African wood – a touch of exoticism to Ellis Guitars
African Rosewood, also known as Bubinga, comes from Côte d'Ivoire Gabon and Cameroon. Bubinga is bright and rich, varying greatly in color from pink, orange, red and dark brown. The heart may be pink with red-purple veins dark purple stripes. African rosewood wood grain lock is harder and heavier than rosewood and has a moderately fine texture. Rose Bubinga mauve cast will oxidize to a brownish-red over time. African Rosewood can be plain or mottled. There are images of an African rosewood steel guitar classical string ellisguitars.com site. There are many species of African mahogany. A used in the manufacture of acoustic guitar is known as Khaya Mahogany. Khaya Mahogany is found in tropical Africa and Madagascar. Khaya Mahogany is light pink to medium brown to reddish brown. Khaya Mahogany is superior strength Sapele Mahogany another African mahogany used in the construction of acoustic guitars. It has a moderately coarse texture that is sometimes intertwined, sometimes straight. Interlocked grain produced on a striped figure on quarter surfaces (best for guitars). Like most Mahogany species Khaya Mahogany guitars are warm and clear with a balance. The other is mahogany Sapele Mahogany familiar to luthiers. Entandrophragma cylindricum is located in Western, Central and tropical forests of Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Uganda, Zaire and Tanzania. Sapele Mahogany wood has the heart of salmon pink and pale yellow sapwood. The Heartwood pink to reddish brown may change with age. Sapele Mahogany wood has a texture close grain locking that changes direction and can be regularly scratched. In addition, there may be irregular pores, interspersed with bands of small pores. produces curly fiddleback intense or numbers Spotted making the 3D aspect. Sapele Mahogany Tonewood is heavier than other African Mahogany, but not as strong. Ovangkol is relatively new to the guitar acoustics. Guibourtia ehie, also known as Mozambique, Shedua, Amazoue Amazakoue and is located in West Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, South Nigeria and Gabon. Ovangkol heartwood wood is yellow brown to dark chocolate with gray black stripes. Ovangkol woodgrain is locked and the texture is moderately coarse. Sonically, the back and sides Ovangkol increase occurred between Rosewood and Maple tops. Padouk is a dark wood also known as Pterocarpus soyauxii, Mbe, Mbili, Mutua, and ngula Bosulu. Padauk Padauk or located in Central and tropical West Africa, stretching from south-western Nigeria to Zaire. The wood is bright orange or almost crimson and guitar Tonewood has good straight grain, slightly harder and heavier than Indian Rosewood, with fine to medium texture. Padouk timber oxidizes to a darker, purple-brown over time. Padauk guitars have a strong tone. Wenge is a dark chocolate brown wood found deep in Zaire, Cameroon and Gabon, Africa. Millettia laurentii Tonewood is brown, with regularly spaced, fine black veins and dark and light brown bands. Wenge guitar back acoustic and has a wood grained sides right across the width and a coarse texture. Tonewood Wenge guitar is heavier than East Indian and Brazilian Rosewood and like most African wood Wenge guitar has a very beautiful tone. Zebrawood is named for its strong bands. Microberlinia brazzavillensis is in Africa, Gabon and Cameroon. Zebrawood timber has bold colors striped uniform set with gold-tan, yellows and browns. The wood has a coarse texture very coarse grained, and is similar to the density of East Indian rosewood. Tonale Zebrawood has the same resonance as East Indian Rosewood. The cream of African timber for the construction of the acoustic guitar is African Blackwood, which is actually a rosewood. Dalbergia Melanoxylon is dark purplish dark brown with black stripes. African Blackwood wood has a fine grain and polishes well and is said by some to be better than rosewood. African Blackwood Tonewood excellent response, and Tapton is fantastic.
About the Author
Andrew Ellis is the Head Luthier at Ellis Guitars, Perth, Western Australia. Ellis Guitars make fine handcrafted acoustic guitars and the Ellis Acoustic Stompbox. Website – www.ellisguitars.com
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