Snakewood: high damping or low damping wood?

[GaultierRedon14]

Anyone know if Snakewood is more of a low damping wood like cocobolo/pernambuco/african blackwood, or is it more high damping like maple or ebony?
Given it's extremely heavy weight/density, which other similarly heavy/dense back/side tonewoods would it be similar to?
Seems like it could be quite a cannon like cocobolo.
Thanks!

[MBE]

In the violin bow world, snakewood is considered a higher-damping wood than African blackwood and pernambuco. Not sure where it lands vs maple. Dampening is the act of making things wet, which should probably be avoided when it comes to guitars.

Also, the wood used for the back and sides won't determine the volume and projection of the instrument...there are plenty of maple "cannons" out there, which has more to do with how lightly built the guitar is, how the top is voiced, and what the body shape/size is.

[CaE]

You should ask Sergei de Jonge. He has built with it an entire guitar with it.

[Rodger Knox]

I was about to say it's not available in pieces large enough for backs or sides, but that is obviously not entirely correct. It is quite expensive.

[GaultierRedon14]

Oh, I see, I used the wrong word! Damping? Got it. I'm referring to the extent to which a piece of wood will or won't vibrate/resonate when tapped or otherwise set into motion. At least, I think that's what I mean to be referring to!
That Snakewood guitar by Sergei is impressive. Wow.
Probably weighs more than a Les Paul, though!

[Bruce Sexauer]

I have used a few logs worth of Snakewood, and do have on hand a set big enough for a small guitar. As far as damping is concerned, and strictly seat of the pants, I would describe Snakewood as low damping on a general scale, perhaps between 2 and 3 on a scale of 10; lively stuff!

[GaultierRedon14]

Well, I guess that answers my question. Thank you, Bruce!

[Alan Carruth]

Pernambuco is just about the lowest damping wood out there. Bow makers tend to use low damping woods, and what they think of as 'high' damping might not strike the rest of us the same way. What Bruce says makes sense. I do have one piece of snakewood; a turner's blank for a cane that will someday become binding, and I suppose I should measure the damping on that.

[MBE]

Originally Posted by Alan Carruth

Pernambuco is just about the lowest damping wood out there. Bow makers tend to use low damping woods, and what they think of as 'high' damping might not strike the rest of us the same way. What Bruce says makes sense. I do have one piece of snakewood; a turner's blank for a cane that will someday become binding, and I suppose I should measure the damping on that.

That's what I figured - you won't find any maple bows around. It makes sense that snakewood is still on the low-damping else of the spectrum.

[iim7V7IM7]

Two things to read:

http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-...ods/snakewood/

https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00808403/document