Mahogany vs Acacia

Ahnko Honu

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 26, 2009
Messages
4,610
Reaction score
211
Location
Moku Manu, Hawai'i
Tonewood opinions request: which do you prefer Mahogany or Acacia? Why?
Thinking of getting a inexpensive solid wood pineapple but can't decide wood.
Mahalo nui guys!
 
Good idea. About time you got around to trying a pineapple... :p
 
Mahogany for the win! Especially when it has taken some aging, a mahogany instrument develops a "sweetness"that you won´t find in any other tonewood.
 
I just bought a Kala solid mahogany concert and a Kala solid acacia tenor. because they're different size instruments, it's hard to compare them directly, but before I bought them I spent a lot of time comparing Kala tenors in both mahogany and acacia. I loved them both. I thought the mahogany tenor's sound was slightly more mellow than the acacia tenor's sound, and the acaica uke sounded a little more bright. I like both sounds. I bought the concert ukulele in mahogany because mahogany seemed to me to have a more traditional sound, and concert ukuleles sound more traditional to me than tenors do. I hope that helps.
 
I have a Koa Pili Koko Tenor, and I can say that I'm quite impressed by Acacia. I've never been as impressed by any of my mahogany ukes. I can't really describe it, and the comparison isn't exactly a direct comparasion, since I don't have any mahogany tenors, but the Acacia just looks better and sounds better to me.
 
Mahogany, hands down, end of story. I bought mahogany before I learned that it wasn't the 'green' thing to do. Not that everything you're told about being 'green' is true, but still I'm concerned about how much mahogany is renewable at this point. Bottom line, my new one is mahogany, and it's gonna sing.
 
I have a KPK Acacia soprano and the sound quality is very similar to Koa but I have never owned a solid Mahogany 'ukulele so nothing to compare it. Seller says he'll have 3 of each Mahogany, and Acacia so I'll get to play and pick from the lot which I like best. I'm leaning towards the Mahogany just because I don't have one yet but playing them will determine. But also the Acacias seem to have fancier grain patterns in the wood so much more attractive than Mahogany as a rule which may also come into consideration when selecting.
This will be a Melokia from same seller I bought my KPK from several months ago.
I of course will let you all know which one I decided on and hopefully will have a new computer running capable of recording a sound bite. Can't wait til next week. :drool:
 
hey, if a type of wood is running out, what better to do with it than make musical instruments out of it?
 
Mahogany's a great tonewood. I like mahogany guitars lots.
 
Mahogany's a great tonewood. I like mahogany guitars lots.

I've got a Solid Mahogany Epiphone Guitar from the 1960s which was very thoroughly played by the old owner, to the point where the rosewood fretboard has rather deep finger INDENTATIONS in the commonly fretted areas. I've seen light indentations in heavily played fretboards before, but this guitar is thoroughly broken in, and the wood beautifully aged. It sounds nice, with that unique rustic bluesy sound, but overall, that mahogany sound just doesn't really do it for me.

However, I have to say that if money were not an issue, I'd be down to try a Melodica pineapple or tenor. :)
 
Top Bottom