|
WOODS Common Woods Used for Guitars and Ukuleles This is a simple, concise, and non-technical description of common woods used to make Ko'olau instruments. In addition to properties of specific woods, I will attempt to describe tone and volume resulting when certain woods used for backs and sides are combined with traditional woods used for tops, or soundboards, such as Spruce, Cedar, and Sequoia Redwood. Due to their flexibility and greater ability to vibrate under stress (vibrating string frequencies), wider tonal ranges and volume projection is possible. Often, entire instruments are made of the same type of wood. In these cases, the type of wood used is resilient enough (flexible), to allow the top to freely vibrate. Usually, this combination produces a softer, more muted but sweet sound. Almost always, when the same woods are used for tops, backs, and sides, these woods are Mahogany or Koa. On our instruments, the woods are always quarter-sawn (cut from the log a certain way to produce better stability and tone) and kiln dried. We hand pick each log or board to insure the highest quality instrument available.
Below is a description of each wood: (click links for photos) MAHOGANY - Two different
types of Mahogany are used in furniture and instrument building. Both
are becoming rare due to over harvesting. The most common Mahogany is
Swietenia Macrophylla,
popularly known as Honduras Mahogany, although now known as Tropical
or South American Mahogany, since very little is harvested from Honduras.
We use this type of Mahogany exclusively for our necks due to its strength,
light weight, and stability. This species of Mahogany is relatively light, reddish-brown,
and open grained. Weight is 34lb/ft and .54 specific gravity. The other Mahogany we use is Swietenia
Mahogani, or commonly named West Indian Mahogany, Spanish Mahogany,
or Cuban Mahogany. This type, the West Indian Mahogany is more expensive
due to being considered commercially extinct, however many years ago
this Mahogany, Swietenia Mahogani was planted here on Oahu, so on occasion
we are able to acquire rarely harvested lumber. Due to its availability
here in Hawaii, and having been here for over the past 100 years, we have named it "Hawaiian Mahogany". This
beautiful wood is also a red-brown color, but more dense and closed grained than
Swietenia Macrophylla. As compared to Swietenia Macrophylla, Hawaiian Mahogany (Mahogani) is 40 lb/ft and .64 specific gravity. KOA - Acacia Koa. The most prized, revered woods of Hawaii, and now throughout the world. In Honolulu, beautiful architecture, carvings, and furniture made of Koa can be found as a legacy of Hawaii's mass deforestation of the 1800's. Even today, Koa is still the preferred wood, and in this case, for musical instruments. It should be noted that many other species of woods throughout the world closely resemble Koa, and now are being marketed and sold as Koa. Most trees have a characteristic, predictable pattern, hardness, density, and flexibility. Not so with Koa. Almost every tree, and planks from each tree look different, being yellow, red, black, purple, green, and grain is either straight, curly, mottled, or quilted. Koa has similar properties to that of Mahogany, though slightly heavier in weight and greater in density, but like Mahogany it produces warm, sweet bass and treble tones, and adequate volume. Koa wood is approximately 41lb/ft and the specific gravity is .55. Although most Koa instruments have top woods also made of Koa, we also combine Koa sides and back with a softer top soundboard such Spruce or Cedar (or Redwood). On all of our Koa instruments we use the most beautiful cuts available, the higher the model, the more curly and quilted the grain.
Hawaiian Ash - Hawaiian Curly, otherwise known as Tropical Ash or Shamel Ash (Fraxinus Uhdei) - a blonde hardwood growing throughout the Hawaiian Islands, however Hawaii Island (the Big Island) is the only island with a significant volume of saw timber at present. Both sapwood and heartwood are both blonde, with little difference in color. Hawaiian Ash has a beautiful, fine textured grain with attractive figure similar to White Ash, but much lighter in weight and density. . Weight is 35lbs per cubic foot and specific gravity is .50 (similar to Swietenia Macrophylla, or commonly known as Honduran Mahogany). Tone and volume are excellent. Attached photos are a Model 100 with a spruce top, and has proven to be one of our best sounding instruments thus far.
As a side note: due to availability and the need for sustainability, we are now using uncommon and untraditional woods harvested in the Hawaiian Islands. And they are actually proving superior in many ways to traditional Koa, Mahogany, and Rosewoods. In many of our tests we have been surprised at the increased tonal range and volume from 'Ulawood and Ash. Both can be used as top wood, or as back and sides and combined with spruce as a top wood. We will continue to search for and test new woods in order to protect our fragile Hawaiian Island eco-system.
EBONY - various species are used in instrument building. Both African and Asian ebony wood is used for fingerboards and bridges. Ebony is dark black and shades of black, very heavy and very dense. Weight is 68 lb/ft and density is 1.09 specific gravity. The most valued of all ebony wood is the Indonesian variety, named MACASSAR EBONY, or Diospiros Celebes, from the island of Sulawesi, or formerly known as Celebes. Similar dark black as common ebony species, with the addition of stunning chocolate and light brown coloration. Truly a beautiful wood. This ebony is a rare and a prized wood for backs and sides of guitars and 'ukuleles. Too dense to be used as a topwood, it is often combined with spruce, cedar, or Sequoia Redwood. Tonal characteristics are similar to rosewoods, but due to the density of Macassar Ebony, we feel that tonal notation, both treble and bass have more clarity.
'ULAWOOD - "Toona Australis" Australian Red Cedar, also called Toon or Indian Mahogany. Harvested on the Big Island of Hawaii. Rich reddish-brown in color, thus named 'Ulawood. Spicey odor. In the past it was nicknamed "Red Gold" due to it's highly valued wookworking properties. We agree, and due to superior tonal qualities of this wood, similar to mahogany in weight and density, we will promote 'ulawood for our guitars and 'ukuleles. Weight is 28 lb/ft and density is .35 specific gravity.
