This wood is softer, and leans toward the warmer side of the classic mahogany tone. Because it is softer, okoume often is used as a laminate, giving it additional rigidity. All of these woods are great tonewoods that speak with that unmistakable mahogany accent, and have that gorgeous warm mahogany look.

Is Okoume like mahogany?

Aucoumea klaineana, or Okoume, is an African hardwood that can only be found in the Congo, Gabon, and Africa's equatorial Guinea. ... The name Okoume Mahogany is a misnomer, because it's not true mahogany.

What wood is Okoume similar to?

It is considered very soft, rendering it unsuitable for use in situations requiring durability, such as flooring. On the Janka scale, a standard measure of wood hardness, Okoume's rating is only 380. This is similar to the hardness of basswood (367) and redwood (402).

What does mahogany sound like?

Mahogany. ... Mahogany is a tonewood that produces a punchy growl with excellent sustain, generally favoured for punchy rock music. Good quality mahogany tonewood will age really well and sound better as it matures. It's also very stable, and is less likely to warp than most other species of wood.

Is Okoume good for guitars?

Okoume wood is great for guitar backs or sides, but it can be hard to find quality pieces of the wood at an affordable price. Okoume is a nice warm tone which will give warmth and thickness to your guitar, especially compared with spruce or other similar woods.

Harley Benton's woods : Okoume / Nyatoh vs Mahogany

37 related questions found

Is Okoume a good tonewood?

Another is a wood known as okoume (sometimes known as gabon from its main country of origin). ... All of these woods are great tonewoods that speak with that unmistakable mahogany accent, and have that gorgeous warm mahogany look.

Is Okoume a hardwood?

This is the commercial name for timber that comes from the tree Aucoumea klaineana, an African hardwood also known as “Gaboon” or alternately “Angouma.” It has been widely used throughout Europe over the past century.

Do mahogany guitars sound different?

As a guitar top, dense mahogany has a solid, punchy tone with low overtone content and good high-end response. Mahogany back and sides often emphasize bass and treble, with more overtone coloration and a “woody” sound (as opposed to the more metallic sound of, say, rosewood back and sides).

What sounds better rosewood or mahogany?

Rosewood is much denser/harder and stronger than mahogany. This is why it is also used a lot for bridges and fingerboards. Rosewood also has strong mids like Mahogany but it expands its tonal range in both directions – it produces pronounced lows and crisp highs. ...

How can you tell the difference between mahogany and rosewood?

Mahogany is usually strong in the middle, rosewood touches a wider tone palette. In your hands, a guitar with a rosewood body often feels a little different when you play. Due to the higher density, rosewood is usually a bit heavier and subtly reacts to your playing. Mahogany is often lighter and very direct.

What wood is mahogany?

There are many species of mahogany, mainly grown in North and Central America. Known for its straight grain and characteristic red brown colour, it polishes and oils very well and can be buffed to a very high shine. An exceptionally durable hardwood, it is the ideal choice for furniture and fittings around the home.

Is African mahogany good for guitar?

African mahogany, sometimes called khaya, supports the Performer and Signature Series with warm, midrangy tone and the familiar dry fundamental that has made it a favorite of guitarists for over a century. ...

Is African mahogany a good tone wood?

African Mahogany wood is one of the most popular exotic tonewoods available for major manufacturers and custom builders. Mahogany is used in the bodies, tops, necks, backs and sides of guitars and mandolins. ... Mahogany works great when playing with other instruments.

Which wood is best for electric guitar?

Not all woods are the same because they each sound different due to varying weights and densities, but the best woods for electric guitars are mahogany, alder, basswood, maple, koa, rosewood, ash, and walnut.

What is Okoume marine plywood?

Okoume marine plywood is lightest in weight among marine plywood products available. ... Okoume is strong and easy to work with for tooling. It has moderate resistance to rot and mildew. It is used for hull and deck components, bulk heads, and hatches, where weight is an important factor.

Are mahogany guitars better?

Mahogany seems to provide a more resonant tone, that is able to sustain longer. Players most often find that the tone also remains more balanced than most other guitar tonewoods. Sounds produced from a mahogany guitar tend to be on the warmer side of tone, and more controlled.

Are mahogany guitars durable?

Having long been used in the manufacture of both acoustic and electric guitars, mahogany is a staple tonewood with many applications. Highly resilient, and with an excellent resistance to wood rot, it is very stable and less likely to warp than many other species of wood. As such, it's a dependable source for luthiers.

Is mahogany the best guitar wood?

Mahogany: Mahogany is great for the backs and sides of a guitar as it has a great mid range character. It can enhance the mid range tones and add meatiness/thickness to the sound. If this is what you after, then this is a great wood option for you.

What types of woods are best for guitar sound?

• Spruce. This evergreen, found in northern temperate regions of the globe, is literally top choice: the ideal wood for the soundboard, or top, of an acoustic guitar. ...
• Rosewood. ...
• Mahogany. ...
• Exotics.

Is mahogany or spruce better for guitar?

Mahogany

Tonally, it has far warmer, darker tone than both Cedar and Spruce. As a material for back and sides, mahogany's density can add great 'punch' and projection, adding warmth, but with definition, and a 'woody' character.

Is Sapele a mahogany?

It is occasionally used as a substitute for Genuine Mahogany, and is sometimes referred to as “Sapele Mahogany.” Technically, the two genera that are commonly associated with mahogany are Swietenia and Khaya, while Sapele is in the Entandrophragma genus, but all three are included in the broader Meliaceae family, so ...

Is rubberwood a hardwood?

Durable. Contrary to most Western beliefs, rubberwood is not as flexible as you think. It's quite a durable hardwood, belonging to the maple family. It has a strength of about 9500 psi, stiffness of 1.3 million psi, and hardness of 500 pounds.

What does Okume mean?

(Forestry) the dark mahogany-like wood from a western and central African burseraceous tree, Aucoumea klaineana, used in plywood, for furniture, and as a veneer. [C20: altered from Gabon] ---------- okoumé