Amazon Rosewood

ewh2 · #1 12-05-2014, 07:43 AM

I've come across a few great Amazon Rosewood guitars (one of which is the great ARW Bown played in a video by steveh) and I'm consequently I'm considering it for a commission.

Would it be possible to ask if anyone has a guitar with ARW what your thoughts are of your guitars (please post pictures if you can!) and luthiers what your thoughts are of it as a tonewood.

Thanks in advance!

roberts · #2 12-05-2014, 07:50 AM

I don't think you'll find anyone who has has anything but great things to say about Amazon. Suspect you'll hear a lot of brazilian's equal at a fraction of the cost....I owned an Amazon Galloup for many years and it's a phenomenal instrument, though, of course, how much of that is the wood....?

Robert

Oxwood_Handmade · #3 12-05-2014, 08:04 AM

I love Amazon Rosewood. I've built with it several times and have only great things to say about it. Maybe SLIGHTLY more focused/dry than Brazilian in the guitars that I've built. Here are a few:

This one is Brazilian:

ChuckS · #4 12-05-2014, 08:39 AM

You might want to send an email or PM to JohnRII on this forum. I haven't noticed much posting from him lately, but hopefully you could still reach him. He had a Amazon/Lutz commissioned from Brock Poling; delivery was back in 2009 or 2010. Brock had quite a few nice set of Amazon at the time and was extremely happy with it; he described it as indistinguishable from BRW.

Here's a video of Steve Wildey playing at the 2010 Montreal Show:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qxSdZlwt0k

Tim McKnight · #5 12-05-2014, 11:30 AM

Don't expect to find many QS sets. 99% of the ARW comes from one supplier and 99% is flat to rift sawn with only a small center section, at best, being QS. There are a few QS sets out here but they are the exception. Its a great tonewood though, low damping with a high Q tonal factor.

fitness1 · #6 12-05-2014, 12:46 PM

One of very few guitars I really regret selling was a Webber Amazon RW and Sitka Roundbody. Beautiful, beautiful woods, sounded superb.

I sold it when I received a custom from David that fit me better (nut/saddle) but that Amazon was tonally about as good as it gets.

I've played other Amazon's that were exceptional too.....that and Madagascar make a super instrument in the right builders hands! My two favorite rosewoods...

ewh2 · #7 12-05-2014, 02:19 PM

Thanks for the replies.

Robert,
Good to hear ARW produces good results!

Brad,
Your guitars are beautiful. I think I have a vague idea of what you mean by ARW is a bit more dry than BRW... My initial observation is the trebles of BRW seem to have more of the 'reverby' sound if that makes sense, which is less so for ARW.

Chuck,
That guitar sounds very nice indeed. Thanks for the info about the Poling guitar.

Tim,
I've come across a quartersawn ARW set. In Europe I've seen a few sellers with quartersawn ARW. Thanks for the info about it's damping and Q properties.

F1,
I've played a few Webber guitars which I really liked, I imagine the ARW must have been a cracker. Good to hear it's tonally as it good as it gets!

kydave · #8 12-05-2014, 04:34 PM

I like it really well on my Custom Shop HD-28V...

Burton LeGeyt · #9 12-05-2014, 04:38 PM

I have a few nice dark QS sets that I bought years ago. The tap tone is very nice, long and pure. It is much heavier than the Brazilian that I have. Similar weight to ABW or Coco, but feels less oily. I haven't handled many other sets so I don't know if that is normal or not.

I'll be excited to use them someday.

kydave · #10 12-05-2014, 05:05 PM

Not a lot of weight difference in my D-28s in Amazon, Brazilian and East Indian. I don't have the exact figures at hand, but nothing like you'd pick up one and say "wow! this is a lot lighter/heavier than the other."

Bruce Sexauer · #11 12-05-2014, 07:01 PM

I built 4 similar single 0 guitars a year ago, 3 BRW and one Amazon. The Amazon is considerably heavier than the others despite my taking the wood down to the minimum I could feel great about. All four guitars work VERY well, but the Amazon is the outlier, not because it is any better or worse, but because it is the most different. The BRWs are all slightly more lively, and have the reverberant quality we have come to expect. The Amazon is more grounded sounding, and has an authority that is astounding for what we currently think of as a parlor guitar. I would be hard pressed to say which I prefer, but the difference is tangible.

Michael Watts · #12 12-06-2014, 05:44 AM

Here's a Greenfield GF model in ARW and Swiss Moon Spruce.

Delicious!

ewh2 · #13 12-06-2014, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

I built 4 similar single 0 guitars a year ago, 3 BRW and one Amazon. The Amazon is considerably heavier than the others despite my taking the wood down to the minimum I could feel great about. All four guitars work VERY well, but the Amazon is the outlier, not because it is any better or worse, but because it is the most different. The BRWs are all slightly more lively, and have the reverberant quality we have come to expect. The Amazon is more grounded sounding, and has an authority that is astounding for what we currently think of as a parlor guitar. I would be hard pressed to say which I prefer, but the difference is tangible.

Thanks for the info Bruce, I really liked the BRW 0 which Acoustic Guitar Magazine made a video of and I've listened to the soundfile of the ARW 0 on your website as well. The weight issue of ARW is something I'm aware of but I'm not massively concerned by a slightly heavier guitar.

I noticed you used ARW for a few bridges, including the Walnut 00 recently. Is it a good choice for bridges?

*

Beautiful guitar Dave. Classy looking dread.

The Greenfield has a nice crisp tone. Lovely stuff.

iim7V7IM7 · #14 12-06-2014, 09:46 AM

As others have stated, it is quite a dense rosewood based on average dried weight.

1,270 kg/m3 - African Blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon)
1,200 kg/m3 - Kingwood (Dalbergia cearensis)
1,095 kg/m3 - Cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa)
1,085 kg/m3 - Amazon Rosewood (Dalbergia spruceana)
1,040 kg/m3 - Burmese Blackwood (Dalbergia cultrata)
1,035 kg/m3 - Siamese Rosewood (Dalbergia cochinchinensis)
1,020 kg/m3 - Honduran Rosewood (Dalbergia stevensonii)
970 kg/m3 - Tulipwood (Dalbergia cultrata)
940 kg/m3 - Burmese Rosewood (Dalbergia oliveri)
935 kg/m3 - Madagascar Rosewood (Dalbergia baronii, greveana, madagascariensis, monticola)
930 kg/m3 - Boise de Rose (Dalbergia maritima)
835 kg/m3 - Brazilian Rosewood (Dalbergia nigra)
830 kg/m3 - East Indian Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia)
770 kg/m3 - Sissoo (Dalbergia sissoo)
745 kg/m3 - Panama Rosewood (Dalbergia tucarensis)

Bruce Sexauer · #15 12-06-2014, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ewh2

Thanks for the info Bruce, I really liked the BRW 0 which Acoustic Guitar Magazine made a video of and I've listened to the soundfile of the ARW 0 on your website as well. The weight issue of ARW is something I'm aware of but I'm not massively concerned by a slightly heavier guitar.

I noticed you used ARW for a few bridges, including the Walnut 00 recently. Is it a good choice for bridges?

ARW is no heavier than the Ebony I more commonly use, and it is considerably more lively when dropped on the floor. I love the way it looks on some guitars, and being right in the middle of the top that's an important consideration. It seems to glue well. I have not had one split after installation either, so I would say it is a good choice for a bridge. Also, there is no upcharge for it, which is not the case for the similar appearing BRW bridge.