brown wood is coarse textured with well-marked growth zones, and often with a wavy grain figure. Heartwood of larger trees is often dark and very decorative. It works easily. Emilio Montifore has heard this, "lively grain patterns, similar to mango, but not quite as hard and not as difficult to work".
Mesquite algaroba
A very strong, heavy and hard wood with medium stiffness. Heartwood is rich dark brown with darker wavy lines. The yellows, pinks and orange/reds appear in marble like grains to make this an exquisite wood. Grain is slightly wavy. Growth rings are defined. Not lustrous, but has a fragrance. Easily worked, and has little resistance or blunting effect with the use of hand and machine tools. Difficult to stain, but takes glue well. Durable and stable wood, with a pleasant sound, it has been used by Bill Burke of Flagstaff. Bell-like tone. But warning...... its hard hard hard wood. Could turn out very trebley if not carved and tuned correctly. Takes a high polish.
Mesquite Lumber is difficult to cut and dry and downgrading in the process is common, but it does produce a hard and strong wood with high bending and crushing strengths when successful. It has a relatively strong grain pattern with some interesting swirls when you get around the limb buds. It can exhibit some of the traditional figures such as quilted and fiddleback if you are lucky. Mesquite lumber can vary significantly in color depending on the source ranging from pale straw to medium chocolate or reddish brown and some with almost a deep purple tinge. Higher grades are rare and expensive.
There are many subspecies of Mesquite, and their properties vary. Generally, yellowish sapwood and Chesnut to reddish brown heartwood. Wavy, spiral or interlocked grain, hard and heavy, and resistant to decay. Usually a medium texture and may be somewhat brittle.
COLOR: Light brown to dark reddish brown.
GRAIN: High in character, with ingrown bark and mineral streaks.
VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: One grade; moderate color variations.
DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Excellent (change coefficient .00129).
DURABILITY: Dense and very strong. End-grain cut has excellent resistance to abrasion and shock.
SAWING/MACHINING: Very good machining qualities.
SANDING: Plainsawn can be sanded to a smooth surface; end-grain requires #16 grit sandpaper to flatten. Splits easily.
FINISHING: No known problems.
Janka 2345Specific gravity is 0.8, 50lf/ft3, density 0.53-.58
Moabi Baillonella toxisperma African Pearwood H=4.1, M=3.8, B=4.6, S=2.7, O=1.8, T=1.8
A huge tree with a uniform pink-brown or darker heartwood which darkens with age and may show quilting, beeswing, pomelle or other figure. Bright-sounding like mahogany but with a deeper bass, sweet, with low sustain.
Moena Amarillo (Aniba amazonica)
As the word “amarillo” suggests, Moena Amarillo is a yellow wood with areas of shimmering golden color that become even more pronounced when the finish is applied. Rather than an abundance of pronounced figure, Moena Amarillo displays areas of highlighted reflections and areas of subdued yellow shading, and its beauty is in its complex simplicity. Moena Amarillo weighs 42 pounds per cubic foot and is a very responsive tonewood that will provide good amplitude and mid-range response when used for rims and backboards. (from "Forgotten Woods")
Moena Amarillo (or simply Moena) is a spectacularly ornate wood from Peru that is harvested in an eco-friendly way. Rich amber colors combine with contrasting feathery grey patterns and (occasionally) subtle quilt-like figure to make a powerful aesthetic statement on your next instrument. The wood is light in weight and non-porous and is well suited to deep-bodied instruments where you want to tame a tubby bass response. The wood has a subtle camphor-like scent that many find quite pleasing. (from LMI)
41-42lb/ft3
Monkeypod Pithecebium saman, Samanea saman Rain Tree Mimosa Trembesi
H=3.7, M=3.5, B=4.4, S=3.7, O=3.5, T=4 Janka = 850
1) Sound is between Koa and Mahogany, rich harmonics, good presence in the bass and well balanced and brilliant trebles. Can be very figured, no two sets alike. Golden amber & chocolate browns, similar to Black Walnut in character. Sometimes it has black streaks or highly figured curly and wild grain patterns. Mellow and balanced, not loud. Between Mahogany & Koa is a good enough explanation of tone, but the information available doesn't go into how broad a range it can produce; the smoothness, fullness, clarity and transparency of tone. This is one on which I am confused a bit. Some call it Mimosa, which is not so likely to get large enough for guitars. we had Mimosas growing all over when I was a kid in Delaware. It grows much further south as well. I don’t think that is correct, however. I have seen Monkeypod items in Hawaii and assume that it is the same Monkeypod there which is used for tonewood. And then I came across this:
2 Samlankea saman Monkey Pod (Cassia marilandica)
Monkey-pod originated in Central and South America, but has been successfully transplanted in many tropical countries. It has been used for years for carving and bowls, but has recently found favor with guitar builders. Easy working and finishes well. Monkey-pod is a golden amber color with dark streaks sometimes resembling Koa or Acacia. Its’ tonal characteristics are similar to mahogany and it has even been used as soundboard material by Malaysian luthier Jeffrey Yong.
It produces a woody, pulsing tone without losing the clear high frequencies. Rich harmonics, well-balanced trebles and good bass, woody tone described as being between koa and mahogany. The grain is straight, wavy or interlocked with a medium to fine texture and open pores. It has a natural luster but can shrink and warp when drying. It is easy to plane, saw and glue. Monkey-pod has very wide pores that normally can only be filled with several coats of epoxy. As epoxy has a devastating effect to the sound and responsiveness of a guitar, the shellac and Old Italian violin finish of a monkey-pod guitar is not as lustrous as on a maple or kotibe guitar. But the overall appeal is nevertheless spectacular.
"I think the hip word to be used would be "player friendly". I believe that playability always ought to be the main virtue of a musical instrument. The bass is full and round and sustains itself gloriously. The mid ranges fulfill your expectations perfectly, the third string especially, and the trebles sing like birds." (Bellucci Guitars)
Monterey Cypress Cuprssus macrocarpa
Because Monterey Cypress grows in areas subject to strong winds, the trees are often leaning substantially which tends to load the wood with tension. This can make the wood a challenge to work with. If a board is made flat and true and then resawn, it will often warp substantially because some of the tension was released. If the tree happened to grow vertically the wood is a dream to work with and is exceptionally stable, close to Walnut. Classified as a soft wood, it is harder than some hardwoods, Poplar comes to mind. Monterey Cypress carves beautifully and takes detail well. Once cut, it will oxidize to a warm orange hue over time. The hues have a pinkish tone, but the overall appearance is one of a creamy luster. It is a stronger and more reasonably priced alternative to Spanish Cypress. It is indistinguishable from Spanish Cypress in terms of sound production. It's a little stronger than Spanish cypress, works nicely, glues and finishes well.
Mopane Mopane colophospermum
The Mopane (aka mopani) tree only occurs in the far northern areas of southern Africa. It is a hard, heavy and oily timber that is termite resistant which makes it very useful as a construction material. Outside of Africa, Mopane is increasingly being used for musical instruments, particularly woodwind, as suitable quality African Blackwood has become harder to find. The tone is strong and loud and is as rich as African Blackwood, as powerful, but warmer, resembling the tone of the Cocuswood. Its high density and good workability and resistance to splits and cracks make it an attractive alternative to Blackwood, especially in very dry and humid countries, where Blackwood has a tendency to split. (mostly from Martin Doyle Flutes)
The wood has a density of 1.3 kg/dm3 // 77 lb per cubic foot, i.e. 96% of the dalbergia melanoxylon, the wood standard for woodwind instruments. Heartwood is reddish-brown with very dark streaks, sapwood may be very light, thereby providing excellent visual contrast. Notable figure is produced by the growth rings.
Mopane wood: Musical performances
Well-known clarinets makers describe its sound performances as early starter and of sweeter tonality, typical to the clarinets made by Schreiber, the German leader in musical instruments.
The tone is as rich as the one of African Blackwood, as powerful, and a little bit warmer. It resembles the tone of Cocus wood that became commercially extinct.
Mopane wood: Distribution
Malawi , Zambia, Zimbabwe, Northern Province of South Africa. It grows up to 30 meters and 90 cm in diameter in the more humid regions and half of it in dry regions. (www.prosano.co.za)Use for flooring has led to over-harvesting, though it is not endangered.
