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..and have not seen a lot of guitars built with it recently but it seems like a really nice piece. 10 1/2" wide by 56" long by 1 3/4" thick. Under $50. Now I need to get it resawn.

It seems to be used on some lower end guitars but has anyone used it and can speak to its tone as a B&S wood?

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Thank You and Best To All

Certainly looks like nice stuff!! I've got a set but haven't built with it yet. From my understanding it's very similar to mahogany in tone and workability.

Nice find. I hope you can find someone to resaw over 10". Its nice wood for a guitar. Pretty much like Mahogany for tone but heavier. It bends about like mahogany too

Certainly a bit harder (denser) to carve than Honduran Mahogany but it's nice enough for Necks if you get straight grained well dried stock.

I like it. Looks like mahogany but a little darker in color and heavier. I love the smell of it too.

nice one! IME (not much, granted) sapele tends to move much more in service than mahogany. there are quite a lot of factory classical guitars made with sapele, FWIW.

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member of the guild of professional dilettantes

Sapele is inexpensive but don't let that fool you. It is an outstanding tone wood. I have made 4 guitars with it, two with redwood top and two with WRC. They are all outstanding with a sound pretty much like what you would expect from mahogany.

I had some trouble bending it at first by found that I needed to spray it, cover it with paper, spray again, cover it all with tin foil and bend.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Thanks Joe,

Looking forward to building with it as I'm a big mahogany fan. BTW is that a Sapele guitar in your avatar?

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Thank You and Best To All

That is a beautiful piece of well quartered ribbon sapelle. Regarding whether or not you can make a good sounding guitar from it, Taylor seems to think you can. Their 300 series guitars have solid ribbon sapelle backs and sides.

Nice score!

Some of my absolute best guitars have sapele back and sides, and I use it for necks quite often. Wonderful wood...!

Under $50??? That is one nice looking log. Many back and side sets hiding in there. Sapele is an excellent tonewood. You will love it.

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http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC

I was REALLY surprised at the cost. I'll keep my eye on the hard wood store for some more deals. I also looked through their entire stash of 'genuine' mahogany and only found one piece that was quartered with straight grain. It was 14 feet long though so another nice score for many necks to come.

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Thank You and Best To All

Please, someone tell me where I can find those sort of deals in the UK!!!!

That's about the same price as at my local lumber yard, except all of their 8/4 sapele is flat sawn.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Nick, not sure whereabouts in London you are, but I often score beautiful sapele locally to me from a place called Mid Sussex Timber in Forest Row http://www.mstc.co.uk/Mid-Sussex-Timber.php?page=9a&sub=Timber&Section=Hardwood they have racks of it and I recently scored some quilted birds eye sapele. I just pull out as many boards as I can to until I find anything unusual or striking, it doesn't always happen, but their stock is ever changing.

Bob

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http://www.bobmatthewsguitars.co.uk

Thanks Bob, very kind! I didn't expect my desperate plea to yield such quick results!
I shall have to try to find somewhere nearer but maybe one day I'll get down there.

Places I have been to in NW London so far have been pretty dire in terms of selection... Flatsawn maple and meranti among the only options. Would be nice to pick up a good deal for several guitars worth of back and sides as Larry seems to have done!

Larry,
Yes, the avatar pic is sapele!!! That is one of the redwood topped ones.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Ya nice stick.

Sapele and hog both tend to produce nice warm sounding instruments...and are used a lot.

However and not the less, they are not considered "true tone woods" because they are lacking in virtious qualities (glass like ring) associated in high "Q" woods. Although sometimes they do and at other times they don't...just likes people eh! It still makes for a good guitar.... provide you know how to make a good guitar... Ya , me know , cheap shot...sorry.

Lets see...quick maths..thats a dread, a parlor and a uke...or two...nice.

Now considering the price you paid... have fun building.

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