Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi OLFer's!

For your viewing pleasure, I have just published a profile on zebrawood as part of my ongoing tonewood database. As always, improvements, corrections and additional information/ your own experiences are much appreciated- I'll update the profile citing you and linking back to you!

I can't link pics directly to here so do pop by to http://guitarbench.com/index.php/2008/09/23/zebrawood-tonewood-database/ for the full Visual presentation. As always, I present the text portion of the interview for your consideration- although I do highly recommend popping by to see the pics!

Warmest regards,
Terence
http://www.guitarbench.com

Microberlinia brazzavillensis| Tonewood Profile | ”Zebrawood”

Tonewoods Database

All pictures - Click to enlarge!
Please email with any corrections/ additional info
We aim to keep each profile as complete as possible & your help is appreciated!

Quick Facts
Scientific name: Microberlinia brazzavillensis
Trade names: Zebrawood
Janka: 1575
Uses: Back & sides, drop tops, veneer
RIYL: Koa, Mahogany
Bling factor: Grain variation common.
Availability: Steady but reducing
CITES status: Not listed. No restrictions

Note: (RIYL) Recommended If You Like

Natural History
Zebrawood actually refers to many species within the Microberlinia genus. The common species is Microberlinia Brazzavillensis.

It is a equatorial tree legumous tree producing pods with a native range in West Typically the trees are straight and up tp 40 m tall with a trunk diameter of up to 1 m.

Status
Some surveys list it as endangered due to large scale logging and it’s relative rarity in certains part of it’s native range. Wikipedia cites “in Gabon and Cameroon, typically less than one tree per square kilometre”.

However, in other parts of it’s range, it can be found in groups along riverbanks.

Physical properties
This timber has distinctive light and dark stripes- hence the name Zebrawood. The base color is pale yellow and the streaks vary in shade from a greyish brown to black. Zebrawood has a coarse texture with an interlocked or wavy grain.

Zebrawood has a Janka rating of 1575 and a Specific Gravity around 0.74.

As a tonewood…
The Zebrawood I have handled is very similar to Indian Rosewood in terms of taptone and physical properties- although it is harder to work with than Indian.

Waddy T, a budding luthier says: “Very hard to thickness. Does not like sanding, planing, or scraping, though scraping was best. Easy to gouge out and make deep holes when planing. The soft part is very soft(relatively) and the grain is very hard. It has splinters like sabers, and twice as sharp.”

Subjective tone…
I would classify this wood as being very similar to Indian Rosewod and Wenge.

Availability
It is in high demand for cabinetry with a rather limited commercial supply, this tree is beginning to attract conservation efforts. Supplies are good and consistent at the time of writing.


Tonewoods Database

Links:
Pics of the classical guitar- courtesy of Waddy T. See more on Waddy’s Classical Guitar!
Pics of the zebrawood set- courtesy of Ros N. Read more about Rod’s Ukes
Pics of Zebrawood tree courtesy of http://trees-plants.blogspot.com/2008/0 ... lcata.html

References:
Wikipedia
luthiers forum


©2008 Terence Tan.

Pictures copyright individual holders. As above. Used with permission.

Any infringement of copyright is entirely unintentional. Any copyright issues should be address to: writers@guitarbench.com. We will attempt to resolve these issues quickly.

http://www.guitarbench.com

you forgot to mention its called zebra wood becous it smells a wet zebra when worked

Seriously though i think you have all the relevent info that you need on it as a guitar wood.
personaly i dont offer it unless specificaly asked becouse i dont like it.
i dont think it will ever be a be a popular wood for guitars becouse of its looks and and the fact it is not the best wood to work with.

Also comparing it indian rosewood is a bit misleading becouse its alot courser grained and an all together different wood.
some people have compard it tonaly to indian rosewood but this of course is subjective.

If you had a set of indian rosewood with the working properties that waddy mentiones you would be quite unhappy with it and i think this is one of the main reasons it will never be popular as a guitar wood.

I am sorry i just realised i am being increadably negative about this poor wood this is probably due to personal taste rather than anything else.
i think what i am trying to say is its a interesting guitar wood in its own right and has been used to good effect but in my opinion indian rosewood is a much nicer timber and highly under rated becouse of its availability.

Sorry,
rant over well done terrence all in all a very good profile.
i am glad to see that someone is making info on the lesser known woods available for the guitar buying public.

Joel

"smells a wet zebra when worked"
hey wet zebra smells okay... kinda like horse...

anyway, thanks, the zebrawood is definitely different to indian rosewood in terms of workability, but it's not that much harder to work with- from the example I have... maybe I lucked out!

Let me add in the odor thing----

Terence
www.guitarbench.com

Hey its just my warped sense of humor.
never having smelled a wet zebra (or seen one in the wild for that matter) i could not truly comment but i personly dont like the smell of this wood (i do however love the smell of horses as i was a junior show jumper when i was 12 and still like to ride today sometimes).

terence,
I love what you are doing with your tonewood profiles and think its a valuable resorce.
I think the internet needs a reliable resource where people can get info about diferent guitar woods and i am glad someone has decided to put the time and dedication to doing it properly.

But this is why i think it can be risky directly comparing one wood with another.
People take what the read on the internet very litaraly.
the fact is they are totaly diferent woods (as are all woods) and after having made a test guitar and started a give away guitar (not to mention cutting quite a few sets) with this stuff i will no longer recomend it to beginers.
however i would not hesitate to offer indian rosewood to a beginer.

i just think its makes it confusing for the end users beginers and amatures if we start directly comparing difernt woods.
especialy if in actual fact they are quite different.

However There is no doubt that zebra wood guitars have good projection and broad overtones simalar to indian rosewood but personaly i think most simalarity,s (apart from the specific gravity) end there.
this is just an opinion and in no way a dig at your profile, i think your Tonewood profiles are very good and will be valuable resource for guitar players and makers alike.

Keep up the good work,

Joel.