From Mahogany to Zebrawood: Understanding Exotic Guitar Wood Features

Apple Wood

Apple trees are hard to find in a size large enough to produce lumber because the trees are usually pruned to keep the fruit low to the ground. When an American orchard has passed maturity the trees are often bulldozed and burned. The Europeans hate to waste anything and will take the log harvest to a local sawmill where they will be turned into lumber that will delight users for generations.

• Fruit tree wood with very fine texture
• Boards normally only available short and narrow
• Best used for smaller projects
• Trees are slow growing and normally only cut when no longer useful as a fruit tree
• Most domestic Apple is of the European variety
• Beautiful creamy sapwood with darker light brown heartwood
• Prized wood for wind instruments

Ash Wood

• Domestic timber widely used for almost all projects
• Light coloured like Maple with a coarse grain like Oak
• Excellent wood for baseball bats

Birch Wood

• Usually used as a paint grade or secondary wood
• Very common domestic timber
• Occasionally highly figured material is found and is called "Flame Birch"
• Tough to work, susceptible to chatter
• Very brittle wood that tears out with dull tools

Butternut Wood

Butternut is one of North America's most beautiful timbers. It is a golden brown member of the walnut family with a cathedral grain pattern that looks like waves breaking on a beach. At one time it was considered "the poor man's walnut" — butternut is now prized by many.

• Once commonly found across the US, today it is blighting and can only be found in 10% of its former range
• A very good carving wood because the grain can be carved from either direction
• The color is much lighter than any other member of the walnut family

Aromatic Cedar Wood

• Domestic timber that grows best in the southern states
• Shows reddish heartwood with white sapwood
• The material is generally full of knots
• As the name suggests, the wood has an aromatic smell — ideal for closets and blanket chests

Port Orford Cedar Wood

• Although not a true cedar, it possesses a fantastic fragrant scent when sawn — a bit spicier than Aromatic Cedar
• Favored by Japanese craftsmen for its wonderful workability — widely used in their furniture and temples
• Perhaps its biggest claim to fame is its use in timber framing — held by some to be the best wood for the job
• Oregon Cedar is frequently used in guitar building — it finishes beautifully and produces a great sound

American Cherry Wood

Pennsylvania Cherry is considered one of the finest North American hardwoods. Cherry wood has been traditionally used in fine furniture since the first American settlers. The wood is prized for both beauty and workability. The finished wood has a beautiful salmon pink to red color that with time only improves.

The Cherry tree is shade intolerant and is typically found on the outskirts of most forests. Cherry tends to average 1 to 2 feet in diameter — however logs up to 4 feet in diameter have been found. It is generally affordable, beautiful, and easy to work, with a fine grain texture and the potential for beautiful figure.

American Chestnut Wood

American Chestnut comprised over 60% of the eastern hardwood forests when the first settlers arrived in North America. Due to its wonderful stable disposition, chestnut was used for every utility purpose by the colonials. At the turn of the 20th century American Chestnut came under distress from the chestnut blight, and by 1920 almost all of the chestnut trees were dead. Today the American Chestnut Society is doing wonderful work restoring the species by breeding blight-resistant trees.

• Most Chestnut lumber is reclaimed material — cut from old timber beams, de-nailed and resawn into boards
• This rustic look is very prized and widely used in old homes
• Usually the more defects the better — prized when full of worm holes
• Has a coarse texture with a beautiful golden-brown color
• Very stable, lightweight wood

Hickory Wood

Hickory is an open grained hardwood often used for rustic applications. The grain can range from a blond or cream to a lively reddish brown with streaks of purple. Hickory trees tend to have full crowns with many twigs — as a result Hickory lumber often has defects such as ingrown bark, tight knots, and bird peck. There are several types of Hickory such as Shagbark hickory and Pecan. The true Pecan has a tighter grain and more vivid colors.

Holly Wood

Holly is one of the whitest of all woods. Very popular for inlay work. It shows very little grain. Holly trees grow with so many branches that it is hard to get long clear cuttings.

