Koa tonewood Profile
guitarbench
For your viewing pleasure, I have just published a profile on the
acacia also known as Koa as part of my ongoing tonewood database. As
always, improvements, corrections and additional information/ your own
experiences are much appreciated- I'll update the profile citing you
and linking back to you! If you have an experiences or data to share,
I would be very grateful.
I can't link pics directly to here so do pop by to
http://guitarbench.com/index.php/2009/12/09/koa-tonewood-profile/
for the full Visual presentation. As always, I present the text
portion of the article for your consideration- although I do highly
recommend popping by to see the pics!
Warmest regards,
Terence
http://www.guitarbench.com
Acacia Koa | Tonewood Profile | "Koa"
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Please email with any corrections/ additional info
We aim to keep each profile as complete as possible & your help is
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Quick Facts
Scientific name: Acacia Koa
Trade names: Koa
Janka: 1250
Uses: Tops, Veneer, Back and sides
RIYL: Walnut, Mahogany
Bling factor: Curl and colour variation is not uncommon
Availability: Uncommon
CITES status: Not listed. No restrictions
Note: (RIYL) Recommended If You Like
Natural History
Koa is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands attaining heights of 30 metres
and 6 metres in diameter. It is found thriving in forest zones of 100–
2,300 metres on all 6 major Hawaiian Islands. As a nitrogen fixing
species, it is able to thrive in very young volcanic soils.
Status
koa was used by ancient Hawaiians for a variety of uses from to build
dugout canoes to surfboards. During the Hawaiian music craze of the
20's it's similarity in strength and weight to that of black walnut
led it to be extensively logged for use in wood carving and furniture.
Today only 10% of the original Koa forests survive but due to
conservation efforts and it's hardy nature, Koa is not endangered.
Physical properties
The wood is fine-grained can display a number of figure: plain,
straight, banded, fiddleback and in one instance quilted. Heartwood
can vary from a rich crimson-brown to golden yellow and can vary
greatly from log to log. The janka of Koa is around 12250 and it has a
specific gravity of 0.55.
As a tonewood...
Koa guitars can vary tonally, in accordance with density and weight.
They are most often described as a warm sounding Mahogany to a
brighter sounding Rosewood. A lower density koa guitar tends to
produce a more mahogany tone, whereas denser sets tend towards the
rosewood spectrum.
Subjective tone...
I would broadly characterise the tone of Koa as being similar to
Australian Blackwood, with a woody, open tone somewhere between
mahogany and rosewood
Availability
As a managed species, Koa stocks are still available and tonewood
stocks look limited by healthy. Alternatives exist, namely close
cousins Australian and Vanuatu Blackwood. Read more about Australian
Blackwood here.
Bob
<tan.t...@gmail.com> wrote:
>Hi Folks!
>
>For your viewing pleasure, I have just published a profile on the
>acacia also known as Koa as part of my ongoing tonewood database. As
Thanks for the info. That made sense. I've played quite a few acoustic
guitars made of koa, and aside from the Goodalls, they all seemed a
bit cold sounding and bright to me. (Goodall must have access to a
wider range of koa, or maybe his bracing method lends well to the way
that koa works.)
Your description places koa between mahogany and rosewood, but I would
have characterized the koa acoustics that I've played as being even
brighter/stiffer than rosewood. I've also played a solid koa electric
that I thought sounded terrible for the same reasons. I'd love to
hear a good example of the warmer-sounding variant.
Anyway, thanks for your posts. Enjoyable to read this stuff!
Bob
PS: Terence, we were discussing types of mahogany in another thread. I
noticed that you have listed Cuban mahogany on your site. Do you
happen to have references on African mahogany or Asian mahogany? (I
don't really know what the latter is...David H mentioned it)
Kevin Hall
stuff used mostly for door casings etc. over here?
KH
"Bob" <B...@znospam.com> wrote in message
news:d5fci55ft0nvqri1b...@4ax.com...
David Hajicek
"Kevin Hall" <timbe...@webhart.net> wrote in message
news:yPGdnS04Dalz9LvW...@posted.vianet...
There you go making me work again. ;>)
Well now you made me go down the basement and look up some Philippine* doors
and trim to compare against the TBD variety of "Mahogany" I got from an
Asian source. I don't think they are the same. I am using "Asian" very
loosely (because my source is Asian) and it appears, incorrectly (see
below). I have no idea where my "Asian" Mahogany came from. Most likely
not the Philippines, would be my guess. I don't think it is some variety of
Lauan; it was fairly dense, finer grain and stiff compared to Lauan that
I've seen and without the wierd patterns. It is about as dense and rings
almost as well as "real" Mahogany.
