Pau ferro

A dense tropical hardwood from the same family as rosewood, widely used as a fingerboard material and sometimes for acoustic backs and sides.

It is a practical substitute for rosewood, being similar in hardness and wear resistance with a lighter, more variable colour that ranges from tan to chocolate. Tonally it sits close to rosewood, warm with a clear attack, and some makers describe it as slightly brighter and snappier. Because it does not fall under the same trade restrictions as the rosewood species, it became considerably more common once documentation requirements tightened.

Example: a modern bolt-on with a pau ferro board gives much of the warmth players expect from rosewood with fewer supply complications.

Pau ferro

See also