Is This Mahogany Any Good?

SweetWaterBlue

SweetWaterBlue

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I've been toying with the idea of cobbling together a scratch built mahogany Martin Style "O" soprano. I saw this mahogany online, but I can go pick it up here in town, so I wondered if any of you luthiers had any thoughts on what its suitability might be. Its already 1/16" (0.0625) so it shouldn't take much planing or sanding to get it thinner without a lot of machinery. The measured drawing plan I have calls for 0.059" as I recall for top and back. I am not anticipating my first build to be a masterpiece, but it would be nice if it sounded good. Obviously, I won't be able to book match it.

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2000687/9821/Mahogany--116-x-3-x-24--.aspx
 
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I've used wood from woodcraft for headstock veneers and binding....its very hit-or-miss.
You'd really have to go look at it because there's a huge range of quality, color, warping, etc. Its no bargain for price either
I think for the price you'd be better off getting wood from hana lima. Also...Hibdon Hardwoods is running a really cheap mahogany special this month. Check under "guitar wood" tab and then the "monthly special"
 
ksquine said:
Also...Hibdon Hardwoods is running a really cheap mahogany special this month. Check under "guitar wood" tab and then the "monthly special"
Click to expand...


Thanks for the heads up on Hibdon Hardwoods--that's a page to keep an eye on. I like how they imply the wood is worth less because it's not big enough for guitars.
 
Ksquine, I just returned from Hibdon Hardwoods in St Louis. I bought 5 mahogany guitar backsets and 3 necks for $31 as part of the March Luthier Special. Lots of good back and side sets with a few imperfections. I've only built a few ukes so this is great for me. The guitar wood guy is named Andrew and is friendly and helpful.
Doug
 
SweetWater, there is a woodcraft down the street from me. I use their Spanish cedar and mahogany to make my necks. I have no complaints about my purchases from them. Don't know about the top, back, and sides though. Never built a mahogany uke before... good luck, e.lo...
 
Thanks E-Lo. There might be a cigar box in my future somewhere too, so if I don't want to buy a pre-made neck, that could be a good source, even if I would not need backs and tops from them.

Its hard to beat those March special prices at Hibdon though. I just ordered a few of the March Special mahogany random length neck sets and back, and side sets from them. It will be interesting to see what I get. He gave me my choice between cedar and mahogany on the back and side sets, so I guess you can get either one. I assume I can make a top from them, as well.
 
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ksquine said:
I've used wood from woodcraft for headstock veneers and binding....its very hit-or-miss.
You'd really have to go look at it because there's a huge range of quality, color, warping, etc. Its no bargain for price either
I think for the price you'd be better off getting wood from hana lima. Also...Hibdon Hardwoods is running a really cheap mahogany special this month. Check under "guitar wood" tab and then the "monthly special"
Click to expand...

Hey, hey! The big brown truck just brought my March Special order to my door. I got 3 of the $2 guitar neck blanks 30" long, and 3 sets of back, and side sets for $10 each. They are all guitar seconds, with a few minor imperfections if you wanted a guitar sized body, but it looks like it will easily make 6 concerts and probably more sopranos. The top and bottom blanks are large enough to make one piece tops and/or bottoms. It should keep me busy for at least a year. I have got to dig out all my woodworking tools. Thanks again ksquine for that tip. They sent me:

6 pieces 22.5" x 8.5" x 1/8"
6 pieces 32.5" x 5.25" x 1/8"
3 pieces 30" x 3.25" (neck blanks)

Label sats Honduras Mahogany, but who knows where it really came from.
 
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That's an awesome deal--I should have gotten in on the necks. What's the grain like on the necks--can you get a quarter sawn orientation out of them?
 
Thanks guys for the heads up on this thread. I ordered ten sets of sides and backs and ten of the neck blanks from Hibdon. My other sources for mahogany have dried up. SweetWaterBlue, for your info, Honduran mahogany is just the common name for the wood, not the country of origin. It used to grow in a lot of places in South America, but it is pretty much gone now.

Brad
 
Matt Clara said:
That's an awesome deal--I should have gotten in on the necks. What's the grain like on the necks--can you get a quarter sawn orientation out of them?
Click to expand...

I will have to look at the grain tomorrow, and when there is better light I'll take a few pics if I can. I was a bit disappointed in the neck blanks at first. $2 just doesn't go as far as it used to lol. I naively imagined that they would be square, like the ones I see some people carving in videos, but they are the less wasteful 1" thick boards, so any necks will have to be stacked at the heel and scarfed at the headstock. I guess I could always go for a slotted design like my Flea has where the whole headstock on the same plane as the neck, but first I gotta build a Martin clone. I printed out my plan full size and laid it on the tops. I think I will only get at most 6 sopranos or maybe 4-5 concerts from them. Still for around $50 including shipping its pretty cheap wood to cut my teeth on.
 
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The neck blanks I got weren't quartersawn. It does state that on the website. They are more like rift sawn. Still good for laminated necks.
Doug
 
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Doug said:
The neck blanks I got weren't quartersawn. It does state that on the website. They are more like rift sawn. Still good for laminated necks.
Doug
Click to expand...

I looked at my 3 neck blanks this morning Doug, and mine are the same as yours. Most of the growth rings vary between 20 and 45 degrees off the vertical. I'd say its rift sawn too. I also had a lot of fun taping on all the wood. Its amazing how different pieces of the same species and same size have different tones and sustain.
 
I took some pictures of the end grain of the neck blanks, and it got me to wondering how unsuitable it might be for non-laminated necks. While I was thinking about it, I took a look at the maple neck on my Flea, and to my surprise, the wood on the Flea's neck was not only not quarter-sawn, its not even a very good rift saw, since the grain starts off on the diagonal and ends up completely horizontal on one side. It seems to be stable, but it is maple:

http://www.box.net/shared/jk6s8m5e2d

Sorry about the fuzzy picture, my cell phone cam doesn't have a macro. All of the rings on the mahogany blanks are pretty even, and all between vertical and perhaps 45 degrees off like this one:

http://www.box.net/shared/2dbr74uvus

Do I need to seek other wood for the necks of my first build, or might this be stable for a concert sized neck?
 
I think the mahogany will be stable enough for a neck, the only issue I see is in the appearance. The grain lines are going to be wider on one side of the neck than the other. Whether that bothers you or not is up to you. Personally, I would bookmatch the neck, it looks symetrical that way and certainly addresses any potential stability issues.

Brad
 
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