"Extremely hard, heavy and difficult to work with. I eventually bought a 800w belt sander and thinned it down with a 80 grit belt. I agree with the 1.8mm for the sides - at that thickness it bends well. You don't need to fill and it polishes brilliantly. I sanded it with 400grit and it was like a mirror. As for the sound, its still the best sounding instrument I've heard." (from RolandCO1, not me)
" It has an attractive honey-like colour and a well marked darker brown grain. It has excellent tone qualities, and takes a fine finish - in my experience I have found no better tone wood for Border pipes. It's a touch softer than blackwood (although the reed is also a factor here) but still gives a vibrant tone with the potential for crisp grace notes." (www.borderpipes.co.uk)
67lb/ft3
Morado Bolivia, Machaerium sp., Bolivian Rosewood - See Pau Ferro for greater information.
It is also known as Bolivian or Santos "rosewood", caviuna, cabiuna, pau ferro.
It ranges from a light violet brown to reddish brown in color with occasional olive and black streaks. Finer in texture than most rosewoods, it is a close visual substitute for East Indian rosewood, and has very similar tonal properties. Used for similar purposes of Brazilian rosewood, such as turnery, cabinets, fine furniture, specialty items, and decorative veneers. Heartwood color is brown to dark violet brown, frequently with streaks throughout and a waxy feel. Sapwood is slightly yellow, white or gray. Straight to irregular grain. Fine to coarse texture. Lustrous. Occasional walnut fragrance. Workability varies from fair to excellent.
Specific gravity 0.65-0.75. 49-57lb/ft3
Mountain Ash Australia Eucalyptus regnans
The timber is bone white and despite a coarse texture, is easy to work. It can exhibit a fiddleback figure.
Its use has been limited to the Australian builders but it makes a very fine neck and back & sides wood.
Jack Spira says: ”Ash is beautiful wood to work with. Its very stable and very strong, as well as being quite lightweight. It’s the closest Australian native I’ve found that can be used in place of Honduran mahogany. I use it for necks often and have found it very reliable. I would use it for backs and sides much more often than I do, but its color is not popular. I love the sound of it as back and sides. It’s warm and clear at the same time. Not really the same sound as mahogany, but I think anyone who likes a mahogany Martin 000, would like the sound of Mountain Ash.” The tone is much like mahogany with greater clarity- something like a cross between Mahogany and Maple.
Mountain Ash has a Janka rating of 1010 and a Specific Gravity around 1.1.
Movingui Distemonanthus benthamianus, African Satinwood
The sapwood ranges from white to straw, but the heartwood is brilliant golden yellow and can exhibit a ribbon pattern or curly figure. It has an an interlocked grain with a fine texture. Due to a high silica content, Movingui has a tendency to blunt tools. It is used for back and sides for guitars, where it’s light weight allows it to compare favorably to mahogany. However Tim McKnight says: “The tone has everything that Mahogany has and more. It doesn’t have the overpowering midrange bite but is more balanced.” The tone of Movingui roughly falls between Koa and Honduran Mahogany- it has more balance than Mahogany but slightly less overtones than Koa.
1230 on Janka scale.
Mulberry (Morus Nigra - black, Morus rubra - red, Morus alba - white)
Famed for its multi-colored berries and for its leaves upon which silkworms feed, Mulberry is normally too small for guitar backs, but can reach 3' diameter. Tennessee luthier Cliff Hamby has used it successfully. I understand it can be used like Osage Orange, yet another BRW substitute. Black Mulberry is used in round-bodied stringed instruments in Iran and appears very attractive, darker and more figured the the Red found in the US. Strong, durable, very yellow with a creamy yellow to brownish heartwood. Darkens with age and is very hard. The density and hardness is similar to Black Locust. Intriguing, but I do not have many details yet. Maybe someone will take pity and fill me in. It works easily and finishes well.
"A medium density hardwood with a closed, straight grain. Color is a bright yellow sapwood with a light tan heart wood. Easily confused with osage orange. The late growth in mulberry is full of open pores, much like ash, whereas the late growth in osage orange is solid. Also, the rays and general structure are different but that’s harder to detect." (Tesla Tonewood) The trees can grow to 50', but typically are too small for guitars, hence a limited supply.
Specific weight: 0.59 gr/cm3 (density: .55-.69)
Hardness: 1680 Ibs/cu.ft.
Mun Ebony Diaspyros mun
Simon Fay: " It is very, very similar to Malaysian Blackwood and Malaysian Blackwood is very, very similar to Macassar Ebony. I would never advise a client to choose either of those 3 woods based on tonal differences between the species but rather which species they prefer aesthetically. All 3 will yield a guitar that sounds like it has Ebony back/sides. In my opinion, there is significantly more tonal variation between the Rosewoods but not so much for the Ebony species commonly used in instrument making....It definitely doesn't sound like Rosewood and I will say that it absolutely benefits from a rich sounding top. I would only recommend pairing it with Cedar, Redwood, Engelmann or possibly German - otherwise, it sounds a bit too harsh. My preference is with Engelmann and let me tell you, it can make a tremendous sounding guitar...
The Ebonies are absolutely more damping than than the Rosewoods; however, there is still a lot of overtones and sustain. Overall, I feel Ebony gives you a clear, powerful tone with a rich voice and strong bass and rich trebles. The thing is that I always hear a bit of harshness or brittleness in the tone and that is why I like to pair it with a rich sounding top. Those combinations complement each other extremely well but a top like Sitka or Adirondack end up sounding a bit thin and hash when combined with Ebony...
The Ebonies are much harder to work with than Rosewood -- this includes the side bending process. In fact, I would never use Ebony for regular sides (non-laminate) unless the sides were perfectly quartersawn and without any irregular grain. Aside from the stability of double sides and my opinion, that they improve the sound -- another major reason I use double sides is that I can use a wider range of exotic woods and never have to worry about problems during the side bending process since I can make the outside laminate very thin and pliable.... Be careful with the dust."
Appearance-wise, over-all brown, with some kaleidoscope figure and flashes of orange and green in high contrast with pale, creamy streaks which give it a striking appearance. May have checks and small voids which need filling. Crisp loud tap. Strong, dense and hard, with irregular grain and fine texture. Both rare and expensive. May be mistaken for Macassar Ebony. Finishes well. Brittle, so take care when bending.
Considered endangered, mun ebony is a small, slow-growing tree grown on lower limestone mountains, mostly found in Viet Nam, and rarely in Laos. Most of the trees harvested are from down wood as logging and exports are illegal. All of which makes it priced accordingly.
Mutenye (Benge) Guibourtia arnoldiana
Mutenye, a tonewood that combines the right amount of warmth and definition to the mids and highs (CF Martin). An evergreen legume from Africa, it is a close relative to Ovangkol and Bubinga, hard, brittle but exhibits a fine hue under finish.
Heartwood pale yellowish brown to medium brown, may have dark striping and reddish hints. Sometimes with a reddish tinge, with gray to almost black striping; sapwood dull gray with a yellowish cast, distinct from the heartwood. Texture moderately fine and fairly even; grain straight or interlocked, gum pockets sometimes present. It may blunt your chisels and instruments but slices well. Keep things carefully sharp. Be careful on the drying; it must be done properly for it dries slowly. Bends, sands and polishes well. Power tools work much better with it than hand tools.
Even tone, with a clear and present bass with the mids and highs clear and articulate.
Weight: Basic specific gravity (oven-dry weight/green volume) about 0.64; air-dry density 50 pcf.
Drying and Shrinkage: Reported to season well if care is taken, though liable to some warping and checking. .... Movement in service is rated as medium.
Working Properties: Though hard and heavy, works well with hand and machine tools, picking of interlocked grain in planing, veneers well but bolts must be preheated. Reported that silica may cause rapid dulling of cutters, but also reported to be nonsiliceous.
Myrtle Umbellularia californica, Pepperwood, Bay Laurel, California-Laurel
H=3.8, M=3.5, B-4.1, S=3.8, O=3.1, T=4
This is yet another wood that often reminds one of maple in appearance and working properties, though it's texture is a bit coarser and it usually exhibits darker brown as well.. Its basic straw color is often flavored with an amazing array of colors and figure, most frequently a maple-ish fiddleback. Myrtlewood is both beautiful and distinctive when finished. It is a hard, heavy fine grained wood. Curly timber is often found in the older trees.
