There's a distinct, glassy high end response to good Brazilian rosewood that Indian rosewood does not have. But having played a LOT of Brazilian rosewood instruments and owned several over the years, what I have discovered is that that special shimmering high end response is only present in some Brazilian rosewood, not all of it, not even in all vintage instruments made from it.
A large percentage of Brazilian rosewood instruments sound no different than Indian or any other rosewood. And as the overall quality of Brazilian rosewood in general use for guitar construction has (undeniably) declined, the percentage of the BRW that sounds like any other rosewood has gotten much larger, to the point now where at least half the Brazilian rosewood guitars being built these days don't have that unique high end shimmer.
But if you want Brazilian rosewood you have to pay the steep extra charge for that wood, regardless of how it sounds.
So, short version: good-sounding Brazilian rosewood with that glassy high end response is an excellent tonewood, but at least half of the BRW being used these days doesn't come up to that tonal standard. It still costs as much, though, no matter how it sounds.
Plus there are all the hassles trying to cross international borders with it these days, but that's another issue.
Hope that makes sense.
Wade Hampton Miller
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