It looks like the lighter colored Sapele from LMII, which is not a true
Mahogany.
http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdproducts.asp?CategoryName=+Backs+and+Sides&NameProdHeader=Mahogany+%2D+African%2C+Honduran%2C+Sapele
*This trim is over 25 years old, so it could be something of a mix. Some
was interesting and looked like Honduran, some really boring and obviously
Philippine.
Per Wiki-Pedia:
Per Federal Trade Commission
� 250.3 Identity of woods.
a.. Mahogany.
1.. The unqualified term mahogany should not be used to describe wood
other than genuine solid mahogany (genus Swietenia of the Meliaceae family).
The woods of genus Swietenia may be described by the term ''mahogany'' with
or without a prefix designating the country or region of its origin, such as
''Honduras mahogany'', ''Costa Rican mahogany'', ''Brazilian mahogany'' or
''Mexican mahogany''.
2.. The term ''mahogany'' may be used to describe solid wood of the genus
Khaya of the Meliaceae family, but only when prefixed by the word ''African''
(e.g., ''African mahogany desk'').
3.. In naming or designating the seven non-mahogany Philippine woods
Tanguile, Red Lauan, White Lauan, Tiaong, Almon, Mayapis, and Bagtikan, the
term ''mahogany'' may be used but only when prefixed by the word
''Philippine'' (e.g., ''Philippine mahogany table''), due to the long
standing usage of that term. Examples of improper use of the term ''mahogany''
include reference to Red Lauan as ''Lauan mahogany'' or to White Lauan as
''Blond Lauan mahogany''. Such woods, however, may be described as ''Red
Lauan'' or ''Lauan'' or ''White Lauan'', respectively. The term ''Philippine
mahogany'' will be accepted as a name or designation of the seven woods
named above. Such term shall not be applied to any other wood, whether or
not grown on the Philippine Islands.
4.. The term ''mahogany'', with or without qualifications, should not be
used to describe any other wood except as provided above. This applies also
to any of the woods belonging to the Meliaceae family, other than genera
Swietenia and Khaya.
And now we know more about Mahogany than we probably wanted to know. ;>)
Dave Hajicek
David Hajicek
I checked my notes and the wood is labeled, "Swietenia Sureni". This means
it is a real Mahogany. I just couldn't find much information on it. My
source called it "East Asian Mahogany". Apparently it is also called "Toona
Sureni" or "Toona Mahogany". Toona is an "Asian" version of Mahogany. So
my source was not lying to me. It is just not a common wood here in the
West.
Dave Hajicek
Bob
<haj...@skypoint.com> wrote:
>Per Wiki-Pedia:
>Per Federal Trade Commission
>
>� 250.3 Identity of woods.
>
> a.. Mahogany.
> 1.. The unqualified term mahogany should not be used to describe wood
>other than genuine solid mahogany (genus Swietenia of the Meliaceae family).
>The woods of genus Swietenia may be described by the term ''mahogany'' with
>or without a prefix designating the country or region of its origin, such as
>''Honduras mahogany'', ''Costa Rican mahogany'', ''Brazilian mahogany'' or
>''Mexican mahogany''.
> 2.. The term ''mahogany'' may be used to describe solid wood of the genus
>Khaya of the Meliaceae family, but only when prefixed by the word ''African''
...
>And now we know more about Mahogany than we probably wanted to know. ;>)
>
>Dave Hajicek
Actually that was very helpful! I would not have thought to look for
info via the FTC, but that made a lot of sense. Thanks, Dave!
Kevin Hall
making guitars for us in Indonesia. They used it for backs and sides as
well as necks. It was fairly light in colour but tighter grained than most
luan. Seemed stiff, carved very much like 'normal' mahoganies, and as
back and sides it built up into a light, responsive instrument.
The manufacturer refered to that as 'Indonesian' or 'Javanese' mahog. He
also supplied an Indonesian version of East Indian rosewood which was very
similar to the E.I. version but slightly more dense. Apparently that stuff
is the same product as the rosewood we usually get from India, but climatic
and soil conditions tend to make it somewhat harder.
KH
"Bob" <B...@znospam.com> wrote in message
news:oc5gi516lcvvq7rqn...@4ax.com...
guitarbench
> noticed that you have listed Cuban mahogany on your site. Do you
> happen to have references on African mahogany or Asian mahogany? (I
> don't really know what the latter is...David H mentioned it)
Sorry Bob I just saw your reply. David H is on the money on his reply
so I guess he's kinda answered your question.
Kevin also wrote about EIRW grown on Indonesian plantations- he's also
correct that it is the same species as D.Latifolia but due to the
environment differs slightly. For the record, it is called sonokeling!
Terence