"Entandrophragma cylindricum" is a tree of the genus Entandrophragma of the family Meliaceae. Sapele is a (confusing) type of wood. Within Taylor’s product line, our all-solid-wood guitar bodies range from the 300 Series and up. While the rich tones of solid wood remain unmatched, a layered wood construction can yield great sound in a beautiful, durable and affordable instrument. Sapele Tonewood goes is a great all-purpose tonewood that works for many different applications. The name sapele comes from that of the city of Sapele in Nigeria, where there is a preponderance of the tree.African Timber and Plywood (AT&P), a division of the United Africa Company, had a factory at this location where the wood, along with Triplochiton scleroxylon, Obeche, mahogany, and Khaya was processed into timber which was then exported from the Port of Sapele worldwide. Wenge is a darker wood with black and brown striping. It will also react when put into direct contact with iron, becoming discolored and stained. Sapele – Entandrophragma cylindricum. Khaya, another mahogany substitute, is also known for its brightness. See a marvelous Bellucci Bastogne Walnut guitar here →. Guitars featuring layered wood back and sides with a solid wood top include the 100 Series through the 200 Deluxe Series, along with the Baby Taylor, GS Mini, and Academy Series. Sapele has a slight blunting effect on cutters, but it … Wenge Tonewood. To me, the harder and more reflective sapele actually seems more suitable for true gut string guitars. Sapele is a highly sustainable West African tonewood that’s often confused with the West African wood Khaya. Sapele is much harder and stiffer than the Mahoganies, and it’s know for being difficult to bend. It is also cost effective compared to some of the other high end wood used in guitars. Sapele Before WWI the principal demand for this wood came from Germany where it was used for decorative cabinet work. Bastogne Walnut is a rare, natural occurring hybrid between California English Walnut and Claro Walnut that is found in typically northern California. And so guitar makers have sought sustainable alternatives. The wood that is used to create a guitar makes a huge difference to the sounds that the guitar will produce. Such is the case with layered sapele, in which we use interior and exterior veneers of sapele with a core layer of poplar between them. Workability: Sapele can be troublesome to work in some machining operations, (i.e., planing, routing, etc. There are many influences on the sound of the guitar (body shape, bracing, strings, bridge saddle etc), but the type of wood used is one of the most influential. ), resulting in tearout due to its interlocked grain. Sapele is a reddish-brown wood that in many ways is very similar to Mahogany. 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