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Has anyone used African Mahogany for an acoustic neck?

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“If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting”
-jack handy

I did two in African a long time ago. I remember them to be a bit more heavy than Hondouran. Also they seemed kind of tricky to carve as they sort of tore out with grain rather than having the rasps cut the fibers.

I'm in the process of building two right now. I'm not having any problem shaping them, but as Paul notes they are heavier than Honduran.

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David White, Toronto

"All my favourite singers can't sing."

I have made one with it and worked the same.. I bit heavier thats all.

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

I use it quite a bit (khaya), and yes, the grain's less easy to plane, but works very well with rasps, and the 'good stuff' is a touch heavy compared to most honduran, but it's hardly a major difference. I find the very lightweight Khaya you can get is great for bodies, but far too 'floppy' for use in a neck.

Khaya can vary immensley, from rough grained, pale, floppy wood, to ribbon-stripe, heavy, relatively fine grain in deep, dark reddish/brownish.

I have seen African Mahogany listed as "sapele" and now I see khaya.... is sapele also aftican mahogany?

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Reguards,

Ken H

My comments referred to Khaya, which is a different wood than Sapele.

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David White, Toronto

"All my favourite singers can't sing."

"African mahogany" does have a wide range fluctuation in density and weight because we generally think of it as Genus Khaya and species ivorensis, but that's only the beginning. There are at least six species of trees within the genus Khaya that are harvested and sold in mixed shipments resulting in such "abnormal" physical property fluctuations. Khaya grandifolia and Khaya senegalensis are both sold as "heavy African mahogany" and mixed with shipments of lighter species.

Sapele is usually marketed as Sapele; African Mahogany over here tends to be Khaya, like Larry says, although Sipo and Sapele are also 'mahoganies' (genus Entadrophragma, family melicae, like the swetenias, ie real mahogany), of which Sapele is generally the heavier, stiffer, finer grained one. However, both Sipo and Sapele are (IMO) great tonewoods, and Sapele is a favourite neck wood of many, and I'd use it in a heartbeat if only I could source some of the darn stuff....