Big Leaf Maple Wood

Big Leaf Maple grows in the Pacific Northwest. In this region it is fairly common, but figure mutations of curl, burl, and quilt are quite rare — only one tree out of hundreds will be figured, but the figure is often exceptional. Quilted Maple is a world class figured hardwood treasured by musical instrument makers, especially for solid body electric guitars and acoustic six strings. The logs often have only small sections of figure and it takes an experienced sawyer to cut the log to reveal the figure — this is referred to as "chasing the figure."

• Prized for fine veneers
• Used for musical instruments
• Can be quilted, burled, and curly
• Trees can grow quite large

Hard Maple Wood

There are many variations of Hard Maple including plain, curly, and birdseye.

• Also known as "Sugar Maple"
• Celebrated for producing maple syrup and beautiful fall foliage
• Dense, fine textured wood

Birdseye Maple is Sugar Maple with a unique figure pattern giving it the appearance of eyes. It is one of the most exotic North American species — found on the dashboards of some of the world's finest cars, used for cue sticks, fine furniture, and beautiful flooring.

Soft Maple Wood

Soft Maple is mainly used as a good secondary lumber, but it is starting to come into its own for fine furniture and architectural millwork. It takes a stain well and can be finished to look a lot like Cherry. Soft Maple can produce a strong tiger figure pattern.

Myrtle Wood

Myrtle is a treasure from the coastal forests of the American Northwest. It has a cream colored sapwood transitioning into heartwood that can range from tan to olive to gold, often with black streaks following the grain. The most desired pieces can be covered with fiddleback and/or burl figure. Also known as Oregon Myrtle, California Bay Laurel, and Pepperwood — it will freshen up your shop with its spicy aroma.

Red Oak Wood

• Industry standard for utility hardwood flooring
• Used for informal furniture, entertainment centers, stair treads
• One of the most common hardwoods in North America
• The signature hardwood of the American suburban development

White Oak Wood

North American White Oak is one of the finest North American hardwood lumbers and one of the most spectacular trees — the symbol for the State of Maryland and the lumber used for the hull of "Old Ironsides." White Oak lumber is used for the finest whisky barrels and has been the basis for many styles of fine furniture including Craftsman style and Stickley.

• Fine textured lumber
• Beautiful quartersawn flake
• Straw color

White Pine Wood

When the early colonists settled North America they were greeted by magnificent old growth Eastern White Pine. This peaceful, fine textured softwood with a pumpkin colored heart was put to use building fine furniture, flooring, and architectural paneling. Although new growth White Pine doesn't have the same fine texture and color, it is still a good softwood used for unpainted furniture, flooring, paneling, and moldings.

• Tight grained softwood
• Good for carving
• Tight red knots
• Good paint grade lumber

Heart Pine Wood

Heart Pine is the old growth Yellow Pine once common in the American South and Atlantic Coast regions. These trees were very dense and high in resin content — as a result, Heart Pine is very durable. It is not uncommon to find boards with 15+ growth rings to the inch.

• Salvaged material
• Beautiful patina
• Gold to orange in color

Poplar Wood

• One of the most used secondary woods for paint grade lumber, drawer sides, and furniture backs
• Fast growing hardwood
• Trees often grow quite large
• Quiet grain, easy to work

Reclaimed Barn Siding

"Antique" siding collected from old barns and structures. Material is typically Heart Pine, however it can also be White Oak, American Chestnut, or even Hemlock. Boards usually run about an inch thick with 10 to 12 foot lengths, and can include knots, checking, cracks, bug holes, nail holes and more.

Redwood Lace Burl Wood

Everyone should stand in an old growth Redwood forest at least once in their lifetime — the sheer splendor will take your breath away. Figured Redwood lumber can also take your breath away, especially Lace Burl, which is perfectly suited for fine furniture projects and musical instruments. Plain Redwood is a good utility lumber for outdoor and construction projects.

• Figured Redwood used for fine veneers and lumber
• Durable outdoors
• Species threatened by over harvesting

Sassafras Wood

Sassafras is a fragrant North American hardwood. With open grain, soft texture, and light brown color, it is sometimes used as a Chestnut substitute.

• Excellent bending properties
• Chestnut substitute

Sitka Spruce Wood

Sitka Spruce is the musical instrument industry's standard for stringed instrument tops — prized for its exceptional strength-to-weight ratio and bright, responsive tone.