KOLOHALA - Cassia siamea, Commonly known as pheasant wood. This very rare, valuable, and stunningly beautiful wood produces shades of light to dark brown with fine black grain, which very much resembles the feathers of our local Hawaiian pheasant. Kolohala is a relatively heavy and dense wood. Weight is 50 lb/ft and density is .75 sg
KULA WOOD - GOLD TREE - PRIMA VERA - Kula means golden, and this wood has the most beautiful golden laced grain.Locally the tree is also called the Gold Tree, not because of the golden wood, but because, at certain times of the year the tree is full of beautiful yellow flowers. Elsewhere in the world, this species of tree is called Prima Vera.The tone and volume is excellent, with a perfect balance of bass and treble. Kula wood is approximately the same density of Koa, possibly harder, and we usually combine this wood with a Spruce, Cedar, or Redwood top (see Combinations). Weight is 28 lb/ft and density is .45 sg.
ROSEWOOD - Many different types of Rosewoods are grown throughout the world, the most common being known as Brazilian and Indian, but many different Rosewoods grow in South America and Asia. They are all similar in that they are very hard and dense, producing deep bass resonant tones. This wood is never used as a top soundboard, so when combined with tops such as Spruce, an excellent balance of bass and treble, and good projection is achieved. Indian Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia) Brazilian Rosewood (Dalbergia nigra) Both species have have approximately the same weight of 53 lb/ft and specific gravity of .85 Both very high quality tone woods. New cut Brazilian Rosewood is no longer available, however we have acquired environmentally salvaged, legal remnant wood, at least 30- to 50-year-old lumber, with spectacular beauty and resonant tone properties. And another beautiful Rosewood species is Dalbergia Palissandre, very similar to Indian Rosewood, grows in the southeast area of Asia. MAPLE - A very hard, dense, pale yellow wood often selected for a sharp, clear, and pronounced projection. Much less resonant bass than other woods. No muddy, overtones, so often used for jazz guitars, mandolins, and violins. Due to the density of Maple a softwood such as Spruce, Cedar, or Redwood should be used for the top. When using Maple we usually combine it with Spruce for a more uniform color combination. Maple weight is .45 lb/ft and .72 specific gravity. MYRTLE - "Umbellulria Californica" - Although this is not a locally grown hardwood, but imported from Oregon, we were so impressed with its beauty and tonal properties, we decided to include it in our line of available body woods. Myrtle has been used by well known guitar makers for many years. Also known as Oregon Myrtle, Laurel and Bay Laurel, this wood almost reminds us of a rare Koa wood known as "white Koa" with similar grain patterns and blond to light brown colors. Also, as with Koa, each piece is unique, with different colors and grain patterns. Exceptional bass, treble, and projection, Myrtle combines qualities of Rosewood, Mahogany, and Maple. In other words, it's considered by some to be one of the ideal stringed instrument woods. Weight is 53 lb/ft and density is .85 specific gravity. WALNUT - this has always been a precious wood throughout the world for furniture and guitarmaking. Although we do have walnut trees growing far up the slopes of the island of Hawaii (named the Big Island), walnut has rarely been used for 'ukuleles. One Walnut tree can bring over $50,000 for fine woodworking. The sample photos are a walnut wood that exhibits the most figured curly grain ever seen in this type of wood. The finish on this sample is a satin lacquer, but still shows the unusual and beautiful grain patterns. The tonal properties of walnut are easiest to describe as similar to Brazilian Rosewood. Deep and rich bass resonance, and of course, combined with Spruce or Cedar topwood for clean mids and treble tones. On occasion we enjoy breaking away from the traditional woods used to build guitars and 'ukuleles, so Walnut is another of our "rare" woods. Weight 38 lb/ft and specific gravity is .50. Please inquire for availability as supply is very limited. 'Ohai - a beautiful wood growing throughout Polynesia and Southeast Asia. Sometimes called the "Rain Tree" or "Golden Rain Tree" and a similar species of Samanea Saman in Hawaii is known as Monkeypod. Now becoming a desired wood for guitarmaking, 'Ohai is sometimes mistaken for Hawaiian Koa (and in fact, sometimes unscrupulously sold as Koa). 'Ohai has very similar reddish brown colors and tonal characteristics of Hawaiian Koa. But 'Ohai is in more abundant supply and not endangered with exploitatin or deforestation. As with Mahogany or Koa, 'Ohai has similar density and flexibility and thus can be used as a top wood, or of course, combined with spruce, cedar, or sequoia redwood. Weight is 42 lb/ft and .42 specific gravity.
TOP - SOUNDBOARD WOODS
Englemann
Spruce (Picea Engelmannii) – very
similar to the high quality European or German Spruce, but more
economical. Beautiful ivory
color and sheen, softer than
CEDAR – Cedar has been used for many years in the classical
nylon guitar industry, and lately for steel string guitars also.
Our Cedar is the Western Red Cedar (Thuja Plicata).
Coloring is creamy tan to light brown.
Produces a somewhat more mellow “broken in” tone than most
spruces.
SEQUOIA REDWOOD - This is the tall, west coast US Redwood tree that has been used for many years for stringed instruments. The color is somewhat red, but very pale red, and combines well visually with most back and side woods. Redwood flexibility is similar to Cedar but leans more toward Spruce characteristics, combining the best of both. Since no new cut Redwood is available, we use environmentally salvaged lumber remnants, from 50 to 80 years old.
For more information and ordering: Ko'olau
Guitar & 'Ukulele |
