Official Luthiers Forum!

Hey all,
I use to build as a hobby 20 to 30 yrs ago but got tired of doing woodworking 7 days a week. I'm a cabinetmaker so something had to go. I just retired so decided to take it up again.
I'm working on a modified Sloane dread., an OM and a Bennedetto archtop. The flattop necks are Honduras mahogany that was bought in 2009. Its the one piece block type. When routing the dovetails, I noticed the wood was kinda stringy and didn't cut smoothly but my rough-out bit was used and it cut ok with the new dovetail bit. When I was paring down the heel with a chisel I noticed it was really soft. So I took my knife to the heel but should have tried a butter knife instead. I don't want to do too much work on these 3 guitars so just added graphite stringers to strenghten the short-grain peghead...which is what I used to do before anyway.
This stuff does not feel like the mahogany available before...more like Lauan. I'm going to add stringers from heel to peghead but am concerned about compression so may switch to bolt-on cause this thing looks like its gonna need adjusting sooner than later. Any of you guys worry about the wood being too soft to hold the barrel nut? I was thinking a 1" or longer tenon and maybe epoxy a brass sleeve in the tenon. Am also doing cut-aways now so want to make the heel 1/2" or so.
Any advice or thoughts are appreciated. I noticed there are some old timers here so how are you guys dealing with this 'mahogany'? The stuff I use to buy from a small builder/supplier on the northeast was dark, red and dense. The sapele back then were ok too. How about now? This mahogany makes me uncomfortable.
I'm also thinking about switching to cherry or koa. Anyone like those better for necks? I'm not into the lighter is better camp since I'm still learning how to build it.
Thanks,
Caine

Two things come to mind. I've been seeing plantation grown honduran mahogany from Fiji. It's very pale, like what you have, but otherwise seems to behave just regular mahogany. It showed up in my area last year, and now appears to have disappeared from my area.

If I had to guess, though, the stuff you have on the right looks an awful lot like very very pale Khaya. Maybe it's just the pictures, but it looks like it has ribbon in it. I'm sure others will weigh in but the stuff on the right really doesn't jump out at me as honduran.

It's Honduras...if not, we’re in trouble. The picture is bright. The neck is actually closer to the color of the blank on the extreme left. No ribbon. I have a Khaya block from the same supplier and the look is different. The luthier supplier is reputable...you've probably dealt with them. I have 5 blocks($500+), so would like to use it for necks rather than neckblocks. The color doesn’t bother me, it’s the hardness or lack of but usually darker was harder.
I haven't built for over 20 years so the decline in quality of the exotics has been very dramatic for me. The Honduras I am familiar with has probably gone the way of Brazilian RW. Even back then the Honduras varied depending where you got it. I found a small luthier/supplier on the Northeast who could have been cherry picking the mahogany for his own use and selling the extra.
So...how is the stability of cherry and koa? I'm thinking of checking out the cherry and I got some koa and koa tables I can cut up...or not.
In the picture below it’s old stock on right, new stock Khaya, then the Honduras and neck.
The other is the last guitar I did in 1990 but never finished till now. The finish is Behlen lacquer, no color or stain added. It probably darkened in storage for 20 years but the color is what I remember it to be. That is the mahogany I’m wishing for.
Thanks