Myrtlewood, is a rare evergreen, an exotic hardwood, that grows in a very limited range along the Pacific Coast, from extreme northern California through southern Oregon. Oregon Myrtle, also known as California Bay Laurel or Pepperwood, ranges in color from blonde-yellow to taupe and makes very nice guitars. No two sets look alike, thus each guitar built is an original! Tonally it has similarities to Maple, clear and bright with nice projection though a bit more rounded and less sharp, but it is much easier to bend than Maple. For this reason it is a great wood for beginners. Les Stansell uses this wood on his fine classical guitars, and Robert Ruck has commented that it compares favorably to any of the traditional flamenco woods and recommends it on all levels.
It is an extremely stiff wood with an interlocking grain that is very resistant to splitting. Its density and hardness ranges between Mahogany and Rosewood……its tonal response has much clarity and sustain, often compared to Mahogany and Koa. For those with an open mind, Oregon Myrtle can produce an extraordinary guitar, however the more traditional players have not yet warmed up to its unusual look. Very similar to maple with clear, bright trebles and great projection.
Myrtlewood occurs in beautifully figured and burled patterns, and in a wide range of colors. It is very hard wood with fine interwoven fiber. Tonally, it has superb projection and sustain, and a very full and beautifully balanced crisp, woody sound, which also offers a hint of depth. This superior tonewood is perfect for both acoustic and electric guitars. Bends like a dream. Very easy to work. Gorgeous figure with a beautiful chatoyance.
Myrtlewood is probably the most exotic-looking wood growing in North America. It is often highly figured and beautifully burled, with a wide range of grain patterns and colors. It’s moderately light in weight at about 3 1/2 lbs/bf, but very strong and hard. The grain is even, fine, and interlocking, with very few widely scattered pores, barely visible to the eye. In addition to its exceptional beauty and the obvious applications in furniture and architecture, Myrtlewood has exceptionally fine tonal qualities and is prized for use in musical instruments. And wait until you smell the leaves! nfortunately, this does not carry through into the wood.
Spalted Myrtlewood is a woodworkers’ and luthiers’ dream come true. Maple and other woods can provide great visual appeal when spalted, but the wood is usually structurally degraded. Shaping and finishing can be problematic, and tonal qualities are lost. Spalted Myrtlewood is structurally solid, so much so that it can be used for acoustic guitars, yielding superior tonal quality and incredible eye appeal.
It is an excellent wood for machining, turning, boring, mortising, bending etc. Sharp tools should be used to avoid “burning” or “tear out”. It forms good strength glue bonds and takes a finish well, without need of fill. Finish sanding requires a finer grade of paper to avoid scratches. Figured wood and burl are dazzling when finished in a clear coat. Myrtlewood is seldom stained, but if a color change is desired, dye or transparent stain is preferable to pigment based stain.
Myrtle is easier to bend than other Western woods like Big Leaf Maple. It has nice bright tap tone and projects well. Colors range drastically, even in the same log so that a range from golden yellow, green, black, brown, tan, and even violet can exist. Each set is unique, making each guitar a one of a kind. Flame or fiddleback is a rare quality that a few sets possess. Special has exceptional figure, high figure has great figure, good has gentle figure or color.
Myrtlewood has the powerful voice of rosewood coupled with all the clarity, brightness and balance of maple. It ranges from an elegant whitish/straight grained look, to yellow/green with flame. The tonal personality of Myrtlewood is consistent even if the look varies. It has the power of rosewood along with the balance, brightness and clarity of maple.
NA Cluth: "Oregon Myrtle is a crisp wood of medium density. ...It would probably sound closer to Koa with many equating it to Walnut or a particularly stiff piece of mahogany. A good all around tonewood. Sweet, clear trebles with a good thump in the bass. Not overly complex overtone structure, but enough to have nuance. Usually has good punch. "
Oregon Myrtle has a Janka rating of 1270 and a Specific Gravity ranging from 0.51-0.55.
From Brazil, it is very similar in appearance to Indian rosewood except the color is more chocolate brown with brick-red highlights (no purples, as in Indian). Occasionally gold-brown and very dark brown streaks. In use by a number of prominent Brazilian luthiers, it is quite dense, making it a responsive and lively tonewood. Dense, with variable color. The sapwood ranges from white to yellow. High luster, fine texture.
It is lively and responsive in its sound, percussive at times, with long sustain and strong overtones in the bass.
Macassar Ebony Indonesia, Ebony Diospyros celebica
H=3, M=2.5, B= 4.2, S=3.7, O=2.6, T= 3.8
1) Another dense hardwood, Macassar boasts a lot of presence and is typically clear and loud with a broad dynamic range. It seems to be a wood that is uniquely responsive to different playing styles. It has a strong bass and lower mids; clear and transparent highs that respond like an accelerator pedal as you move your right hand closer to the bridge and dig in a bit; and a slightly scooped midrange. Tons of sustain, good projection.
Macassar likes to be played hard, and tends to take a slightly longer period of playing time to open up. When it’s used with a softer top wood like cedar or redwood, it makes a balanced instrument. Paired with an Englemann Spruce top it can make a wonderful guitar, both aesthetically and tonally. When topped with Adirondack spruce it becomes an all-out cannon. Some players tend to pull more brightness out of the wood; others tap into its darker side. Similar sound to EIR, but darker, rich. Full, but not overpowering bass.
“To me, Macassar has a great ‘low-fi,’ old Gibson vibe. “It’s dark, it’s dense, it’s heavy. It’s killer for a very manly, old school strum. We put a super clear ‘finishing salt’ on its tonal flavor using our style of construction to brighten it up, but to my ear the tonal beauty of this wood is the low-fi vibe. I love the sound.”
Goes well with old-school strummers and players with a heavy picking hand who like a thick old school sound; players who struggle to get enough brightness and articulation from traditional woods.
With alternating bands of black and light tan, striped Macassar Ebony is a most striking wood, but there is great variety from one set to the next. It may be dark brown with darker stripes or nearly black with lighter stripes. I had a guitar whose macqssar was so dark, you only saw the figuring when photogrqphed with flash. Then, it jumped out at you. In addition to a large group of hand-makers who use it, there are a number of prominent manufacturers who offer it on their more deluxe models, including Breedlove, McPherson and Goodall. From Celebes and Sulawesi Island in East Indonesia, Macassar Ebony offers good stability and superb, Rosewood-like tonality. Supply of this wood is erratic, especially in the higher grades, and demand has grown steadily over the years, so backorders are often necessary.
The quality and appearance of the Macassar Ebony varies widely. There's considerable variation in the appearance of Macassar ebony, from the predominately lighter background material to the inverse effect of a dark background with light striping. It finishes beautifully. Here are the various descriptions.
Striped: These are the rarest and most coveted. A white/light tan background with high contrast black striping. Often better selection in the OM size.
Moderate Stripe: Less contrast (darker background) but still eye-catching and dramatic. Usually black with blonde stripes.
Sapwood: Black with high contrast sapwood centers. Many of the sapwood centers are quite broad.
2) [diospyros insularis] Macassar Ebony is one of the most striking woods. By far the best value in Ebony. Many find the striping in this wood to be very beautiful. From East Indonesia, Macassar Ebony glues well and bends fairly easy. The heartwood of Diospyros celebica is variegated, streaky brown and black often striped. It s a hard, durable wood with a fine grain. It is brittle and can blunt tools easily.
However, there are ebonies sold as Macassar ebony which are not true Macassar ebony. One, which is on the market and is sold as striped ebony is from Papua-New Guinea and is known as Morola. It does not have the stability nor the density of Macassar (.65 to .75 vs. Macassar's .95 to 1.2). This wood is also not as easy to bend, nor does it glue as well as Macassar.
Pat Hawley is a big fan and says :” The thing that struck me about the dreadnought was its projection. With regard to sustain, I hadn’t noticed anything either way so I guess that means it was average. As I was building the guitar, I knew it was going to come out heavy and I was worried that there wouldn’t be much volume so I was surprised and pleased at how loud it was. The classical guitar was much lighter in comparison yet, when first played, it was relatively quiet and I was a little disappointed. However the change in just over a few hours of playing was amazing. I never knew a guitar could open up so much in so little time. It probably was also a function of the new strings settling in. I’m not very good at describing tonal qualities so all I can say is that this guitar, to my ear, sounded very sweet and beautiful. I would not call it overly bright”
Howard Klepper says :”Rather high damping. I’d consider it best suited for a blues type box if someone want a lot of thump but not a lot of sustain. “
Great wood for bridges, fretboards, binding and faceplates…lower damping than many other ebonies, has a great deal of visual appeal, and lower mass while retaining close to the same surface hardness. Great for binding, where the warm bittersweet chocolate color warms up what can otherwise be a too-cool color note. That color/texture contrast is just perfect with a wide range of top and body woods.
