Honduran Rosewood?

[kendallhadden]

Is this type of rosewood sometimes called something else?
I've searched and can't find much on the sound characteristics of this wood.
Thanks,
Kendall

[Howard Klepper]

I've never heard Dalbergia stevensonii called anything else. But I have heard Dalbergia tucarensis called Honduran rosewood.

[kendallhadden]

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

I've never heard Dalbergia stevensonii called anything else. But I have heard Dalbergia tucarensis called Honduran rosewood.

Thanks Howard. That clears that up for me.

[SuperB23]

I remember talking to John Mayes for a while on the phone about this and he said it has an amazing tap tone that just rings and rings, like a gong, he also mentioned they use it to make marimbas if I remember right. I was going to have it put on my Mayes SD-43 until it was upgraded to brazilian by my wife.

I didn't care for the way it looks as much as other woods but it sounds like it would make for an incredible sounding guitar. I'm sure some tints could probably change the color a bit if you didn't like that yellowish orange brown look. I'm sure some really like the way it looks, I just prefer the darker reds, browns, and blacks.

[Gimar Yestra]

I have one set of honduran rosewood wich was specified as dalbergia stevensonii (sp?).

smells great (reminds me of apple-pie) and works pretty easy. Ive heard people say it sounds closest to brazillian compared to all other rosewoods, wether that's true or not I dont know. but the tap tone is amazing thats for sure.

[Brackett Instruments]

You saw this set a couple years ago.


This set is a little darker, without the sapwood. It's also a little better quartered. They both have the same taptone. (which you probably remember too)



Both of these sets are Dalbergia stevensonii.

[kendallhadden]

Hey Woody,
I do remember those. Pretty pieces. You just don't here much about HRW. I have searched and can't seem to find much information about it or the sound characteristics.
kwh

Originally Posted by Brackett Instruments

You saw this set a couple years ago.


This set is a little darker, without the sapwood. It's also a little better quartered. They both have the same taptone. (which you probably remember too)



Both of these sets are Dalbergia stevensonii.

[jperryrocks]

Honduran isn't quite the stunning looker in terms of consistent appearance, and I think lots of people look for pretty wood 1st.

Lots of luthiers think Honduran gives you great tap tone, and Honduran rosewood isn't near as expensive as some other woods.

It's a bit of a forgotten wood @ times.

[Brackett Instruments]

I wouldn't consider it forgotten. It's actually kinda hard to get well quartered stock. It's also protected by CITES. I don't understand all the CITES stuff, and the different levels though.

[Gimar Yestra]

http://www.hondurasrosewood.com/

not much info, but they do speak a little of the CITES stuff involving honduras rosewood

[Jeff M]

Originally Posted by kendallhadden

Is this type of rosewood sometimes called something else?
I've searched and can't find much on the sound characteristics of this wood.
Thanks,
Kendall

It's "characteristics" are it sounds like....a rosewood.
Several years back I comissioned a guitar from a very well known builder who suggested I try Honduran RW. He hadn't built with it before, but loved how a set he had rang out.
When it was done, he called me to tell me he was not happy how the guitar ended up sounding.
He was willing to ship it to me...but offered to build me another guitar out of a different species of wood (an upgrade, no extra cost.)
I went with his offer.
The HR guitar ended up as sawdust.

A discussion from over at the Acoustic Guitar Magazine Forum's "Luthiers Corner" about different species of tonewood, with input from several builders.
The discussion is primarily focused on spruce tops...but branches out to back and side woods also.

http://www.acousticguitar.com/ubbcgi...1;t=029843;p=1

The summarizing statement, from luthier Rick Turner (posts here also);

Once again, don't ascribe particular qualities only to certain wood species. As Al has noted, there is tremendous overlap from one species of spruce to another in terms of the measureable qualities...stiffness along or across the grain, density, damping characteristics, etc. Yes, the average for one type may be a bit this way or that way from the others, and hence we wind up with all this Adirondack vs. Sitka vs. Englemann, etc. debate, but it's about each individual piece of wood. But all this happens with side and back wood, too. I've seen a lot of pretty spongy Indian rosewood...stuff that had higher damping that a lot of mahogany or maple, yet it was "rosewood"...ooooooh!

Non-luthiers (and more than a few luthiers...) want definitive definitions for these various woods; they want to buy into a belief system that is rigidly compartmentalized with regard to names and wood species.

Sorry...it's all very fuzzy borders with lots of overlap. The rest is marketing...

(Emphasis mine.)
The "Al" referred to is luthier Al Carruth.

[Howard Klepper]

I dunno, Jeff. It was kind of a reach on this thread.

[nacluth]

Dalbergia stevensonii on left dal. tucarensis on right. Couple of guitars I helped build. The Honduran has a definate "rosewood" sound crisp and resonate. The guatamalan sounded great too, but not quite as much resonance to me, but they were different sizes. The latter smelled like cinnamon candy.

[Laurent Brondel]

Like cocobolo, Stevensonii is a very heavy rosewood, just short of being as dense and heavy as African blackwood. As such it needs to be worked a bit differently than "lighter" rosewoods like Braz, Madagascar, Panama (Tucarensis) or EIR. Mainly it means thinner, and it needs to be paired with a top that's not too edgy.
It has great taptone because it is so dense, reflective and quick to respond, thus all frequencies are easy to hear and the sustain is long. But once thinned appropriately it is not so different from the other rosewoods, although a guitar built with Stevensonii will always be a bit heavier and have a bit more bass response. It's a great tonewood, and I find well quartered sets to be very pleasing visually.

[sutherland]

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=202914

Chris is building me a Honduran Rosewood / Englemann Spruce OM as we speak! I've never played Honduran Rosewood, so I guess this is sort of a gamble!