Okoume

A pale African hardwood, sometimes sold as a mahogany substitute, used for body blanks and cores and for acoustic necks and bodies.

It is light, easy to machine and inexpensive, and its grain and colour are plain enough to disappear under an opaque finish or under a veneer. Tonally it is usually described as slightly brighter and less complex than true mahogany, with a softer low end, which makes it a serviceable budget option rather than a substitute for the acoustically prized species. Because it machines so cleanly, it is also popular for laminated acoustic bodies where appearance hardly matters.

Example: an inexpensive acoustic with okoume back and sides is not trying to sound like rosewood, and mostly avoids the dead, boxy quality that cheaper laminates can have.

Okoume

See also