It has a Janka rating of ~3200-2500 and a specific gravity of approx. 0.89-1.2
Mark Hatcher: "Typically when I talk about the sound of the various back and side woods I say something along the lines that it goes from softer hardwoods, like mahogany, that tend to have a sweeter toned more fundamental effect where harder woods, like rosewood, sound more crystalline with more overtone highlights. Different woods generally fall in between there. However there is another area that this range doesn't cover. We can call it Rosewood and beyond. Ebony tends to be stiffer, heavier, and more reflective than most rosewoods so you get the highlights with more sustain because of the weight and often a deeper bass. At the same time, I believe, due to the surface reflectivity you get more of what some call "that piano like sound" or the more controversial term "reverb" (different from sustain)."
68lb/ft3
Machiche Lonchocarpus castilloi. "Brazilian Cherry"
Machiche is an excellent hardwood with deep browns, brick reds, and fine grain patterns. This makes the wood look somewhat like old growth Honduras Rosewood. Though it is hard, the wood machines fairly easily, responding well to sharp cutters and also finishes well, bringing out beautiful highlights in the grain. Good sustain and crisp projection make this Central American hardwood a good choice for acoustical properties as well as dollar value.
Machiche Andira inermis (go figure)
"Machiche has a brick red/brown color and fine, even grain lines-very reminiscent of Honduran Rosewood. And like Honduran Rosewood, it has a crisp, sustaining tap tone that indicates that it will be an excellent tonewood for both classical and steel string guitars, promising quick, even response and excellent volume." (LMI)
45-60lb/ft3
Machinga Brosimum alicastrum
Manchinga can have an interesting spalt-like figure on a light-tan to grayish-tan field. The grain of this unusual wood ranges from a fine-grained texture that is similar to a light-colored mahogany, to smooth fields of tan or grey-tan. Manchinga has small pores and is a medium weight wood that weights 47 pounds per cubic foot. It has moderate flexibility which helps this wood to deliver a medium to bright tone when used for backboards and rims. (Terra Tonewoods & Forgotten Woods) It has been used by Mike Baranak for necks as well. From Peru, it is apparently responsibly harvested. Tim McKnight has used it several times.
Resembles mid to heavier weight rosewoods in workability and appearance. Would work well for bridges, fingerboards and headplates as well.
Madagascan Rosewood Dalbergia grevaena, Dalbergia Baroroni
H=4.3, M=2.5, B=4.3, S=4.3, O=3.8, T=2
As a tonewood, Madgasacan Rosewood has been championed as a substitute to Brazilian Rosewood although it’s rarity and over-exploitation may push it towards a similar fate to BRW. It provides a dark and bell-like overtone content with a slow response. Woolson Guitars: “It produces guitars that are evenly responsive across the entire tonal register and have a crisp sound that has been attributed to old-growth Brazilian Rosewood. However, Madagascar Rosewood is not plagued by the negative flaws of Brazilian Rosewood (cracking, splitting and severe warping). Madagascar Rosewood will produce a beautiful guitar that will last for generations.”
Madagascar rosewood tonally is considered a kindred spirit to venerable Brazilian rosewood, boasting zesty, articulate highs, deep lows and ample dynamic range, and rewarding players with long rich sustain, liveiness, and complex overtones. Its comparison to Brazilian is reinforced by its often striking visual appeal and limited availability. If there was ever a Brazilian Rosewood copycat then this would be the one! It has a rich red-brown color with the classic spider webbing found in Brazilian. Tonally it combines deep lows and rich highs with strong mid-ranges to rival the best of Brazilian. The tonal distinctions between Maddie and East Indian rosewood tend to be subtle; if anything, Maddie may yield a bit more midrange bloom than East Indian, although it’s typically not quite as full as Ovangkol.
Goes well with most applications. Like East Indian, if you favor a guitar with full low end and sparkling treble, Maddie will deliver, and its reverby moderate midrange overtones will give you a broad swath along the frequency spectrum to get the tone you want. It’ll yield a wonderful traditional acoustic sound, and players with “dark” hands will find the brightness of the treble to be a nice complement. Provides a dark and bell-like overtone content with a slow response.
Little can be said about it that hasn't already been said about Brazilian rosewood! Visually, it is a dead-ringer for Brazilian, though in general it is more red or rust colored. This wood is gaining popularity as many builders and players are making the switch from Brazilian Rosewood to suitable alternatives.
The heartwood is purplish brown with darker stripes with a straight grain, fine, even texture. Color may vary from a rusty orange to a yellow-orange, along with the dominant browns. There may be spider-webbing in the figure. It has a propensity for checking and splitting and needs care when air dried. However this timber is very stable once dry. Of note, studies of extracts from the bark has shown activity against gram-positive bacteria in vitro.
It has a Janka rating of around 13,350 N (? rv)and a specific gravity of 1.08
Madrone Arbutus menziesii, Pacific madrone, Strawberry Tree. Also called "Madrona"
This beautiful Pacific hardwood has pink & tan colors with an occasional red streak. Green lumber is unstable unless it is carefully dried; once dried, it has excellent stability. Look for quarter sawn with light fiddleback or flame figure. Madrone is hard and fairly difficult to saw, but it is possible to get a beautiful, high polish in finishing. Madrone has been compared to the texture of European Pear wood, even thought to be superior in grain & workability. Some sets can have pinkish-red centers, ranges from light to dark browns and a reddish tint is common. It is prone to cracking while it dries. It's a really unstable wood, and often has a lot of tension in it because of the twisty way that Madrone trees grow. It's available here, but it's not easy to obtain nice, straight grain wood for guitar sets.
Pacific Madrone sapwood is a pinkish-cream color, while the heartwood is light pink to red-brown with patches of deep red. It resembles fruit woods in color and texture. Pacific Madrone is difficult to season, as it warps and checks quite easily. Pacific Madrone works well with all tools and polishes well, but is not easily glued. The wood is easily worked with tools and compares with hard maple and eastern white oak in ease of machining. "It’s very similar to birch or western maple tone-wise but very easy to work with (great smell as well). It’s an unusual pinkish color, kind of reminds me of cherry but not as much contrast in the grain." (Harvey Leach)
Madrone trees are large in size and grow in the Pacific Northwest. It ranges from California to British Columbia. Madrone ranges in color from red to orange to pink with blues and grays in the lighter wood. Madrone can often have a very dense and figured burl. Madrone is an Evergreen and has a uniform texture and is very stable in service. University of California at Berkeley did a study on commercial use of Madrone some time ago. Their conclusion: as a lumber product, unstable, prone to warping, cupping, twisting and in particular splitting.
Janka rating 1400-1600
**Magnolia - confusingly, also called Cucumber Tree, Tulip, Poplar or Tulip Poplar
It is sometimes compared to Poplar but is much denser, more comparable to Cherry. And it has much higher tensile strength. In appearance, Magnolia is predominantly brown, but can vary quite a bit, with streaks of purple, olive or black. It can exhibit much chatoyance. The sap wood is yellow but with exposure to sunlight, this very quickly turns to brown. It can bend very easily and is easy to sand, being a softer wood. Its Janka rating is 1020. Luthiers David MacCubbin and Bruce Sexauer have worked with it. The guitar I have from it I have is beautifully balanced, an open and clear sound.
**Mahogany Central and South America, Khaya sp.
Mahogany is a good wood to anchor a survey of tones, as a lot of other wood tones can be described in relation to it. Its essential sonic profile is well represented in the midrange frequencies. Acoustic guitars in general tend to live in the midrange portion of the sound spectrum, but mahogany in particular displays a lot of midrange character. That thick, present midrange sound is sometimes described in guitar circles as meaty, organic or even “chewy” — wherever a player digs in on the fretboard, they’re tapping into the core of the harmonic content of what a guitar produces. Those great midrange frequencies produce overtones that stack up and produce bloom, giving the sound extra girth. When one hears the resulting harmonics, the “chewy” tone serves up a big mouthful of midrange. As a popular tonewood for many decades, mahogany has been used on scads of old school acoustic recordings and that sonic heritage carries across various strains of roots music, from blues to folk to slack key.
