African Timbers - an Exotic Touch at Ellis Guitars

African Rosewood, also known as Bubinga, comesMahogany, but not as strong. Ovangkol is relatively
from the Ivory Coast, Gabon and Cameroons.new to acoustic guitar building. Guibourtia Ehie, also
Bubinga is bright and rich, varying greatly in colourknown as Mozambique, Shedua, Amazoue and
from pinks, oranges, reds and dark browns. TheAmazakoue is found in West Africa, the Ivory Coast,
heartwood can be rose-coloured with red-purpleGhana, southern Nigeria and Gabon. Ovangkol timber
veins and darker purple stripes. African Rosewoodheartwood is yellow brown to deep chocolate brown
timber has interlocking grain, is harder and heavierwith gray black stripes . Ovangkol timber grain is
than Brazilian Rosewood, and has a medium-fineinterlocked and the texture is moderately coarse.
texture. Bubinga’s pinkish mauve cast will oxidizeTonally, Ovangkol back and sides sits between
to a brownish-red over time. African Rosewood canstrong Rosewood and the highs of Maple. Padouk is a
be plain or mottled. There are pictures of an Africandeep coloured timber also known as Pterocarpus
Rosewood classical steel string guitar on the website.Soyauxii, Mbe, Mbil, Mututi, Ngula and Bosulu. Padauk
There are many Mahogany species in Africa. Oneor Padouk is found in Central and tropical West
used in acoustic guitar making is known as KhayaAfrica, extending from south-western Nigeria to Zaire.
Mahogany. Khaya Mahogany is found in tropical AfricaThe timber is bright orange or almost crimson and as
and Madagascar. Khaya Mahogany is light pink toguitar tonewood has good, straight grain, slightly
medium brown to red brown in colour. Khayaharder and heavier than Indian Rosewood, with fine
Mahogany is superior in strength to Sapele Mahogany,to medium texture. Padouk timber oxidizes to a
another African Mahogany used in acoustic guitardarker, rich purple-brown over time. Padauk guitars
building. It has a moderately coarse texture which ishave a strong tone. Wenge is a deep dark chocolate
sometimes interlocked, sometimes straight.brown timber found in Zaire, Cameroon and Gabon,
Interlocked grain produces a striped figure onAfrica. Millettia Laurentii tonewood is brown with
quartersawn surfaces (best for guitars). Like mostevenly spaced, fine black veins and dark and light
Mahogany species Khaya Mahogany guitars are warmbrown bands. Wenge acoustic guitar back and sides
and clear with good balance. The other Mahoganytimber has a tight straight grain, across the entire
familiar to luthiers is Sapele Mahogany.width and a coarse texture. Wenge guitar tonewood
Entandrophragma Cylindricum is found in West,is heavier than East Indian and Brazilian Rosewood
Central and East African rain forests, the Ivoryand like most African timbers a Wenge guitar has a
Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Uganda, Zaire andnice strong tone. Zebrawood is named for it’s
Tanzania. Sapele Mahogany timber has salmon pinkintense stripes. Microberlinia Brazzavillensis is found in
heartwood and pale yellow sapwood. The pinkAfrica, Gabon and Cameroons. Zebrawood timber has
heartwood can change to red brown with age.bold colours evenly striped overall with gold-tan,
Sapele Mahogany wood has close texture withyellows and dark browns. The timber has coarse to
interlocking grain which changes in direction and canvery coarse grain texture, and is similar in density to
be regularly striped. Also it can have large irregularEast Indian Rosewood. Tonally Zebrawood has the
pores, interspersed with bands of small pores. Wavysame resonance as East Indian Rosewood. The
grain produces very intense fiddleback or mottledcream of the African timbers for acoustic guitar
figures making the appearance very 3D. Sapelebuilding is African Blackwood, which is actually a
Mahogany tonewood is heavier than other AfricanRosewood.