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Can wenge be used as a tonewood for a new negra?   You are logged in as Guest
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Ahmed Flamenco

 

Posts: 163
Joined: Feb. 22 2014
From: Egypt

Can wenge be used as a tonewood for ... 
Hello guys
I want to build a new negra flamenco guitar and I wanted to use wenge , will it give a good flamenco sound or it may dampens the sound?
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Jun. 21 2015 17:02:41
 
norumba2

 

Posts: 37
Joined: May 20 2015
 

RE: Can wenge be used as a tonewood ... (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco) 
I think tone wise it may fit, but its a heavy wood, stiff but porous...hard to work with. I know it's used in some ouds, but I've never seen an acoustic guitar made with one.

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Jun. 22 2015 5:23:11
 
Echi

 

Posts: 1132
Joined: Jan. 11 2013
 

RE: Can wenge be used as a tonewood ... (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco) 
Hi, I used it in the past for a classical and happy with the results.
It's tonally good, but quite heavy: you could have nice results for something like a heavy flamenco guitar like a Sanchis Carpio Bulerias for instance.
If your goal is a light and responsive one I'd go for other medium density stuff.
Difficult wood to work anyway , it will make your tools dull very soon - particularly the scrapers.
Again I suggest you to wear gloves when you handle it as the long pores make easy sudden splinters raise up.
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Jun. 22 2015 6:19:35
 
keith

Posts: 1108
Joined: Sep. 29 2009
From: Back in Boston

RE: Can wenge be used as a tonewood ... (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco) 
I googled wenge guitars and found some acoustic guitars made from it but have no idea about the sound. the weight of wenge is in the ballpark of indian rosewood (wood database) but I am not sure if one can go as thin as indian rosewood. wenge easily splinters and the splinters are nasty and can cause infections. it is pretty bland looking and is often used as an ebony substitute.
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Jun. 22 2015 9:17:38
 
tijeretamiel

 

Posts: 441
Joined: Jan. 6 2012
 

RE: Can wenge be used as a tonewood ... (in reply to keith) 
I've played about 5 or 6 high end steel string guitars with Wenge back and sides and they were excellent. I'd say in some ways it was closer to Brazilian Rosewood than Indian RW.

As for weight, it's close to BRW. Wenge has an average dried weight of 870kg per cubed metre and BRW has 835kg per cubed metre. Wenge is lighter than Madagascar, Amazon, Honduran Rosewoods, and also Pau Ferro, so I can't see it's weight being an issue. I've even seen a few Ziricote flamencos which were the heaviest guitars I've come across in the steel string side of things.

What is supposed to be an issue with Wenge are the splinters! I've heard they are brutal and horrible for workability.
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Jun. 22 2015 10:27:50
 
Ahmed Flamenco

 

Posts: 163
Joined: Feb. 22 2014
From: Egypt

RE: Can wenge be used as a tonewood ... (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco) 
Anyway I need another wood to make a negra ,I've seen a dark walnut but I prefer it for a classical guitar.
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Jun. 22 2015 11:20:01
 
Stephen Eden

 

Posts: 914
Joined: Apr. 12 2008
From: UK

RE: Can wenge be used as a tonewood ... (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco) 
we used Wenge when I was an apprentice for a small bodied flamenco. The guitar turned out very nicely. I haven't used it again only because Indian Rosewood is cheaper and easier to sell.

I didn't find it particually hard to work although using a sander thicknesser kinda takes the stress out of using a lot of the difficult woods.

Again the splinters are horrific. I was making something completely unrelated to guitars with it many years ago, I was just sanding the edges when the paper managed to get underneath the grain and sent a huge splinter right through my finger! I still use it for bindings today but am a lot more careful about how I sand it, I still get little splinters though and remove them instantly with a scaple.

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Jun. 22 2015 11:32:58
 
keith

Posts: 1108
Joined: Sep. 29 2009
From: Back in Boston

RE: Can wenge be used as a tonewood ... (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco) 
Ahmed, if you want a Dalbergia substitute with a dangerous story to it use Metopium browneii, AKA, Chechen, Caribbean Rosewood, Poisonwood. The wood has a rosewood look to it. The wood itself is not harmful but debarking the wood is nasty as the tree contains a sap akin to poison ivy, etc. Interestingly, the gumbo-limbo tree grows near Chechen and is antidote to the sap.