American Sycamore Wood

One of the locally grown North American species. In order to be stable the wood must be quartersawn. Sycamore trees can grow to be one of the biggest domestic timbers in North America. Sycamore produces beautiful quartersawn lumber in a color range from light tan to an orange brown.

• Beautiful, underappreciated domestic timber
• Good for high-end furniture and cabinetry
• Has become more appreciated as a tonewood
• Displays a lace pattern on the quarter

Black Walnut Wood

Black Walnut is one of the finest North American lumber species. Along with Mahogany and Cherry, Walnut set the standard for early American furniture. The trunks grow straight and clear, yield a high percentage of FAS lumber, and the wood takes a rich finish. Most Walnut lumber is steamed right after it is sawn to homogenize the color. We do not steam our Black Walnut — leaving all of the beautiful browns, golds, and purples to tell their stories.

• Treasured for both veneer and lumber
• Hearty species
• Oxidizes to a lighter color
• Peaceful grain

Claro Walnut Wood

Claro Walnut from the American Northwest can have some of the most spectacular figure of any member of the walnut family. The trees grow rapidly in this favorable climate — it is not unusual to find a four foot diameter tree that is not even a hundred years old. With its tendency for rapid growth, Claro Walnut can have growth rings in excess of an inch.

English Walnut Wood

English Walnut is Juglans regia that grows wild in England and is cultivated in North America. It is treasured for both veneers and lumber, with some of the finest furniture of all time constructed from this species. English Walnut is often a little lighter in color than its European counterparts.

• Gunstocks
• Fine veneers and lumber

Circassian Walnut Wood

Circassian Walnut is Juglans regia from the old Russian Muslim Republics. It is world renowned as the benchmark for gunstocks with its beautiful colors and graining. Circassian Walnut grows very slowly and often has more heartwood and a finer texture than other members of this species.

European Walnut Wood

French Walnut is the name under which most European Walnut is marketed — also sold as Italian Walnut, Persian Walnut, German Walnut, etc. The species is Juglans regia, or Royal Walnut, and is one of the most admired hardwoods of all time. Many of the finest antiques were made from French Walnut. The heartwood color ranges from medium brown to tan to orange and can contain black spider web streaks known as "vein noir." French Walnut can also be highly figured with beautiful curl and crotch figure.

• Fine veneer
• Gunstocks
• Architectural millwork
• Fine furniture

Pacific Yew Wood

Pacific Yew (Taxus brevifolia) is very similar in color to its relative English Yew. The sapwood is a cream color while the heartwood is a combination of amber, purple, tan, and gold. It is used in cabinet making when an "elegant rustic look" is desired. As one of the hardest softwoods, it is a prime wood for canoe paddles and archery supplies. Be careful not to use it around food as it can be quite toxic.

Amboyna Exotic Wood

One of the most exotic burls of the world, used mostly for high-end veneers. This is the burl found on the dashboard of the Mercedes Maybach. The color is usually somewhere in the reddish brown range but can swing into gold. Amboyna burls are found on Narra and Padauk trees in South East Asia — this treasure was once hoarded by Chinese Emperors and never permitted for commoners.

• One of the most rare and expensive burls
• Used for knife handles and reel seats

Anegre Wood

• African timber widely seen in veneers, especially with tiger stripe pattern
• Beautiful consistent golden color
• Nice option for somebody seeking a light colored exotic
• Wood is dense and can be used for almost all projects
• Material can be found in mostly clear widths
• Blunts tools

Tamo Ash Exotic Wood

Tamo Ash (Fraxinus mandshurica) is one of the world's rarest and most beautiful figured hardwoods. The figure is very similar to Quilted Maple, often appearing to be spheres of Ash pressed together to make a solid piece. It is mostly found in veneers because when identified in the log, veneer dealers go into bidding wars to purchase it.

