Fiji mahogany

matthew · Post by **matthew** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 2:04 pm

any of you have any experience with fiji mahogany?

Mongrel · Post by **Mongrel** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 3:12 pm

Built Lil Mongrels electric out of Fiji Mahogany from Gilets. Nice to work, no knots or defects.
http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=70739

Are you accoustic-ing or electric-ing?

matthew · Post by **matthew** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 3:49 pm

Double basses only. Therefore, Acoustic.

Bendable? Stability? looks?

Possibly an opportunity to get some.

kiwigeo · Post by **kiwigeo** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 4:19 pm

Hiya Mongrel..welcome to the ANZLF. I assume Lil M will be popping in from time to time? About time she started her first acoustic.

Cheers Martin

Bob Connor · Post by **Bob Connor** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 5:24 pm

You wouldn't know the difference between it and real Honduras Mahogany.

Both body and neck are from Fijian Swietinia the body is stained because that's what the customer wanted.

matthew · Post by **matthew** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 6:22 pm

bob wrote:You wouldn't know the difference between it and real Honduras Mahogany.

I certainly wouldn't ... I've never used any of either! Is that good?? Anything to watch out for?

And anything you can say tonally? dark? bright?

MT

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 6:32 pm

I use something that was called Fijian Mahogany, but God only knows what it actually was. Bent very well, but did have some ropey type of fiber bundles that wanted to pull out with my binding tape.

It was cheap and made a great sounding instrument. I'd certainly use it again if the the opportunity arose. I would say that the sound is more towards the dark side.

And my piece would have been better with a bit of color in the way of a stain. It just needs a little something to make it all that it could or should be. Your milage may vary.

Oh, and welcome to the forum Mongrel.

vandenboom · Post by **vandenboom** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 6:33 pm

Just used it in a neck shaft. No issues. Very light compared to the blackwood shaft used in another guitar under way.
Frank

graham mcdonald · Post by **graham mcdonald** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 7:54 pm

As I understand it, the wood being sold as Fijian mahogany is your actual Central American mahogany that was planted in plantations in Fiji some decades ago. I have only used it as neck stock (from Gerard Gilet) and it seems fine. It would be interesting to get some quartersawn bits big enough for backs and sides, and it might well be available from places like Anagote in Sydney. US sellers of mahogany are now saying that CITES stops them from exporting it to people here, so the Fijian grown timber might be our only way of getting any. Mahogany seems to have fallen out of fashion in recent years, with all the more exotic species becoming available, but makes good instruments. Think of a good D-18!

cheers

graham

Deano · Post by **Deano** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 8:06 pm

Matthew,

I spoke to Gerald at Gillet guitars about the Fiji Mahogany a while back, I know he sells solid body blanks but speaks highly of it.

I went down to the local timber yard this week to get some mahogany for my first hollowbody build. Went through packs and packs of Swietinia and African mahogany and spotted a few differences between the two. African seemed more porous and the ribbon figuring was consistently straighter with even spacing. The Swietinia was harder, not as porous and the ribbon figuring was all over the place.

As for weight, I got a plank of african 200 wide x 38 thick x2000 long and it weights just over 3kg. Really light, and on the tap it rings like a gong. This is now resting peacefully on the timber pile in my workshop

Personally, the swietinia looked good, but every board was so so different, not like the African at all.

I haven't built with it yet, but im sure no matter what you use it will sound good.

Deano · Post by **Deano** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 8:14 pm

Fijian mahogany is your actual Central American mahogany that was planted in plantations in Fiji some decades ago

I do recall being told that the fijian mahogany is from seeds from honduras...

Oh and the only thing to be concerned about Matthew is Pin hole knots. But I doubt thats a serious problem.

Mongrel · Post by **Mongrel** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 8:25 pm

Deano wrote:Matthew,

I spoke to Gerald at Gillet guitars about the Fiji Mahogany a while back, I know he sells solid body blanks but speaks highly of it.

I went down to the local timber yard this week to get some mahogany for my first hollowbody build. Went through packs and packs of Swietinia and African mahogany and spotted a few differences between the two. African seemed more porous and the ribbon figuring was consistently straighter with even spacing. The Swietinia was harder, not as porous and the ribbon figuring was all over the place.

