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I came across some of this stuff a while back. I have yet to find out much about it other than it is similar to cocobolo only the color won't fade. It has a nice tab and is well quartered. I'm trying to decide if I should build with it or sell it.

Is there anything else I should know about this wood other than it is hard to find?

What's it worth if I was to sell it?

Do you have a pic of the set you're referring to that you can post? Without even seeing it, it's worth what someone else is willing to pay you for it.

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Brad

Here is a picture

Looks nice to me.

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Hahaha, yes that's what I'm wondering.....what someone else would be willing to pay for it. I'm hoping the zootman will drop in and comment. He has it listed as out of stock on his website. That's the only place I've ever seen it for sale though and there aren't any old prices listed.

Looks fine to me; if you decide to sell it, drop me a note; maybe we can swap for something I have that you'd be more comfortable with. I like building with odd-duck rosewoods; they're kind of like a box of chocolates in that you never really know what ya got until you open 'em up!

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. I'm not really uncomfortable building with it. I just honestly don't know the value of it. If it's worth 100 bucks and is hard to find- I'll build with it. If it's worth more than 250 or so I'll probably sell it because I've got my eyes on the Bosch 10" dual bevel compound sliding miter saw with stand at a ridiculously low price.

Anyways, whatcha lookin to get rid of? I'm a big fan of rosewoods and ebonies. Here's another pic of the stuff. Nice straight grain and the color is a bit brighter than shown in the pic. Right up there with padauk/bloodwood

Looks like light colored Panama Rosewood to me.

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Brad

Nah, this stuff is blood orange colored. Pretty stuff. It's some funky Thai Dalbergia.

There have been several species from Southeast Asia sold under various names. They are usually quite dense and heavy with great glassy tap tone and great abrasion resistance. The look can vary widely even from tree to tree of same species. Most venders would be asking $2-3oo. But no one really has it, so there is the "rare" factor. It's hard to put a price on something that is not commercially traded, sort of like a guitar from an obscure luthier.

That set is a little lighter color than most would prefer, but I say, assuming full size, should be worth $200 if someone could handle it first or someone who's built from the same type or knows about it. Selling on the internet, maybe $125, unless you found the aforementioned people. I would just build with it!

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Pat

The lighter set of pics does look like Osage now that you mention it. I have an Osage guitar, and I love it!

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Brad

I have two sets of the Zootman's from several years ago - picture here is pretty true to color, is your's a little washed out maybe? It feels like most other Rosewoods, with that glassier surface feel and sound than you get in Indian.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Jim - I have several of those sets from Zootman too. As you said, they are very hard, heavy and glassy. Similar to cocobolo or Stevensonii in properties and about right between the two in terms of color. I think it has the potential to make very nice guitars.

Yeah Jim, that's the stuff. My white balance on my iphone is off just a bit I think but what you have there looks like the same stuff to me. It's not nearly as light as osage orange.

Any plans to build with it yet?

I show it to potential customers along with the other rosewoods, but I'm still waiting for a bite. People are so conservative about classical guitars. Right now, its seasoning.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

If either of you think you may want to swap a set or two, straight-up, for cocobolo, I have some well-seasoned stock to choose from. Just PM me. I'm money-poor right now(in the middle of a bathroom remodel before my wife's knee replacement next week!), but straight-up swaps are always fun.

I have a specific model in mind that could make good use of the lighter colored rosewood, here....

If I had multiple sets I'd gladly trade one, but I just have this one set.

Me too - looks a lot like a set of Osage that I left hanging after joining it - it oxidized to that nice orangy color.

Jim is right on with his description and the photo looks right on. (Dalbergia cochinshinensis) A true rosewood from SE Asia. Price was around $250 per set. It is very difficult to come by that's why we don't have any. Very glassy tap tone similar to African Blackwood or Honduran Rosewood. These sets were near perfectly qs and will finish way way darker than osage orange. Makes a beautiful instrument.

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Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

D. cochinchinensis could vary a lot in color, I got some planks from a friend, some are red with some black fine lines when quartersawn, very very nice looking a bit like a kind of redish D. baronii, and some are pale yellow, looking like movingui o Ceylan satinwood. Both smell very sweet, like a luxury soap...
Some fingerboards I resaw from those planks :

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