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I've been told that all of these guitars are Bolivian Rosewood (AKA Pau Ferro)
However the wood on the various examples in some cases is not only very different in color, but more importantly I think texture.
These two guitars have wood with almost the texture of Indian Rosewood (it is not however) in that the pores are very small and numerous:



These two have wood of a rather sandy color with some darker streaking and a much smoother texture reminiscent of Brazilian rosewood (though I dont think that is what it is):



I would welcome opinions and observations as to the species of these two types.

Thanks!

Pau ferro can be quite variable in appearance but generally is close-pored with very small but noticeable pores. It requires no pore filling when finishing. If the inside is unfinished and the surface looks very smooth I'd say it could be pau ferro. But if it appears to have open pores it is probably not pau ferro. The wood has the color of dalbergia tucurensis. That might be a possibility. Might also be granadillo.

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Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
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What Ken said. Those all look like Pau Ferro to me.

especially picture number 4 shows lots of big pores, which pau ferro / morado /santos rosewood does NOT have.
I am also a bit on tucarensis, the last picture again could even be a bright nigra. more infos about the guitars could help

Many thanks for all the info thus far!
These are guitars made by Manouk Papazian (NYC) and date from 1972 to 1975.
They were described as "Bolivian Rosewood" but indeed the variation in the woods has me wondering.
Thanks again for your responses!

Best

The lumber dealer I deal with quite often has it and this is pretty typical of what it looks like. This is more rift - flat sawn. It's nice! Smells like Rosewood but not much for pores. Taps like a bell too.

David is there any evidence of oils/resin on the woods?
It could be Coco from Panama-just older then the stuff we see now.
The Mexican version is darker like old Braz.
All the Iron Wood/Pau Ferro I've used is almost poreless.

Mike

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Mike Collins

Thank you everyone for the input!

Pau Ferro seems the most likely candidate for the finer textured example as it indeed has tiny almost non existant pores and matches well other pics I found on the net.

You may have it right on the Cocobolo ID for the other......it does have (or had) some of the yellowish cast one sees in this wood but the "quartersawness" of this stock does not resemble much seen today and if you add in 40 years of fading as well as an orangey shellac finish...............

Back 40 years ago perhaps perhaps both of these were harvested and sold as "Bolivian Rosewood" ignoring they could be different species?

Again Thanks!

Either dalbergia tucurensis or cubliquitzensis, not pau ferro.

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I also think we are here....tucarenisis / tucurensis

https://picasaweb.google.com/1157931855 ... Palisander