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Does anyone know about this wood? How widely is it used? Any high profile companies using it? What are it's tonal properties? I read just now that it's used as a cheep substitute for mahogany, but I've never heard of it before. Here's a picture I pulled off of google images:

Edit: I grabbed this off of a website:quot; This exceptional, mahogany-like wood grows throughout the tropical rain forests of Nigeria and the Ivory Coast of Africa. As a tonewood, it's denser and harder than mahogany, so it has a crisper, clearer, brighter, quot;popquot;-ier sound than its more familiar counterpart. Loud and robust, with a lovely ribboned grain, sapele has been used by Spanish guitar makers for many years.quot;
I also found examples of high end acoustic guitars made from the wood. The idea that it's a cheep substitute for mahogany seems more suspect now.

My taylor 310CE's back, sides, and neck are made out of sapele, and I think it sounds great!

It may be a bit cheaper than mahogany, but its still a fantastic tone wood. Only reason mahogany's so expensive is all supply and demand. If you're lookin for that quot;truequot; mahogany tone, sapele won't give you that, but If you don't mind some slightly different sonic charataristics, then its great.

I'll tell you in a couple of months. My guitar may have to sport sapelle in some sections.

Sapele is a very Mahogany like wood, but is denser and harder. This leads to a crisper, clearer, brighter sound. Has more of a snap to it than a boom. I think that the reason it's used is because it looks soo much like mahogany, but the strength is more like oak. The only problem that I see with the wood itself is not because of it's tonal properties, but because of it's tendency to buckle when steam bent. I'm not sure, but I do believe that Taylor or any other guitar maker for that matter uses steam benders to shape the sides of the guitars. It can burst apart right there on the steam bender, or take awhile before the wood finally gives without any warning. Sapele also seasons very quickly but has a tendency to warp and is inconsistant in it's drying.

There it is.

I've heard it sounds similar to Mahogany. However, if you want something fancy, it is easier to get figured, flamed, or quilted sapele than it is mahogany, so if you want a fancy back and neck to a Les Paul, sapele is used

It IS mahogany. There are a few different species of mahogany. I don't buy the denser/harder argument. All of the Honduras mahogany guitars I've had were very heavy and dense. The one piece african mahogany (sapele) body I have is lightweight and resonant.


Originally Posted by jmh151I've heard it sounds similar to Mahogany. However, if you want something fancy, it is easier to get figured, flamed, or quilted sapele than it is mahogany, so if you want a fancy back and neck to a Les Paul, sapele is usedOriginally Posted by XeromusIt IS mahogany. There are a few different species of mahogany. I don't buy the denser/harder argument. All of the Honduras mahogany guitars I've had were very heavy and dense. The one piece african mahogany (sapele) body I have is lightweight and resonant. 1.... 90% of the quot;Quilted Mahoganyquot; out there is in reality Sapeli Pommele, and it sounds nearly identical as a rule.

Plus my Gamp;L Invader is heavy as god damn. It's like 9lbs for a super strat. I'm sure it's honduran mahogany because it's an american high end, high cost guitar. I think they just use Honduran by default cause it's tradition.

I might hel out here, as I said sooner or latter I'll be working those woods. I have some mahogany stashed but don't know if it's enough for my needs and may have t buy some more which I'm told is becoming hard to find, so I may have to use sapelle, wich is available dirt cheap apparently.

I'll post my experiences with it's density but I'll refrain from going too much into the tone qualities.

I was supposed to have started my project a few years back (was delayed by a number of reasons) and I remember osting in another forum this same question the the answer I got is that I would be fine.

my new taylor 214 is made of sapele, its got a very bright tone similiar to mahogany. I'ts pretty dense and looks relatively similiar to its more pricier counterpart. Personally i really liek it, its got a great tone.

First, sapele is generally more available than Honduran mahogany, but I wouldn't describe it as quot;dirt cheapquot;.

C.F. Martin uses mahogany and sapele interchangeably on their non-standard and non-vintage lines.

My Ibanez RG is made of mahgany with a Sapele top. That guitar is REALLY heavy for a super-strat style guitar. Probably about as heavy as a les paul DC.

from : localhost/www.woodworkerssource.net/Mer...ry_Code=Sapele