Goes well with a broad range of players and musical style, people who like a well-balanced tone, nice dynamic range and a healthy serving of overtones. Blues and other rootsy players tend to respond well to mahogany’s midrange character. A smaller body mahogany guitar might appeal to fingerstyle players, whereas more aggressive flatpickers might opt for a mahogany Dreadnought. Because of mahogany’s midrange, a player with “dark hands” will tend to sound darker on a mahogany guitar. A bright player will sound slightly less bright.
Genuine Honduran mahogany has been an ideal choice for a variety of woodworking applications. Its cross-grained structure makes it unusually stable and easy to carve. It is a superb choice for woodcarvings, furniture making and pattern making.
As a back and side wood, mahogany has sometimes been considered a "poor man's choice", but there is now a great appreciation for its unique tonal qualities. It seems that mahogany ages well and its true value may not reveal itself until a few years have passed. As far as stability is concerned, Honduran mahogany has no peers, but tonally there are some good alternatives in the mahogany family. The best is Sapele mahogany which features a very attractive ribbon figure that runs parallel to the grain.
Mahogany (Brazil) Was first introduced in 1922 on the lesser expensive Style 17 guitars. Tonally, it is less projective than spruce, producing a crisp and delicate response with emphasis on the midrange. It has recently become a standard top in the Baby Taylor travel guitars. Genuine Mahogany is yellowish brown to reddish brown in color, exceptionally stable and consistently clear. It is much lighter in weight than rosewood, koa, or maple but yields a surprisingly strong loud sound with an emphasis on clear bright treble.
Figured Mahogany Is a beautiful and rare variety of genuine mahogany. Though difficult to bend, it shares the same tonal properties of the unfigured mahogany.
Janka: 845 - 2200 (depending upon variety), change coefficient: .00238. 40lb/ft3
Makore Tieghemella heckelii, African Cherry, douka, baku, cherry mahogany
H=2.8, M=2.9. B=4.3, S=4, OP=3, T=2.3
Also known as African Cherry, Makore is pink to pinkish-brown and oxidizes to a golden brown. It can be very dark and is not so prone to change color as mahogany is. Commonly found figured. The figure is a block mottle type. It has high silica content, so make sure your tools are sharp. It has a nice tap tone. Makore has excellent finishing and gluing properties. The heartwood is pink to pinkish brown, with an soft appearance of tan streaks throughout. The sapwood can be up to 4.5 inches thick and is light pink or off-white in color. Fair workability using hand and machine tools. Blunting of cutting edges is caused by a high silica content. Fine textured. Glues and finishes well. Note: Nose and throat may be irritated by fine dust. Be sure to wear good breathing apparatus as the dust can be quite irritating.
Specific gravity of 0.55, 39-42lb/ft3.
Malaysian Blackwood Diospyros ebonasea (one of the ebonys)
H=4, M=4, B=3, S= 3.5, O-=1.4. T= 2
This wood was a big hit at the 2004 Guild of American Luthiers Convention in Tacoma. Several guitars of this beautiful wood were played at the classic guitar listening event, and they were "wowsers."
There are two variants. One is dark-reddish brown to black, and the other is greenish with brown streaks, similar to Macassar ebony (Diospyros celebica) A few on the list that have used the wood: George Smith, Bruce Petros, Steve and John Kinnaird, Bruce Sexauer, Michael Greenwood, Tom Blackshear, and Sakurai Kohno who uses it regularly. Similar in properties to African blackwood in many respects including density, sustain, tonal quality and workability. Medium brown to nearly black with contrasting streaks. There are tonal similarities to maple with clean and dry highs and mids. But it does show a full bass with long sustain.
Malaysian Blackwood is a premium tonewood that is well suited for all sorts of guitars. It has become a favorite of several well known high-end luthiers and it’s popularity is growing. Denser (ie - heavier) than most rosewoods, the sustaining, glassy tap tone draws comparisons to African Blackwood. It is slightly less brittle though, and unlike African Blackwood, most sets have attractive dark streaks (by the way, African Blackwood is a true rosewood, Malaysian Blackwood is not, it's an ebony). "For the fingerstylist, this wood, combined with a European spruce top manifests a rich balanced tone. Ebony imparts full bass notes that decay more quickly than rosewood." (Gerald Sheppard) The overall coloring is similar to Ziricote, with black and dark gray colors highlighted by subtle reddish brown and/or green hue. Some say that this wood makes an even better sounding guitar than the old Brazilian.
Manchinga (Brosimun alicastrum) see also Machinga
Manchinga has an interesting spalt-like figure on a light-tan to grayish-tan field. The grain of this unusual wood ranges from a fine-grained texture that is similar to a light-colored mahogany, to smooth fields of tan or grey-tan. Manchinga has small pores and is a medium weight wood that weights 47 pounds per cubic foot. It has moderate flexibility which helps this wood to deliver a medium to bright tone when used for backboards and rims. (from "Forgotten Woods")
44-47lb/ft3
Mango Mangifera Indica H=3.7, M=3.5, B=4.2, S=3.8, O=3, T=4
A beautiful Hawaiian Hardwood, it also grows in Puerto Rico and Asia. A medium to large tree that frequently grows to around 50-65 feet in height and 2-3 feet in diameter. Dark brown, but with streaks of lighter wood sometimes, even orangish,. May have greens and yellows. Often spalted, frequently making a beautiful and exotic figure. Mango is hard, moderately heavy, works easily and sands beautifully making wonderful furniture and musical instruments. Others have said it is soft, go figure. I suspect the harder pieces make the best wood. It can also attract bugs (probably not a problem in a finished guitar!). Easy to work and to sand. It is much harder to find quality wood though, as much is too soft and cannot be cut thin enough. The tree is said to be very poisonous, but I don't believe that extends to the wood and certainly not to the fruit. I'd be dead if it did.
(from "Forgotten Woods") "Mango boasts an unusual and attractive appearance. The figure of mango consists of several anomalies including moderate curl, swirl, and spalting. This combined to the highly varied grain makes Mango a very decorative and interesting wood for backboards and rims. Mango weighs 40 pounds per cubic foot and provides a good mid-range response. Wormholes are common and add to the attractive features of this wood (the wormholes should be filled prior to finishing)."
Sound-wise, it may resemble Koa. It's warm, with a deep bass, wide range, drier rather than reverby, will take some pushing but not enough for bluegrass.The wood has a good bright tone similar to Hawaiian koa, dry and crisp. (Yes, I notice the odd juxtaposition too - the wood probably varies in tone as well as hardness.)
40-42lb/ft2
Maple Acer saccharum H=3.8, M=3, B=2.5, S=3.8, O=1.8, T=2
Maple is the only wood used for backs and sides in the violin family so it is well known to instrument makers, even though just a modest percentage of guitars are made with it. Of the 128 species, most are found in Asia yet most of the tonewood harvested is from North America. It is often under-rated and can be among the very most beautiful of the native American woods. The fact that it is a domestic wood augments its popularity. Maple is well known for imparting a bright tone to an instrument, good balance and projection, with excellent note separation and a tight bass (a guitar with good separation allows each note of a chord to ring independently as opposed to sounding thick or clustered). It requires less care for fluctuation in temperature and humidity than many other woods.
Well balanced sound on all 6 strings, one of the best tone woods and also one of the best neck woods. It really competes neck to neck with Brazilian rosewood and African Blackwood though on a different level... and, although normally bland and blond, the wood can look simply terrific. The great advantage of the species is that it is an American species, which translates in very little care when it comes to humidity conditions etc. It is very light compared to the tropical species but delivers with the same presence. It is one of the most beautiful woods and makes beautiful guitars. Often strikingly figured as “birds-eye”, "Quilted", or “flamed”.
The hard maple harvested in the northeastern part of the United States is dense, moderately stiff, and has low to medium internal dampening. It produces a clear, cutting, bright, and fundamental targeted tone. Very responsive in the mid to upper register with clear although un-complex bass overtones. Sustains slightly better than softer maples.