• One of the most extraordinary and rare figure patterns found in any species
• A member of the Oleaceae family

Australian Goldfield Burl Exotic Wood

• Rare burls from the goldfield regions of Australia
• Slow grown, dense fiber
• Rich in color and eye
• Prized for knife handles

Barba Jolote Exotic Wood

• Brown heartwood
• From Belize
• Nervous disposition
• Has been tried as a Mahogany substitute
• Can be found highly figured
• Best when quartered

Black Mulga Exotic Wood

• Rarely found in dimensions larger than 3 or 4 inches wide and 2 feet long
• Member of the acacia family
• Grows very slowly due to the dry climate in which it lives
• Used for fretboards on musical instruments, inlaying, and knife handles

African Blackwood

• Member of the rosewood family
• One of the few members of the dalbergia family found in Africa
• Used for oboes and clarinets
• Often jet black

Tasmanian Blackwood Exotic Wood

With Koa getting harder and harder to find, Australian Blackwood is becoming a warranted substitute.

• Member of the prized acacia family
• Grows around the world but best known in Tasmania
• Very rich color with great variation from log to log
• Very versatile — from musical instruments to fine furniture
• Can have very good figure ranging from birdseye to fiddleback curl
• Figure appears best on the quarter — widely used in musical instruments

Bloodwood Exotic Wood

Central West African wood, bright red in color that will oxidize over time to a reddish brown unless finished with a UV inhibitor.

• Blunting of tools
• Fine textured wood
• Resistant to bugs

Bocote Exotic Wood

• A wood with many of the properties of rosewood
• Very dense and durable
• Comes in smaller boards suitable for many applications including musical instruments
• Chocolate brown with streaks of gold
• The wood dries with very little movement

Bubinga Exotic Wood

Bubinga is a gorgeous African hardwood. Due to its fine, tight grain and reddish brown color, Bubinga is often referred to as "African Rosewood." The trees can grow quite large — five foot diameter logs are not uncommon, making one-piece table top slabs possible.

• Used for fine furniture and musical instruments
• Orange brown at first, oxidizing to a beautiful reddish brown
• Hard, durable wood

Spanish Cedar Exotic Wood

Spanish Cedar is a stable, durable, soft-textured lumber from Central and South America. It is used for both interior and exterior applications. Spanish Cedar is used for classical guitars and cigar humidors.

• Cigar humidor linings
• Siding and shutters
• Musical instruments

Chechen Exotic Wood

• Also known as Poisonwood — the sap leaves a burning sensation on the skin
• Very rich brown color and can be mistaken for a member of the rosewood family
• Material can be found with heavy figure
• Gumba Limbe is the antidote for Poisonwood and can usually be found growing nearby

European Chestnut Wood

• Member of the chestnut family
• Good substitute for American Chestnut (grain and color are very similar)
• Tree unaffected by the chestnut blight of North America
• Usually only available in flitch cut material

Cocobolo Exotic Wood

• One of the more readily available members of the rosewood family
• Shows very vibrant oranges and reds when first cut — with time the color oxidizes to a very rich dark color
• Used for a variety of purposes, from musical instruments to fine furniture
• Very dense — specific gravity over 1

East Indian Satinwood

Known in the European veneer world as "Lemon Wood," East Indian Satinwood is one of the most exquisite lumbers in the world. It has a beautiful golden color and very tight grain. At its best there is a crystalline texture in the grain that looks like little sparkling diamonds.

• One of the rarest woods
• Golden color and tight grain

Gabon Ebony Exotic Wood

Gabon Ebony is the benchmark for black in lumber. It has been treasured through the ages from statues found in Egyptian tombs to the fretboards on violins. A very dense wood with a specific gravity of 1.2, it is usually only available in widths less than 6" and lengths less than 48".

• Extremely dense, tight grained wood
• Used extensively in musical instrument production
• Excellent for carving
• One of the purest black woods
• Very expensive

Macassar Ebony Wood

An extremely hard wood and one of the finest hardwoods in the world. Brown with black stripes, it can be used wherever a dark, refined look is desired. It can be found on dashboards of classic cars and in the staterooms of yachts. Macassar Ebony is one of the favorite species of legendary furniture maker Sam Maloof.

English Wych Elm Wood

Many English cabinetmakers consider Wych Elm to be the finest English hardwood. Along with its mixtures of green, red, brown, and gold, Wych Elm has a chatoyancy that is only surpassed by the finest Koa. When Wych Elm is heavily burled few can argue its supremacy as one of the most sensational of all timbers. These elms are under distress by Dutch elm disease.

