Granadillo

The trade name for several dense Platymiscium species from Central and South America, also sold as macacauba.

It grows from Mexico southwards, and its close grain, hardness and colour range, from orange-brown to deep red-brown, make it an obvious stand-in for the rosewood family. Fingerboard use is common because the wood needs no finish, wears slowly and holds its shape, and it is dense enough for bridges and for backs and sides too. It is commonly described as warm and clear, with a rosewood-like low end and a slightly harder edge in the upper register. The practical argument is supply: it carries none of the trade paperwork attached to the dalbergia species.

Example: An instrument specified with a granadillo fingerboard and bridge gives a rosewood feel and a slightly brighter voice while avoiding restricted-species documentation.

typical use: Fretboards, bridges and acoustic backs and sides.

Granadillo

See also