Birdseye Maple - is hard and stiff, whereas Flamed can run the gamut from hard and stiff to soft and warm. Uniquely figured American "Birdseye" maple displays characteristics and tonal properties similar to European Flamed maple.
Curly Maple comes in both soft and hard varieties. See Birdseye for a description of hard Curly Maple. Soft Curly maple is similar to hard although with a general tendency to be more bassy. Soft maple is slightly more responsive than Hard Maple but with less sustain.
European Flamed Maple (Germany) Is a particular species of European maple, very hard and reflective, producing a loud powerful projective sound. It is a stable tonewood with a loud bright reflective voice. It balances a tight crisp high end with warm lows.
Quilted Maple is generally Big Leaf Maple, softer and warmer than it's eastern cousins. It is the least common of the figured maples and can be harder to build with as it is not quarter-sawn.
The wood of sugar maple and black maple is known as hard maple; that of silver maple, red maple, and boxelder as soft maple. The sapwood of the maples is commonly white with a slight reddish-brown tinge; the heartwood is light reddish brown, but sometimes is considerably darker. The sapwood is from 3 to 5+ inches (76 to 127+ mm) thick.
Hard maple has a fine, uniform texture, turns well on a lathe, is resistant to abrasion and has no characteristic odor or taste. The abrasion resistance may mean it is hard to sand out scratches. It is heavy, strong, stiff, hard, and resistant to shock, and it has large shrinkage. Sugar maple is generally straight grained but the grain also occurs as "birds-eye," "curly," and "fiddleback" grain. Figured maple may cause problems when bending and ripple badly across the grain.
The wood of soft maples resembles that of hard maples but is not as heavy, hard and strong, the better grade of soft maple has been substituted for hard maple in furniture. The sapwood in the soft maples is considerably wider than that in the hard maples and has a lighter heartwood color.
Maple lumber sometimes has olive or greenish black discolored areas known as mineral streak or mineral stain, which may be due to injury. Maple wood stains well and takes a high polish. It is intermediate in gluing and has low decay resistance. The wood turns well, is harder to work than softer woods, and has high nail-holding ability (like you're actually going to nail your guitar together!). It stains and polishes well, but is intermediate in gluing.
Maple has often been used for necks and occasionally for fretboards as well.
COLOR: Heartwood is creamy white to light reddish brown; sapwood is pale to creamy white.
GRAIN: Closed, subdued grain, with medium figuring and uniform texture. Occasionally shows quilted, fid- dleback, curly or bird’s-eye figuring. Figured boards often culled during grading and sold at a premium. VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Black maple (B. nigrum) is also hard; other species are classified as soft.
HARDNESS (JANKA): 1450
DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Average (change coefficient .00353).
DURABILITY: Dense, strong, tough, stiff; excellent shock resistance. Markedly resistant to abrasive wear.
SAWING/MACHINING: Density makes machining difficult.
SANDING: Sands satisfactorily. Fair resistance to splitting.
FINISHING: Takes neutral finish well; does not stain uniformly.
39-45lb/ft3
Meranti Genus Shorea, with more than 135 species and Godknowshowmany different common names.
Jeff Huss found a small supply of this Filipino mahogany at a bluegrass jam and has been searching for more ever since. Its' fiddleback figure looks wonderful. There is little to say about it since it is a mahogany. “It looks amazing. At first I thought it was Mahogany, but the smell told me it's Meranti. The smell somewhat reminds me of fresh cut carrots! It has a very nice tap tone + it's light. It's quite hard too: I couldn't dent it using my thumbnails... Its grain is a LOT shorter than Mahogany. Meaning it's brittle. Also, it tends to contain a lot of empty pores and chalk-like grain, which I'm sure are not only going to stuff up vibration but also be a bugger to finish.”
A low cost timber favored more for its stability and structural strength than tonal properties. Allows factories to build low cost guitars that work properly, even if their tone isn't that spectacular! Used with some success in ukes.
Meru Oak Vitex Keniensis
One of the largest trees native to Kenya, Meru can reach 100' and 6' diameter. It grows in very moist montane mid altitude environments. Due to habitat loss and popularity for firewood, charcoal, and timber, it is rare to find it growing natively now, but it is plantation-grown as well and popular as a fast-growing ornamental. It has a black fruit which, in emergencies, is considered edible.
The trunks are normally quite straight. There are working similarites to Teak. It is hard, durable, and can be quite attractive. It has been used in cabinetry and furniture, but rarely (so far) in musical instruments. It is used for cabinet work, panelling, veneer, furniture, and coffin boards (that struck me funny). The very pale, greyish-brown wood is coarse textured with well-marked growth zones, and often with a wavy grain figure. Heartwood of larger trees is often dark and very decorative. It works easily. Emilio Montifore has heard this, "lively grain patterns, similar to mango, but not quite as hard and not as difficult to work".
Mesquite algaroba
A very strong, heavy and hard wood with medium stiffness. Heartwood is rich dark brown with darker wavy lines. The yellows, pinks and orange/reds appear in marble like grains to make this an exquisite wood. Grain is slightly wavy. Growth rings are defined. Not lustrous, but has a fragrance. Easily worked, and has little resistance or blunting effect with the use of hand and machine tools. Difficult to stain, but takes glue well. Durable and stable wood, with a pleasant sound, it has been used by Bill Burke of Flagstaff. Bell-like tone. But warning...... its hard hard hard wood. Could turn out very trebley if not carved and tuned correctly. Takes a high polish.
Mesquite Lumber is difficult to cut and dry and downgrading in the process is common, but it does produce a hard and strong wood with high bending and crushing strengths when successful. It has a relatively strong grain pattern with some interesting swirls when you get around the limb buds. It can exhibit some of the traditional figures such as quilted and fiddleback if you are lucky. Mesquite lumber can vary significantly in color depending on the source ranging from pale straw to medium chocolate or reddish brown and some with almost a deep purple tinge. Higher grades are rare and expensive.
There are many subspecies of Mesquite, and their properties vary. Generally, yellowish sapwood and Chesnut to reddish brown heartwood. Wavy, spiral or interlocked grain, hard and heavy, and resistant to decay. Usually a medium texture and may be somewhat brittle.
COLOR: Light brown to dark reddish brown.
GRAIN: High in character, with ingrown bark and mineral streaks.
VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: One grade; moderate color variations.
DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Excellent (change coefficient .00129).
DURABILITY: Dense and very strong. End-grain cut has excellent resistance to abrasion and shock.
SAWING/MACHINING: Very good machining qualities.
SANDING: Plainsawn can be sanded to a smooth surface; end-grain requires #16 grit sandpaper to flatten. Splits easily.
FINISHING: No known problems.
Janka 2345Specific gravity is 0.8, 50lf/ft3, density 0.53-.58
Moabi Baillonella toxisperma African Pearwood H=4.1, M=3.8, B=4.6, S=2.7, O=1.8, T=1.8
A huge tree with a uniform pink-brown or darker heartwood which darkens with age and may show quilting, beeswing, pomelle or other figure. Bright-sounding like mahogany but with a deeper bass, sweet, with low sustain.
Moena Amarillo (Aniba amazonica)
As the word “amarillo” suggests, Moena Amarillo is a yellow wood with areas of shimmering golden color that become even more pronounced when the finish is applied. Rather than an abundance of pronounced figure, Moena Amarillo displays areas of highlighted reflections and areas of subdued yellow shading, and its beauty is in its complex simplicity. Moena Amarillo weighs 42 pounds per cubic foot and is a very responsive tonewood that will provide good amplitude and mid-range response when used for rims and backboards. (from "Forgotten Woods")
Moena Amarillo (or simply Moena) is a spectacularly ornate wood from Peru that is harvested in an eco-friendly way. Rich amber colors combine with contrasting feathery grey patterns and (occasionally) subtle quilt-like figure to make a powerful aesthetic statement on your next instrument. The wood is light in weight and non-porous and is well suited to deep-bodied instruments where you want to tame a tubby bass response. The wood has a subtle camphor-like scent that many find quite pleasing. (from LMI)
41-42lb/ft3
Monkeypod Pithecebium saman, Samanea saman Rain Tree Mimosa Trembesi
H=3.7, M=3.5, B=4.4, S=3.7, O=3.5, T=4 Janka = 850
1) Sound is between Koa and Mahogany, rich harmonics, good presence in the bass and well balanced and brilliant trebles. Can be very figured, no two sets alike. Golden amber & chocolate browns, similar to Black Walnut in character. Sometimes it has black streaks or highly figured curly and wild grain patterns. Mellow and balanced, not loud. Between Mahogany & Koa is a good enough explanation of tone, but the information available doesn't go into how broad a range it can produce; the smoothness, fullness, clarity and transparency of tone. This is one on which I am confused a bit. Some call it Mimosa, which is not so likely to get large enough for guitars. we had Mimosas growing all over when I was a kid in Delaware. It grows much further south as well. I don’t think that is correct, however. I have seen Monkeypod items in Hawaii and assume that it is the same Monkeypod there which is used for tonewood. And then I came across this:
2 Samlankea saman Monkey Pod (Cassia marilandica)
Monkey-pod originated in Central and South America, but has been successfully transplanted in many tropical countries. It has been used for years for carving and bowls, but has recently found favor with guitar builders. Easy working and finishes well. Monkey-pod is a golden amber color with dark streaks sometimes resembling Koa or Acacia. Its’ tonal characteristics are similar to mahogany and it has even been used as soundboard material by Malaysian luthier Jeffrey Yong.
