Official Luthiers Forum!

A client brought me this wood and said that he was told it was Brazilian Rosewood. I haven't seen enough to know, but it looks and smells like some species of rosewood. I measured and weighed the board and came up with a density of about 45 lbs./cu. ft. That seems a little light but my research found average density of BRZ to be 50 - 60 lbs./cu. ft. It has been in storage for over 10 years. The dark area is where I wet it with mineral spirits.



Thanks for any help...

Chuck

Not to be alarmed .. but that sure looks like air dried black walnut to me.

_________________
Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

I'm no expert, but it looks more like EIR to me. I don't think of BR as quite so stripey!

_________________
Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Because lighting can play trick with color I cant be for sure the two most likely possibilites I think are Claro Wanut or Goncalo Alves but the pattern width of light wood to dark wood is way more consistant than I would expect on either really. I guess it is possible to be EIRW but I am leaning towards Claro Walnut

I am as certain as I can be from my computer that you have bolivian rosewood (morado) on your hands. I recently cut up 5 sets that look identical to that. You would know if it was walnut.

Stephen

_________________
www.ziegenfussguitars.com

Chuck,

Based upon the pic supplied in your post, it looks most like East Indian Rosewood (EIR). I doubt very seriously that it is
Brazillian (BRW) because it just doesn't display the typical visual characteristics of BRW. As was mentioned above, it's hard
to really be sure with the given photo and lighting. I use a 32" HDTV as my monitor and have about as good a resolution
as possible for a computer screen. I still have to say EIR.

Go to this link if you want and compare the pic of the EIR to your piece http://www.exoticwood.biz/woodchart.htm
Here's another source with about as extensive of a list of pics as you'll find anywhere. Or at least that I've personally found.
http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/indextotal.htm I use this one as my first goto for ID'ing any
exotic.

Hopes this helps.

_________________
Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!

That's what I also thought when I saw the picture. I use a lot of morado for my fretboards so I'm used to seing it. That said, it still could be a lot of things...

_________________
Alain Moisan
Former full time builder of Acoustics, Classicals and Flamencos.
(Now building just for fun!)

the photo is at best aghh but I can tell you it isn't BRW.

_________________
John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

Pau Ferro (Morado) is my guess.

I should point point out the Pau Ferro, BRW, and Claro Walnut are distictly different smelling.

Also please note that lots of people have allergic reactions to Pau Ferro dust.

-jd

Morado/pao ferro/maradillo/bolivian rosewood doesn't have open pores like that.

_________________
Mike

"The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh." The Stranger

Did you pay an arm and a leg for that? I seen a set which the guy call "brazillian rosewood" but when I asked further question he said it was morado. If you paid brazillian rosewood price for that piece you got ripped off.

_________________
Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

It looks about 95% like the pauo ferro I use for binding wood.... Maybe even closer than that. But Mike is right Pauo Ferro is a pretty closed cell wood, even more so than EIR.

_________________
Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Are those pores open, Chuck? Sometimes pau ferro has dark close pores like that.

_________________
Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com

Looks like EIR to me.

Thanks to all for the replies and apologies for the not so good photo. It seems very light in color for EIR, but the grain pattern is close. I am working on three EIR guitars now and the pores on the EIR seem to be a bit larger than on this wood, so Pauo Ferro might be possible. Also, the EIR I have (from LMI) is much darker than this wood. There are three boards of similar dimensions and they are all a close match in color and grain pattern. There are a lot of very pinkish purple hues in the wood so I'm not sure about the walnut comments though I've not built with walnut before.

The wood was given to my client by a friend of his who had it for over 10 years, so we have no idea as to the original cost of the wood. I've been commissioned to build an acoustic bass and a matching guitar for the gentleman. It should be a fun project.

Thanks again for all of your help.

Chuck

In my shop we call wood of unknown type "tree wood", although you could make up a better name to tell the customer. You may never know what it is, but if you like its properties, build away, you know its at least ten years old.

_________________
Jordan Aceto
Ithaca, NY

It does look similar to EIR in many ways, but I don't think it is EIR. Brazilian, not a chance.

_________________
Build log

The more I look, the more I say Pauo Ferro

_________________
Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

The colors and grain look like Morado AKA Pau Ferro AKA Bolivian rosewood to me.

--Steve

_________________
---Steve

Once again, Morado/pao ferro/maradillo/bolivian rosewood doesn't have open pores like that. At least not the last time I checked.

_________________
Mike

"The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh." The Stranger

Mike,
It may just be the photo because I sanded a piece through P220 this afternoon and it was very smooth with small pores. I also looked at a few pictures of Pauo Ferro on line and it looks very similar.

Chuck

Howdy Chuck,

I just looked at the Pau Ferro (aka. Santos Rosewood) on Hobbit House's site and I think that may indeed be what you have.
That ought to make for a nice instrument('s?) Enjoy building with it.

_________________
Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!

I will say it does kinda remind me of pau ferro, the picture also kinda reminds me of some pictures of ovangkol that I've seen, that's an unlikely shot though.

_________________
Jake

~Make a joyful noise unto the Lord~

I have seen BRW of many different grain patterns and colors. What did it smell like when you sanded it. BRW usually has a fragrant flowery, some say chocolatey smell. Pau ferro has a spicy smell. EIR is much less pleasent.
It can be hard to tell some species when you are holding the board in your hand, much less from a picture.

Here is a picture of a morado fretbaord blank I have. It has those little black closed pores Ken mentioned.

It's quite similar to Chuck's picture.

_________________
Alain Moisan
Former full time builder of Acoustics, Classicals and Flamencos.
(Now building just for fun!)