• Superior hardwood lumber
• Can be highly figured
• Takes a mirror finish
• Swirly / wavy grain
• Can be difficult to dry
• Prized veneer

Goncalo Alves Wood

Goncalo Alves is a dense, wildly colored tropical hardwood. Also known as Tigerwood because it is commonly found with orange and black streaks.

Granadillo Exotic Wood

Granadillo is a beautiful, dense, fine-textured tropical hardwood from Central America. The heartwood color is a dark reddish brown. It is used for both veneers and lumber and can be figured.

Inceana Exotic Wood

• True member of the acacia family
• Very slow growing — rarely found 8" or wider
• Rosewood-like color
• Similar chatoyancy properties as Koa
• Can be found highly figured
• Primarily used for musical instruments, knife handles, and fishing rod handles

Iroko Exotic Wood

Iroko, also known as "African Teak," is a dense African timber with the properties of genuine Teak. It is lighter in color than Teak and finishes to a golden brown. The tree can grow quite large — logs forty feet long and five feet in diameter have been found.

• Tan to golden brown
• Very durable outdoors
• Used in the boating industry
• Blunts tools

Jarrah Exotic Wood

Jarrah is from Australia and a member of the eucalyptus family. It has red colored heartwood that is very dense and can be highly figured.

Jatoba Exotic Wood

With heartwood color similar to black cherry, Jatoba is often marketed as "Brazilian Cherry." It is a very dense, oily lumber that is excellent for outdoor applications. Finishing can be a problem — Jatoba exudes so much oil that finishes struggle to adhere. It does make superior flooring.

Kingwood Exotic Wood

Kingwood is from Brazil and is a true rosewood. One of the finest members of the dalbergia family, the heartwood is a mix of purple and rose with white sapwood. Usually not found in wide or long material — best used for musical instrument parts, knife handles, cue sticks, and inlays.

• Dense — specific gravity higher than 1.2
• Extremely tight grain
• Holds its color
• Used for fine veneers

Koa Exotic Wood

Koa may be the most spectacular hardwood in the world. No other wood possesses the chatoyancy or range of colors of Koa. The problem with Koa is that it only grows on one set of islands in the world, only well on one island, and only at its best at higher elevations. Wild cattle and pigs on the Big Island of Hawaii find immature Koa bark to be a delicacy and can strip an acre of shoots in one night — keeping this once plentiful species from regenerating. Very little Koa remains in agriculture zones where harvesting is permitted.

• Can be highly figured
• Wide range of colors
• Superior tonewood
• Highest levels of chatoyancy
• Species under distress
• One of the finest and most expensive hardwood lumbers

Leopardwood / Lacewood

Leopardwood / Lacewood or Australian Silky Oak is actually a member of the sycamore family. When quartered, Lacewood shows a beautiful medullary ray similar to the pattern on a Chinese rice bowl.

• Needs to be quartered for stability and to show figure

African Mahogany Wood

African Mahogany is becoming more popular due to large price increases in Genuine Mahogany. It has a very similar color and graining, but it is not as stable. The trees can grow quite large, so it is possible to find wide, long, clear boards. From a sustainability standpoint, African Mahogany grows in rich ground that is not nearly as delicate as the Amazon basin.

Genuine Mahogany Wood

By whatever name Mahogany is known — Genuine Mahogany, Honduras Mahogany, South American Mahogany, Peruvian Mahogany — this species is probably the single most respected, all-time favourite furniture wood. Mahogany is the benchmark for stability, contains a good level of chatoyancy, has a rich consistent color, and finishes beautifully. Unfortunately this resource is also one of the most abused — years of unregulated harvesting in the Amazon basin have taken a severe toll on availability.

• One of the finest hardwoods
• Can be highly figured
• Consistent red color
• Benchmark for stability
• Abused resource

Sinker Mahogany Wood

We call it "Sinker Belizean Mahogany." The wood is Genuine Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) from Belize — basically the same texture and color as the sought-after Honduras Mahogany, but unique because it has been submerged in the rivers of Belize for 75 to 150 years.

