Art Crafters

Exotic African Padauk

African Timbers – an exotic touch at Ellis Guitars

African Rosewood, also known as Bubinga, comes from the Ivory Coast, Gabon and Cameroon. Bubinga color is bright and rich varies greatly in pink, orange, red and Dark Brown. The heart wood can be colored pink with red veins more dark purple and purple stripes. African Timber wood pink grain locking is harder and heavier than Brazilian Rosewood, and has a moderately fine texture. Purple cast Rose Bubinga is oxidized to a reddish brown color over time. African Rosewood can be plain or spotted. There are images of African Rosewood Classical Guitar a steel string ellisguitars.com on the site. Many species of African Mahogany. Used in acoustic guitar making is known as Khaya mahogany. Khaya Mahogany is found in tropical Africa and Madagascar. Khaya Mahogany is light pink to reddish brown Medium Brown. Khaya Mahogany is superior in strength Sapele Mahogany, another African mahogany used in the construction of the acoustic guitar. It has a moderately coarse texture that sometimes intertwined, sometimes straight. Interlocked producing a stripe figure Quartersawn on surfaces (the best for guitars). Like most Mahogany species Khaya Mahogany guitars are warm and clear with good balance. Les Luthiers Another family is mahogany Sapele mahogany. Sapele is found in western, eastern and central Africa rain forest, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Uganda, Zaire and Tanzania. Sapele mahogany heartwood is salmon pink and pale yellow sapwood. Rosewood brown to reddish may change with age. Sapele Mahogany Wood has a texture close interlocking grain changes direction and can be regularly striped. It may also have enlarged pores irregular, with alternating bands of small pores. Fiddleback wavy grain produces intense figures or mottled appearance is very 3D. Sapele Mahogany tonewood is heavier than African mahogany of others, but not as strong. Ovangkol is relatively new to the construction of the acoustic guitar. Ehie Guibourtia, also known as Mozambique, shedua, Amazakoue amazoue and is located in western Africa, Costa d'Ivoire, Ghana, southern Nigeria and Gabon. Ovangkol the heartwood is yellow to Chocolate Brown, dark brown-gray with black stripes. Grain Ovangkol Wood Cabinet and moderately coarse texture. Hue Ovangkol back and sides are rosewood strong between the maximum and maple. Padouk is a wood aka Deep Color Pterocarpus soyauxii, MBE, Mbila, Mutua, angles and Bosulu. Padauk Padauk or is in the tropics of Central and West Africa, stretching from south-western Nigeria to Zaire. The wood is bright orange or almost crimson and as a guitar Tonewood has good, straight grain, slightly harder and heavier than Indian Rosewood, with fine to medium term. Padouk timber oxidizes to a dark, rich purple-brown over time. Padouk Guitars has a strong tone. Wenge is a dark chocolate brown wood in Zaire, Cameroon and Gabon in Africa. Millettia Tonewood Laurentii brown with regularly spaced, fine black veins and dark and Light Brown bands. Wenge acoustic guitar back and sides timber has a tight straight grain, the full width and a rough texture. Wenge wood stringed guitar is heavier than East Indian and Brazilian rosewood and wood as the most of African Wenge guitar has a strong tone of Nice. Zebrawood is the name of its intense rays. Brazzavillensis Microberlinia are in Africa, Gabon and Cameroon. Zebrawood Wood has uniform colors bold striped overall with gold, beige, yellow and dark brown. The wood texture from coarse to very coarse, and is similar in density Indian rosewood. Tonale Zebrawood has the same impact Indian rosewood. The cream of African timber for the construction of the acoustic guitar is black African, which is actually a wood pink. Dalbergia melanoxylon is dark purple to dark brown with black streaks. African Blackwood timber has a fine grain and polishes well and is said by some to be the best of rosewood. Africa Tonewood Blackwood has an excellent response and Tapton is fantastic.

About the Author

Andrew Ellis is the Head Luthier at Ellis Guitars, Perth, Western Australia. Ellis Guitars make fine handcrafted acoustic guitars and the Ellis Acoustic Stompbox. Website – www.ellisguitars.com

Exotic African Wood Turners Pack, 4-piece $59.99 Always wanted to try your hand at turning exciting exotic species from Africa, but didnt like the cost. Now you try these four popular species. Zebrawood, Wenge, African Mahogany and Padauk. All native to Africa. These exotic hardwoods turn easily, and polish to a high gloss. Perfect for bottle stoppers, tool handles, pool cues and furniture spindles. Spindles are 2 x 2 x 12…

Padauk, 2 x 2 x 24 $13.69 African padauk (pterocarpus soyauxii) central and tropical west Africa. Medium to hard wood, color can vary, ranging from a pale pinkish orange to a deep brownish red. Most pieces tend to start reddish orange when freshly cut, darkening substantially over time to a reddish/purplish brown. Padauk is easy to work, though it does have a moderate blunting effect on cutters. Tearout may also occur duri…

Guitar Mount Exotic Hardwood African Padauk $19.99 Imagine being able to get organized and display those guitars around the house. This exotic wood is a display your beautiful guitars and protect them at the same time. You won’t find this kind of mount in any store. The quality of these guitar mounts is way above anything else on the market today. The design is simple. The have black vinyl caps to protect your precious instrument. The two hole att…