[iim7V7IM7]

There are three Padauk species: African (Pterocarpus soyauxii), Andaman (Pterocarpus dalbergioides) and Burma (Pterocarpus macrocarpus). We don't speak about rosewoods as a single species I am not sure why we do with Padauk other than wood sellers don't always provide good identification on wood they do not have good chain of custody on.

Wood--------------------Density (lb/ft^3)-----Hardness (lbf)-----Stiffness (lb/in^2)-----
African Padauk-----------------47---------------1,970--------------1,700,000---------
Andaman Padauk---------------48---------------1,630--------------1,754,000---------
Burma Padauk------------------54---------------2,150--------------2,050,000--------
Brazilian Rosewood-------------52----------------2,790------------2,020,000--------
East Indian Rosewood----------52----------------2,440-------------1,668,000--------
Madagascar Rosewood---------58----------------2,550-------------1,742,000--------

Keep in mind, Padauk's color tends to be fugitive and darken over time with exposure to UV. Padauks are similar in weight to rosewoods, but no where near as hard. African and Andaman being more akin to EIR in stiffness and Burma being more stiff like BRW. This doesn't speak directly to the Q of the wood tat some builders have spoken highly of as a very acoustically lively wood.

African: Heartwood color can vary, ranging from a pale pinkish orange to a deep brownish red. Most pieces tend to start reddish orange when freshly cut, darkening substantially over time to a reddish/purplish brown (some lighter pieces age to a grayish brown).

Andaman: Heartwood color can vary, ranging from a pale golden yellow to a deeper reddish brown. Color tends to darken to a golden brown over time. Yellow sapwood is well demarcated from heartwood. Overall, Burma Padauk’s color tends to be less red and more subdued than African Padauk.

Burma: Heartwood color can vary, ranging from a pale pinkish orange to a deep brownish red. Most pieces tend to start reddish orange when freshly cut, darkening substantially over time to a reddish/purplish brown.