In the early colonial days, logging crews would work year round felling trees and dragging the logs into the rivers. When the rains came the logs would be rafted downriver and loaded onto ships. But not all logs completed the journey — some got waterlogged and sank, others got tangled in roots along the riverbanks. Some people estimate that 30% of the logs never completed their journey.

It was soon discovered that all those years curing at the bottom of crocodile-infested rivers changes the structure of the wood to produce amazing voices in acoustic guitars. There is a limited supply of this resource — enjoy it while you can.

• Amazing color
• Develops a patina unseen in freshly cut mahogany
• Excellent tonewood

Makore Exotic Wood

• Often marketed as "African Cherry" due to similarities in color and grain to Black Cherry
• Very dense, fine textured hardwood

Masur / Karelian Birch Exotic Wood

• From Scandinavia
• Figure similar to birdseye maple
• Can be highly spalted
• Highly prized for veneer and wood turning

Monkey Pod Exotic Wood

Monkey Pod is a tropical hardwood found in Central America and the Pacific regions. As hardwoods go, it is low to medium density. From Central America it tends to be a golden color, but from Hawaii it can have beautiful streaks of reds and browns.

English Brown Oak Wood

English Brown Oak is actually English White Oak that has been killed by mushrooms growing on it. The mushroom produces an acid that colors the heartwood brown but in the process breaks down the cell structure and kills the tree. This is the color that Stickley tried to achieve by fuming American White Oak — but real Brown Oak cannot be counterfeited.

• Rich colors from milk chocolate to dark brown
• One of the finest architectural millwork timbers
• Often quartersawn to show off its beautiful flake
• Surface checking is common especially in the darker colors

English Oak Exotic Wood

English Oak is a White Oak — usually Quercus robur but sometimes Quercus petraea. The lumber has light heartwood similar to old growth American White Oak. Burr Oak is English White Oak that has been "taken over" by burls, giving the wood a wonderful marbled appearance. Most logs have extensive history, having been harvested from old estates in England or Scotland.

• Prized for fine furniture and veneers

French Oak / Spessart Oak / European Oak

The finest "French Oak" actually comes from the Spessart forest in Germany — a forest that has been carefully managed for three hundred years and should be used as the model for worldwide sustainable hardwood management. Trees are only harvested when fully mature, a process that takes two to three hundred years for White Oak.

• The finest textured White Oak
• Golden brown color, very close to old growth North American White Oak
• Used for fine veneers and the best wine barrels

Tasmanian Oak Wood

The tallest known flowering tree in the world, Tasmanian Oak grows in well-drained, high rainfall areas of Tasmania and Victoria, Australia. It is an evergreen tree that grows very quickly. Often referred to as Swamp Gum or Stringy Gum, it is a member of the eucalyptus family. Highly regarded for its long, clear, straight sections free from knots — used for everything from paneling to steam-bending, and increasingly popular for flooring due to its lovely golden blonde heartwood.

Italian Olive Exotic Wood

Italian Olive, also known as Mediterranean Olive, is a dense, oily, beautiful golden brown lumber with brown/black streaks running through it. These trees are usually only harvested when they are too old to produce olives or are damaged by disease or nature. Trees are usually pruned to keep the olives close to the ground so long lengths are uncommon. We have had planks three feet wide and twelve feet long from three hundred year old trees.

• Dense, oily wood — excellent for kitchen utensils
• Usually found in short lengths
• Used for knife handles
• Olive can be beautifully figured
• Difficult to dry due to oily characteristics and density

Padauk Exotic Wood

• Reddish orange heartwood color
• Oxidizes to a reddish brown
• Very dense

Swiss Pear Exotic Wood

European Pear wood (also known as Swiss Pear, Allisee, Ellesbeer, etc.) is one of the finest continental hardwoods. The finest quality Pear veneer comes from the sorbus tree — one of the only trees to have three heart color rings. Swiss Pear is a lumber that gets richer as it oxidizes. It is used for flutes and has been used by luthiers for violin construction. The wood is usually steamed to even out the color to a uniform fawn or pink.

