Timber

Known in the US primarily as Genuine Mahogany or Honduran Mahogany, Swietenia Macrophylla (its scientific name) is what most in the exotic timber industry consider to be the true species when referring to “Mahogany.” Its colour can range from a pale pink to a light to medium reddish-brown, and it is renowned for its chatoyance (when a piece of wood can appear to be one colour when viewed from one direction but will change colours when rotated. Instruments built with Brazilian Mahogany exhibit a strong midrange, excellent punch, and good sustain. It is prized for its beauty and rich colour...

Tasmanian Blackwood is an acacia wood species that is sometimes compared to Hawaiian Koa, another acacia species. Colour can be highly variable, but tends to be medium golden or reddish brown, similar to Koa or Mahogany. There are usually contrasting bands of colour in the growth rings, and it is not uncommon to see boards with ribbon-like streaks of colour. Boards figured with wavy and/or curly grain are also not uncommon. Its tonal range is similar to both Koa and Mahogany, featuring a strong midrange focus that is dry, clear and warm, with a splash of top-end shimmer and richness...

East Indian Rosewood is wide-ranging and articulate, with superb all-around volume. It is visually stunning as well, with hues of chocolate brown commonly found alongside hints of gold, red and purple. The wood darkens with age, usually becoming a deep brown. Rosewood back and sides contrasts well with a light-coloured top or binding, making for a very beautiful instrument All of this adds up to a tone wood that is dependably workable and audibly remarkable. The vast majority of the higher quality steel string and classical guitars made over the last fourty years have been made from Indian Rosewood. Many...

Myrtle is a rich red to reddish brown. The grain is straight to slightly interlocked, sometimes wavy and the texture is very fine and uniform, often displaying nice subtle flames. The paler sapwood is separated from the heartwood by a zone of intermediate colour, which works very nicely as a centre strip feature on guitar backs. It is also known as Beech, Myrtle as it belongs to the same family as the beech tree of Europe, or Australian Cherry because of the similarity to the American Cherry.  It grows in the wet forests across Tasmania and requires moist and sheltered...