As for weight, I got a plank of african 200 wide x 38 thick x2000 long and it weights just over 3kg. Really light, and on the tap it rings like a gong. This is now resting peacefully on the timber pile in my workshop

Personally, the swietinia looked good, but every board was so so different, not like the African at all.

I haven't built with it yet, but im sure no matter what you use it will sound good.

Man, that sucks! I went to MY local timber yard and asked them the varieties that they had, and the response was....hardwood and softwood.

Anyone made an accoustic out of blackbutt and cypress pine?

woodrat · Post by **woodrat** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 9:04 pm

Man, that sucks! I went to MY local timber yard and asked them the varieties that they had, and the response was....hardwood and softwood.

Anyone made an accoustic out of blackbutt and cypress pine?

[/quote]

Hi Mongrel, I grew up west of the divide and hardware stores dont know anything about timber there. Like you said it was hardwood or softwood. My advice is if you go to Sydney for a trip , go to Trend Timbers or Anagote and have a sniff around there. Its almost impossible in the bush to find anything exotic for lutherie. You may get lucky if there is a local furniture restorer or maker...but then you would have to convince him to part with it.

Bob Connor · Post by **Bob Connor** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 9:56 pm

matthew wrote:
bob wrote:You wouldn't know the difference between it and real Honduras Mahogany.
I certainly wouldn't ... I've never used any of either! Is that good?? Anything to watch out for?

And anything you can say tonally? dark? bright?

MT

It's certainly not a dark reverby sounding wood like, say Indian Rosewood or Cocobolo. Much dryer response.

It's a bit hard to describe in words because everyone hears something different.

This guitar is quite bright but that's probably got more to do with the top than the back and sides.

matthew · Post by **matthew** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 10:28 pm

hey guys

this

was made from Tas Oak and WRcedar from Mitre Ten in Sydney.

sounds fantastic.

You just have to choose carefully.

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 6:21 am

Mongrel wrote:
Man, that sucks! I went to MY local timber yard and asked them the varieties that they had, and the response was....hardwood and softwood.

Anyone made an accoustic out of blackbutt and cypress pine?

Is this the type of Cypress (Cupressus Macrocarpa) that you're talking about?

sebastiaan56 · Post by **sebastiaan56** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 8:09 am

I think Mongrel meant this stuff Allen, http://www.carramartimbers.com.au/white_cypress.php commonly used as flooring but mentioned in the report on Aussie timbers for lutherie. Ive practice bent some and its works well. I have not as yet got bits large enuff for backs but it has to be worth a try.

Trend carries the Fijian Mahagony and occasionally you will see some outrageously figured pieces there. But you have to be quick as they will ring Gerard Gilet if they think they have something interesting and he will drive the 70k across Sydney, they have a long term relationship.

Welcome Mongrel! get Lil on board as well mate. She makes this gig look simple! May I suggest the forum sponsors as sources for timber for lutherie. They are here because they offer good value and are trustworthy.

ash · Post by **ash** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 8:42 pm

I've used a lot of Fiji mahogany over the last six years, almost all for electric guitars. Mine has been from two lots, one has lots of soft, light, very resonant wood and the older lot is more figured, harder, darker and heavier. More like what you'd expect mahogany to be.

Does anyone have any thoughts of the tone of Fijian mahogany in electric guitars?

The softer/lighter stuff seems to have great tap-tone, but solid electric guitars come out quite harsh sounding. This seems to be despite significant neck/fretboard/pickup variations in the guitars I've found harsh sounding.

The harder stuff isn't harsh sounding, but still doesn't sound like South American mahogany to me. This is a bit of a dilemma as I'm not prepared to sell non-swietenia as mahogany and real mahogany is what the punters want. I have a load of korina/limba arriving next month, so that should delay the desire to mahogany-hunt for a while.

Rick Turner · Post by **Rick Turner** » Sun Oct 18, 2009 1:27 am

When you are talking about African mahogany, be sure of what species you're dealing with. Sapele...is not considered a true mahogany, Khaya is. Both can be excellent guitar woods.

I got a bunch of billets of Honduras mahogany that had been grown in India...same deal...the Brits planted it in the mid 1800s from seeds taken from Honduras. It did have some of the stringiness of plantation grown timber... Nothing like rare and rarer old growth wood.

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