• Used for fine veneers
• Produced from the fruit pear and sorbus trees
• Used for musical instruments
• Fine texture

European Pine Exotic Wood

European Pine is also known as Scottish Pine, English Pine, Austrian Pine, etc. The species is Pinus sylvestris — a widely versatile softwood used across Europe for furniture, construction, and millwork.

Pink Ivory Exotic Wood

• Dense, tight grained, pink colored wood
• One of the most expensive of all woods
• Often sold by the pound or kilo

European Plum Wood

This wood is just wonderful with its wide range of color — varying from brown to yellow to pink, and even purple. Often referred to as simply "Plum Wood," this timber shares the same genus with many other fruit and nut trees. Some European Plum trees bear thorns and all produce white flowers in the spring.

Purpleheart Exotic Wood

• Aptly named for the deep purple color of its heartwood
• Tree grows in abundance in South America
• Very durable outdoors
• Purple color oxidizes to brown over time

Redheart Exotic Wood

Redheart is a dense, fine textured hardwood from Central America with a beautiful red heartwood color. As with many red colored woods such as Padauk and Bloodwood, Redheart will oxidize to a brown color if not protected by a UV blocking finish. Redheart is a difficult lumber to dry, but when cured properly, it makes beautiful furniture.

Tasmanian Rose Myrtle

• Fine textured hardwood from Tasmania
• Very diverse timber that can be used for just about anything
• Can be found highly figured or burly
• At its best can be a world class timber

Belizean Rosewood Wood

Hybrid Rosewood from Belize. Found during a hurricane salvage job. Very rare.

Bolivian Rosewood Wood

Morado, also known as Santos Rosewood and Bolivian Rosewood, is a fine textured dark colored hardwood. When finished it resembles East Indian Rosewood, although Morado has a greater color range. It is very popular in both veneer and lumber, for fine furniture and architectural millwork.

Brazilian Rosewood Wood

Brazilian Rosewood is the most revered lumber of all time. Due to uncontrolled harvesting, the tree is now protected by the CITES Treaty and cannot be internationally traded. The heartwood is orange brown and it holds onto its color as it oxidizes. This is the species used on the finest Steinway pianos, Martin guitars, and Bentleys prior to the CITES ban.

• Most highly prized lumber
• Protected by the CITES III Treaty
• Finest tonewood
• Treasured for veneer

East Indian Rosewood

East Indian Rosewood is a true rosewood and on everyone's short list of the world's most beautiful lumbers. Prized for both veneers and lumber, this species is found in many Asian antiques. It has a very fine texture and brown to purple heartwood. As with other members of the dalbergia family, East Indian Rosewood is very dense and will yield a soft satin finish.

Honduras Rosewood Wood

• True member of the rosewood family (Dalbergia stevensonii)
• Very dense
• Primarily used for musical instruments including guitars and piano keys
• One of the more widely available members of the rosewood family
• Most boards are short and narrow

Nicaraguan Rosewood Exotic Wood

There are actually several members of the Dalbergia (rosewood) family growing in Nicaragua, each beautiful in its own way. The most prevalent is Dalbergia tucurensis — which can vary in character from different regions, soil types, and elevations. The species can come in purple, golden brown, and pinkish brown even though the trees have identical leaves and bark. With a specific gravity of between .8 and .9, it is similar to Brazilian Rosewood in workability and can be used in high-end luthiery.

Sapele Exotic Wood

Once considered a more refined member of the mahogany family, Sapele is now being used as the industry standard for doors, windows, and moldings due to restrictions on South American Mahogany. It has a peaceful nature and a medium texture. Sapele is now also being used as a tonewood — the trees can grow huge, with 4' diameter logs not uncommon.

• Used for both veneers and lumber
• Tonewood
• Needs to be carefully monitored to ensure it is not over harvested

Shedua Exotic Wood

Shedua has many names — the most popular being Shedua, Ovangkol, Mozambique, and African Walnut. It is a superior hardwood lumber from Central West Africa, with a lively brown heartwood color and is very dense.

