African mahogany

The commercial name for the timber of several Khaya species, sold as a substitute for the American mahoganies.

It is cut across tropical West and Central Africa, where the trees reach usable sizes far faster than the classic Honduran species, which is the whole reason for its availability. The working properties are close to the mahogany ideal: it machines and glues cleanly, takes a finish evenly and holds hardware screws well. It is commonly described as sharing the warm, midrange-forward family voice while being a little coarser grained, slightly thinner at the bottom and marginally brighter in the upper midrange. It appears on mid-priced instruments as a body, neck and acoustic back-and-sides timber, and buyers who want genuine Honduran mahogany are usually told to check the species rather than the label.

Example: A set-neck double cut in African mahogany still delivers the thick, singing midrange players expect from the recipe, at a fraction of the American price.

typical use: Solid bodies, necks, and acoustic backs and sides.

African mahogany

See also