It produces a woody, pulsing tone without losing the clear high frequencies. Rich harmonics, well-balanced trebles and good bass, woody tone described as being between koa and mahogany. The grain is straight, wavy or interlocked with a medium to fine texture and open pores. It has a natural luster but can shrink and warp when drying. It is easy to plane, saw and glue. Monkey-pod has very wide pores that normally can only be filled with several coats of epoxy. As epoxy has a devastating effect to the sound and responsiveness of a guitar, the shellac and Old Italian violin finish of a monkey-pod guitar is not as lustrous as on a maple or kotibe guitar. But the overall appeal is nevertheless spectacular.
"I think the hip word to be used would be "player friendly". I believe that playability always ought to be the main virtue of a musical instrument. The bass is full and round and sustains itself gloriously. The mid ranges fulfill your expectations perfectly, the third string especially, and the trebles sing like birds." (Bellucci Guitars)
Monterey Cypress Cuprssus macrocarpa
Because Monterey Cypress grows in areas subject to strong winds, the trees are often leaning substantially which tends to load the wood with tension. This can make the wood a challenge to work with. If a board is made flat and true and then resawn, it will often warp substantially because some of the tension was released. If the tree happened to grow vertically the wood is a dream to work with and is exceptionally stable, close to Walnut. Classified as a soft wood, it is harder than some hardwoods, Poplar comes to mind. Monterey Cypress carves beautifully and takes detail well. Once cut, it will oxidize to a warm orange hue over time. The hues have a pinkish tone, but the overall appearance is one of a creamy luster. It is a stronger and more reasonably priced alternative to Spanish Cypress. It is indistinguishable from Spanish Cypress in terms of sound production. It's a little stronger than Spanish cypress, works nicely, glues and finishes well.
Mopane Mopane colophospermum
The Mopane (aka mopani) tree only occurs in the far northern areas of southern Africa. It is a hard, heavy and oily timber that is termite resistant which makes it very useful as a construction material. Outside of Africa, Mopane is increasingly being used for musical instruments, particularly woodwind, as suitable quality African Blackwood has become harder to find. The tone is strong and loud and is as rich as African Blackwood, as powerful, but warmer, resembling the tone of the Cocuswood. Its high density and good workability and resistance to splits and cracks make it an attractive alternative to Blackwood, especially in very dry and humid countries, where Blackwood has a tendency to split. (mostly from Martin Doyle Flutes)
The wood has a density of 1.3 kg/dm3 // 77 lb per cubic foot, i.e. 96% of the dalbergia melanoxylon, the wood standard for woodwind instruments. Heartwood is reddish-brown with very dark streaks, sapwood may be very light, thereby providing excellent visual contrast. Notable figure is produced by the growth rings.
Mopane wood: Musical performances
Well-known clarinets makers describe its sound performances as early starter and of sweeter tonality, typical to the clarinets made by Schreiber, the German leader in musical instruments.
The tone is as rich as the one of African Blackwood, as powerful, and a little bit warmer. It resembles the tone of Cocus wood that became commercially extinct.
Mopane wood: Distribution
Malawi , Zambia, Zimbabwe, Northern Province of South Africa. It grows up to 30 meters and 90 cm in diameter in the more humid regions and half of it in dry regions. (www.prosano.co.za)Use for flooring has led to over-harvesting, though it is not endangered.
"Extremely hard, heavy and difficult to work with. I eventually bought a 800w belt sander and thinned it down with a 80 grit belt. I agree with the 1.8mm for the sides - at that thickness it bends well. You don't need to fill and it polishes brilliantly. I sanded it with 400grit and it was like a mirror. As for the sound, its still the best sounding instrument I've heard." (from RolandCO1, not me)
" It has an attractive honey-like colour and a well marked darker brown grain. It has excellent tone qualities, and takes a fine finish - in my experience I have found no better tone wood for Border pipes. It's a touch softer than blackwood (although the reed is also a factor here) but still gives a vibrant tone with the potential for crisp grace notes." (www.borderpipes.co.uk)
67lb/ft3
Morado Bolivia, Machaerium sp., Bolivian Rosewood - See Pau Ferro for greater information.
It is also known as Bolivian or Santos "rosewood", caviuna, cabiuna, pau ferro.
It ranges from a light violet brown to reddish brown in color with occasional olive and black streaks. Finer in texture than most rosewoods, it is a close visual substitute for East Indian rosewood, and has very similar tonal properties. Used for similar purposes of Brazilian rosewood, such as turnery, cabinets, fine furniture, specialty items, and decorative veneers. Heartwood color is brown to dark violet brown, frequently with streaks throughout and a waxy feel. Sapwood is slightly yellow, white or gray. Straight to irregular grain. Fine to coarse texture. Lustrous. Occasional walnut fragrance. Workability varies from fair to excellent.
Specific gravity 0.65-0.75. 49-57lb/ft3
Mountain Ash Australia Eucalyptus regnans
The timber is bone white and despite a coarse texture, is easy to work. It can exhibit a fiddleback figure.
Its use has been limited to the Australian builders but it makes a very fine neck and back & sides wood.
Jack Spira says: ”Ash is beautiful wood to work with. Its very stable and very strong, as well as being quite lightweight. It’s the closest Australian native I’ve found that can be used in place of Honduran mahogany. I use it for necks often and have found it very reliable. I would use it for backs and sides much more often than I do, but its color is not popular. I love the sound of it as back and sides. It’s warm and clear at the same time. Not really the same sound as mahogany, but I think anyone who likes a mahogany Martin 000, would like the sound of Mountain Ash.” The tone is much like mahogany with greater clarity- something like a cross between Mahogany and Maple.
Mountain Ash has a Janka rating of 1010 and a Specific Gravity around 1.1.
Movingui Distemonanthus benthamianus, African Satinwood
The sapwood ranges from white to straw, but the heartwood is brilliant golden yellow and can exhibit a ribbon pattern or curly figure. It has an an interlocked grain with a fine texture. Due to a high silica content, Movingui has a tendency to blunt tools. It is used for back and sides for guitars, where it’s light weight allows it to compare favorably to mahogany. However Tim McKnight says: “The tone has everything that Mahogany has and more. It doesn’t have the overpowering midrange bite but is more balanced.” The tone of Movingui roughly falls between Koa and Honduran Mahogany- it has more balance than Mahogany but slightly less overtones than Koa.
1230 on Janka scale.
Mulberry (Morus Nigra - black, Morus rubra - red, Morus alba - white)
Famed for its multi-colored berries and for its leaves upon which silkworms feed, Mulberry is normally too small for guitar backs, but can reach 3' diameter. Tennessee luthier Cliff Hamby has used it successfully. I understand it can be used like Osage Orange, yet another BRW substitute. Black Mulberry is used in round-bodied stringed instruments in Iran and appears very attractive, darker and more figured the the Red found in the US. Strong, durable, very yellow with a creamy yellow to brownish heartwood. Darkens with age and is very hard. The density and hardness is similar to Black Locust. Intriguing, but I do not have many details yet. Maybe someone will take pity and fill me in. It works easily and finishes well.