The wood database is a great resource--I use all the time. Here is a link to an article about wood toxicity.

http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/wood-allergies-and-toxicity/
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Jun. 22 2015 12:39:55
 
tijeretamiel

 

Posts: 441
Joined: Jan. 6 2012
 

RE: Can wenge be used as a tonewood ... (in reply to keith) 
quote:

ORIGINAL: keith

Ahmed, if you want a Dalbergia substitute with a dangerous story to it use Metopium browneii, AKA, Chechen, Caribbean Rosewood, Poisonwood.


I've been intrigued by Chechen for guitar, it seems to be cheap and available when a lot of Dalbergias are expensive and ethically unsound. I post on an acoustic guitar forum and a user there Bruce Sexauer (who is a luthier) said a few of his Chechen guitars were up there with the best Dalbergia guitars he's made.

Here is the Chechen guitar he made.



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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Jun. 22 2015 13:06:12
 
keith

Posts: 1108
Joined: Sep. 29 2009
From: Back in Boston

RE: Can wenge be used as a tonewood ... (in reply to tijeretamiel) 
interesting--the wood has a mahogany look to it. here is a back and side set from the link below--scroll to the bottom



http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/chechen/



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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Jun. 22 2015 14:11:07
 
norumba2

 

Posts: 37
Joined: May 20 2015
 

RE: Can wenge be used as a tonewood ... (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco) 
nice to hear other experiences with wenge, and cool to know that someone built a flamenco with it.

my experience with it was as a chambered solid body electric... i didnt build the body, but got it raw and did the finishing of it. in that context, it was heavy, but i liked the tone of it a lot. i think it woud be somewhat brighter and and more responsive than rosewoods.

i disagree that its bland looking, lol... just look at the post above. Mine had great grain to it as well:



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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Jun. 22 2015 16:32:10
 
Ted G

Posts: 56
Joined: Jul. 19 2003
 

RE: Can wenge be used as a tonewood ... (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco) 
Fellow member, gitanillotomillo, had a Manuel Bellido flamenco made with wenge and it sounds flamenco go me. See link:

  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Jun. 23 2015 4:30:58
 
Ahmed Flamenco

 

Posts: 163
Joined: Feb. 22 2014
From: Egypt

RE: Can wenge be used as a tonewood ... (in reply to Ted G) 
Wow it sounds great
The top is cedar?
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Jun. 23 2015 14:38:04
 
Ted G

Posts: 56
Joined: Jul. 19 2003
 

RE: Can wenge be used as a tonewood ... (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco) 
In the YouTube description, it says the back and sides are wenge, and top is cedar.
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Jun. 23 2015 15:48:33
 
Anders Eliasson

Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006
 

RE: Can wenge be used as a tonewood ... (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco) 
You can use whatever wood that doesnt fall apart or split for the back and sides of a flamenco guitar.
Just do it. And choose a good piece of spruce or cedar for the soundboard and prefereably a nice piece of Honduran Cedar for the neck.
If you want a cheap medium density wood for the back and sides, that sounds good, is relatively light, easy to work etc. try African Mahogany also called Kaya (or khaya) You can use it for the neck as well.
I personally wouldnt use Wenge because I cant see any reason to do so, but you may be in another situation than me.

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Jun. 24 2015 7:09:27
 
Ahmed Flamenco

 

Posts: 163
Joined: Feb. 22 2014
From: Egypt

RE: Can wenge be used as a tonewood ... (in reply to Anders Eliasson) 
I've bought African mahogany neck blanks, some are lighter than others... hahaha(nature of wood)
I will also buy sycamore for a blanca , wenge for negra
and black walnut for classical , then finally I'll buy spruce and cedar tops .
unfortunately I can't find traditional woods like cypress Indian rosewood or spanish cedar for the neck, and I don't want to ship anything as this will cost more than the wood price itself.
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Jun. 24 2015 21:22:10
 
Anders Eliasson

Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006
 

RE: Can wenge be used as a tonewood ... (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco) 
Remember that the cypress is called mediterranean cypres and grows all around the Mediterranean sea. Its the same tree, just in different countrys and trees dont care about that. What we buy now in Spain, comes from Turqyey or Tunesia.

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Jun. 25 2015 7:38:42
 
Ahmed Flamenco

 

Posts: 163
Joined: Feb. 22 2014
From: Egypt

RE: Can wenge be used as a tonewood ... (in reply to Anders Eliasson) 
Does it grow in the European side only or also in Egypt side?
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Jun. 25 2015 10:53:53
 
estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009
 

RE: Can wenge be used as a tonewood ... (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco) 
This supplier is in Turkey and he gives free shipping:

http://www.akustikwood.com/indexen.htm

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Jun. 25 2015 11:46:20
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