• Fine veneers and lumber
• Musical instruments
• Fine furniture

Sheoak Exotic Wood

Sheoak from Australia is one of the rarest and most spectacular woods in the world. It has a dark red to orange-purple heartwood and can be highly figured. Sheoak is hard to find in sizable boards so it is best suited for smaller projects. Firelaced Sheoak looks like an explosion of splendour — layers of figure and colors swirling. This figure pattern is very rare and prized for the highest end applications.

• Very rare and expensive
• World class exotic

Snakewood Exotic Wood

Snakewood (or Letterwood) is one of the most exotic woods in the world. Named for the pattern found on the face of the boards, Snakewood has one of the most unique figure patterns of any lumber.

• Used for violin bows
• Very dense
• One of the most expensive lumbers — often sold by the pound or kilo

Austrian Red Spruce Wood

Alpine Red Spruce is the superior tonewood for stringed instrument tops and soundboards. Slow grown and fine textured, this Spruce has the strongest structure of any Spruce. These are also the characteristics of superior braces.

English Sycamore Wood

English Sycamore is a member of the maple family found throughout Europe. This is the lumber used for violins, cellos, basses, and violas. It is often quartered — a requirement for musical instruments. English Sycamore can be highly figured with curl or what the British like to call "ripple."

• Often found with curl figure (ripple)
• Larger logs usually quartered
• Highly prized for veneers
• Superior tonewood for classical instruments
• Good substitute where thicker/wide white material is needed

Burmese Teak Exotic Wood

Teak is the industry standard for the marine boat building industry. With its legendary durability and beautiful grain, teak is the lumber of choice for sailboats and yachts. It has also been used on the dashboards of classic Mercedes Benz S series cars. Teak is still harvested in some parts of the world with the help of elephants.

• Used for fine veneers
• Prized for marine use
• Durable for outdoor use
• Blunts tools due to silicates in the fiber

Tulipwood Exotic Wood

• Member of the rosewood family
• Holds its color well
• Fine texture
• Pink heartwood
• Very dense

Umthunzi Exotic Wood

Umthunzi wood is pinkish red, close-grained, dense but elastic. The wood is easy to work and finishes satiny smooth. It can possess a fiddle pattern, adding to its beauty. It is durable when exposed to water and therefore suitable for boat building, fish traps, and outdoor furniture.

In Africa, the bark and roots have significant medicinal value — used to cure broken bones, treat fevers, dispel bad dreams, and to treat gall sickness in livestock. Primarily growing on sand, it is easily blown over, where it touches the ground it roots to form new trees — hence the name "Walking Tree."

Wandoo Exotic Wood

Wandoo, a native species to Western Australia, is most commonly found growing in shallow valleys or on low ridges. Sometimes referred to as "White Gum," it is a member of the eucalyptus family. A very dense wood, Wandoo needs to be dried carefully to avoid checking and end splits. The heartwood color is gold to reddish brown. It is most commonly used for furniture and flooring, and is known for its fascinating "wild natural edge."

Wenge Exotic Wood

Wenge is a very dense, medium textured, dark hardwood from Central West Africa. It is often used as a substitute for Ebony when a job is constrained by budget.

Yellowheart Exotic Wood

• South American Satinwood
• Yellow colored heartwood

English Yew Exotic Wood

English Yew Tree may be the most elegant softwood. Displaying an array of colors from amber to pink, Yew Tree's tones continue to develop as they age — getting richer and richer. English Yew at its best can be found with pip or eye.

• Rustic elegance
• Beautiful pip figure
• Can have deep amber and/or pink heartwood
• Traditional wood for the English long bow

Zebrawood Exotic Wood

Zebrawood, or Zebrano as it is known in Europe, is named after its charismatic dark and light striping. It is at its best when quartersawn because it has a nervous disposition.

Ziricote Exotic Wood

Ziricote has about the closest grain resemblance to Brazilian Rosewood of any lumber, although the color is darker and lacking the reds and oranges. It is a superior furniture and musical instrument lumber. With its very fine texture and high density, Ziricote will take a satin finish with just sanding. The grain carves beautifully and is often used for sculptures. Ziricote is very rare and expensive.

• Superior exotic hardwood
• Extremely fine texture
• Used for acoustic guitars
• Best for smaller projects because of size limitations and weight