"A medium density hardwood with a closed, straight grain. Color is a bright yellow sapwood with a light tan heart wood. Easily confused with osage orange. The late growth in mulberry is full of open pores, much like ash, whereas the late growth in osage orange is solid. Also, the rays and general structure are different but that’s harder to detect." (Tesla Tonewood) The trees can grow to 50', but typically are too small for guitars, hence a limited supply.
Specific weight: 0.59 gr/cm3 (density: .55-.69)
Hardness: 1680 Ibs/cu.ft.
Mun Ebony Diaspyros mun
Simon Fay: " It is very, very similar to Malaysian Blackwood and Malaysian Blackwood is very, very similar to Macassar Ebony. I would never advise a client to choose either of those 3 woods based on tonal differences between the species but rather which species they prefer aesthetically. All 3 will yield a guitar that sounds like it has Ebony back/sides. In my opinion, there is significantly more tonal variation between the Rosewoods but not so much for the Ebony species commonly used in instrument making....It definitely doesn't sound like Rosewood and I will say that it absolutely benefits from a rich sounding top. I would only recommend pairing it with Cedar, Redwood, Engelmann or possibly German - otherwise, it sounds a bit too harsh. My preference is with Engelmann and let me tell you, it can make a tremendous sounding guitar...
The Ebonies are absolutely more damping than than the Rosewoods; however, there is still a lot of overtones and sustain. Overall, I feel Ebony gives you a clear, powerful tone with a rich voice and strong bass and rich trebles. The thing is that I always hear a bit of harshness or brittleness in the tone and that is why I like to pair it with a rich sounding top. Those combinations complement each other extremely well but a top like Sitka or Adirondack end up sounding a bit thin and hash when combined with Ebony...
The Ebonies are much harder to work with than Rosewood -- this includes the side bending process. In fact, I would never use Ebony for regular sides (non-laminate) unless the sides were perfectly quartersawn and without any irregular grain. Aside from the stability of double sides and my opinion, that they improve the sound -- another major reason I use double sides is that I can use a wider range of exotic woods and never have to worry about problems during the side bending process since I can make the outside laminate very thin and pliable.... Be careful with the dust."
Appearance-wise, over-all brown, with some kaleidoscope figure and flashes of orange and green in high contrast with pale, creamy streaks which give it a striking appearance. May have checks and small voids which need filling. Crisp loud tap. Strong, dense and hard, with irregular grain and fine texture. Both rare and expensive. May be mistaken for Macassar Ebony. Finishes well. Brittle, so take care when bending.
Considered endangered, mun ebony is a small, slow-growing tree grown on lower limestone mountains, mostly found in Viet Nam, and rarely in Laos. Most of the trees harvested are from down wood as logging and exports are illegal. All of which makes it priced accordingly.
Mutenye (Benge) Guibourtia arnoldiana
Mutenye, a tonewood that combines the right amount of warmth and definition to the mids and highs (CF Martin). An evergreen legume from Africa, it is a close relative to Ovangkol and Bubinga, hard, brittle but exhibits a fine hue under finish.
Heartwood pale yellowish brown to medium brown, may have dark striping and reddish hints. Sometimes with a reddish tinge, with gray to almost black striping; sapwood dull gray with a yellowish cast, distinct from the heartwood. Texture moderately fine and fairly even; grain straight or interlocked, gum pockets sometimes present. It may blunt your chisels and instruments but slices well. Keep things carefully sharp. Be careful on the drying; it must be done properly for it dries slowly. Bends, sands and polishes well. Power tools work much better with it than hand tools.
Even tone, with a clear and present bass with the mids and highs clear and articulate.
Weight: Basic specific gravity (oven-dry weight/green volume) about 0.64; air-dry density 50 pcf.
Drying and Shrinkage: Reported to season well if care is taken, though liable to some warping and checking. .... Movement in service is rated as medium.
Working Properties: Though hard and heavy, works well with hand and machine tools, picking of interlocked grain in planing, veneers well but bolts must be preheated. Reported that silica may cause rapid dulling of cutters, but also reported to be nonsiliceous.
Myrtle Umbellularia californica, Pepperwood, Bay Laurel, California-Laurel
H=3.8, M=3.5, B-4.1, S=3.8, O=3.1, T=4
This is yet another wood that often reminds one of maple in appearance and working properties, though it's texture is a bit coarser and it usually exhibits darker brown as well.. Its basic straw color is often flavored with an amazing array of colors and figure, most frequently a maple-ish fiddleback. Myrtlewood is both beautiful and distinctive when finished. It is a hard, heavy fine grained wood. Curly timber is often found in the older trees.
Myrtlewood, is a rare evergreen, an exotic hardwood, that grows in a very limited range along the Pacific Coast, from extreme northern California through southern Oregon. Oregon Myrtle, also known as California Bay Laurel or Pepperwood, ranges in color from blonde-yellow to taupe and makes very nice guitars. No two sets look alike, thus each guitar built is an original! Tonally it has similarities to Maple, clear and bright with nice projection though a bit more rounded and less sharp, but it is much easier to bend than Maple. For this reason it is a great wood for beginners. Les Stansell uses this wood on his fine classical guitars, and Robert Ruck has commented that it compares favorably to any of the traditional flamenco woods and recommends it on all levels.
It is an extremely stiff wood with an interlocking grain that is very resistant to splitting. Its density and hardness ranges between Mahogany and Rosewood……its tonal response has much clarity and sustain, often compared to Mahogany and Koa. For those with an open mind, Oregon Myrtle can produce an extraordinary guitar, however the more traditional players have not yet warmed up to its unusual look. Very similar to maple with clear, bright trebles and great projection.
Myrtlewood occurs in beautifully figured and burled patterns, and in a wide range of colors. It is very hard wood with fine interwoven fiber. Tonally, it has superb projection and sustain, and a very full and beautifully balanced crisp, woody sound, which also offers a hint of depth. This superior tonewood is perfect for both acoustic and electric guitars. Bends like a dream. Very easy to work. Gorgeous figure with a beautiful chatoyance.
Myrtlewood is probably the most exotic-looking wood growing in North America. It is often highly figured and beautifully burled, with a wide range of grain patterns and colors. It’s moderately light in weight at about 3 1/2 lbs/bf, but very strong and hard. The grain is even, fine, and interlocking, with very few widely scattered pores, barely visible to the eye. In addition to its exceptional beauty and the obvious applications in furniture and architecture, Myrtlewood has exceptionally fine tonal qualities and is prized for use in musical instruments. And wait until you smell the leaves! nfortunately, this does not carry through into the wood.
Spalted Myrtlewood is a woodworkers’ and luthiers’ dream come true. Maple and other woods can provide great visual appeal when spalted, but the wood is usually structurally degraded. Shaping and finishing can be problematic, and tonal qualities are lost. Spalted Myrtlewood is structurally solid, so much so that it can be used for acoustic guitars, yielding superior tonal quality and incredible eye appeal.
It is an excellent wood for machining, turning, boring, mortising, bending etc. Sharp tools should be used to avoid “burning” or “tear out”. It forms good strength glue bonds and takes a finish well, without need of fill. Finish sanding requires a finer grade of paper to avoid scratches. Figured wood and burl are dazzling when finished in a clear coat. Myrtlewood is seldom stained, but if a color change is desired, dye or transparent stain is preferable to pigment based stain.
Myrtle is easier to bend than other Western woods like Big Leaf Maple. It has nice bright tap tone and projects well. Colors range drastically, even in the same log so that a range from golden yellow, green, black, brown, tan, and even violet can exist. Each set is unique, making each guitar a one of a kind. Flame or fiddleback is a rare quality that a few sets possess. Special has exceptional figure, high figure has great figure, good has gentle figure or color.
Myrtlewood has the powerful voice of rosewood coupled with all the clarity, brightness and balance of maple. It ranges from an elegant whitish/straight grained look, to yellow/green with flame. The tonal personality of Myrtlewood is consistent even if the look varies. It has the power of rosewood along with the balance, brightness and clarity of maple.
NA Cluth: "Oregon Myrtle is a crisp wood of medium density. ...It would probably sound closer to Koa with many equating it to Walnut or a particularly stiff piece of mahogany. A good all around tonewood. Sweet, clear trebles with a good thump in the bass. Not overly complex overtone structure, but enough to have nuance. Usually has good punch. "
Oregon Myrtle has a Janka rating of 1270 and a Specific Gravity ranging from 0.51-0.55.
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