Official Luthiers Forum!

What is your opinion of using Sepele for an acoustic guitar neck.

I bought some thinking it would have a nice look but be comparable to Mahogany. The piece I received is much denser than the Mahogany I have been using. I am worried that it may be a bit to heavy.

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EddieLee

I think it' great for electrics.

I try to build my acoustics a s light in weight as possible.

However for steel strings I don't use Spanish Cedar, and instead try to find light weight Honduras Mahogany.

Sapele is just too heavy for me.


However, LOTS of builders use Mapl for necks with good results, so I don't see why you COULDN'T use a heavier wood like Sapele.

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Old growth, shmold growth!

Sapele makes wonderful necks, even on acoustics. While the weight difference is noticable when handling the large blank, once you whittle awake all the wood that isn't a neck, the weight difference will be minimal.

Very stiff, stable, carves and finishes nicely.

It's nice and certainly a lot nicer than the khaya I got, which has a rougher texture. Sapele is harder to carve than Honduran mahogany and perhaps the grain isn't quite as open. In fact I don't bother filling the grain. Mostly you will come across the stuff with the prominent stripes but I've had a piece that was more of a dark chocolate type colour, which I found more appealing. Wish I could get more of that type.

What Grumpy said. I have not found it to be noticably harder to carve. It is all I use now.

Thanks for the input.

Michael, I have friends that got some scrap wood from a saw mill. They were told it was Mahogany. It was really Sepele but a few piece were Coffee Latte brown when they put finish on it. It was very attractive. I was confused by that but it fits with your comment.

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EddieLee

This is it with a water clear finish:

I have a L-00 with a Sepele neck. I's great. Even on a small guitar the little extra weight is not overly noticeable. I have more neck stock and will use it again.

I used it on an OM. The extra weight is noticible, but not so much so
that I would contemplate replacing it with HOG. I'm using it on the
12 fret OOO I'm building now. It should be even less noticible on the
shorter neck.

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Gene

Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason- Mark Twain

I would add that it really smells nice too.

I will give it a go. Thanks.

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EddieLee

Another thumbs-up here - I recently built 6 electrics with Sapele necks (and backs) and agree with Grumpy's sentiments - "stiff, stable, carves and finishes nicely"
With dark pore-fill the grain pops nicely.