Shannon is a wood nerd, nuff said. This is because the tone of the guitar depends not only on the wood but also the manufacturing process, other materials used and the placement of wood. USES: Sapele is a type of African Mahogany used for boats, fine furniture, and cabinetry. COMMENTS: Color is similar to South American Mahogany (Sweitenia Mahogoni) and also to African Mahogany (Khaya Ivorensis). Copyright Text 2019. Saroyan’s Sapele Mahogany Flooring An exotic hardwood with rich luster. OTHER COMMON NAMES Sapelli or Sapele. My supplier has sapele 10" and wider. The funny thing is that the botanical definition of hardwood and softwood has nothing to do with how hard the wood actually is; but rather it denotes the structure of the tree and in general whether or not it loses its leaves. I like the way red mahogany stain looks on Honduras. Sapele: Consistent-about 4.0Lbs per BF. Mahogany wood is native to Tropical places and the two common varieties of Mahogany used as a tonewood for guitars is:a) Honduran Mahogany- the Honduran Mahogany is also called as Tropical Mahogany, American Mahogany, and Brazilian Mahogany. When they are used as side or back wood, the difference is highly indistinguishable.Sapele wood, for quite some time, has been known as just another version of Mahogany and is found predominantly in the African region. Best‌ ‌Acoustic‌ ‌Guitar‌ ‌Strings‌ ‌for‌ ‌Sore‌ ‌ Fingers‌, The Best Electric Guitar for Fingerstyle Blues. After centuries of non-stop exploitation, the worldwide market only recently came to terms that legendary Mahogany cannot constantly be harvested like in the old days, which opened a place for a new contender to enter into widespread use. March 26, 2010. Nov 27, 2018 - You may have seen some guitars that have Sapele back and sides or Mahogany back and sides or Mahogany tops but you might wonder what the difference is. Sapele Mahogany. Sapele wood is easily available and is grown in abundance while Mahogany is not readily accessible. Species: E. cylindricum. What's wrong with your old door? between Sapele and Mahogany wood. Our sister company Thompson Mahogany did a great write up comparing African Mahogany vs Sapele vs Utile Lumber. In fact, some woods sold as mahogany aren’t even family members. Guitar Advice, Recent update | Archtop Guitars, Article, Mahogany, Maple, Tonewoods. Sapele is a African Redwood with some similarities to African Mahogany. Any Suggestion? It covers quality, color, grain, weight, drying, workability, durability, and usage. So concentrate on UV resistance in whatever finish you choose. This certainly gives our customers peace of mind when it comes to legislation like the Lacey Act, but the level of detail also ensures that the buyer knows what they are getting. Sapele An African tone wood closely related to Mahogany, Sapele is similar in both look and sound. Moreover, the difference in tone can only be understood when the Honduran or African Mahogany is used as top woods in a guitar. The rifle is now complete and I stained it dark reddish brown with a London oil finish. Is the difference significant? Tonally, it does everything that mahogany does, with a little extra treble zing. What is an “appropriate” moisture content really depends on where the Sapele will end up. Yes sanding will return the color, though I would suggest sanding the entire deck or you may have trouble blending the two halves. Comparing Sapele to Mahogany Woodworkers discuss the visual appearance and working characteristics of Sapele wood. Comparing Sapele to Mahogany Woodworkers discuss the visual appearance and working characteristics of Sapele wood. One question that is very common and quite relevant to most archtop players is the difference between maple and mahogany when used on the back and sides of an archtop. 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