Catalpa and Paulownia

[hubcapsc]

I've always thought they were basically the same. Ida know. They
look a lot alike on the outside ...

A fellow is building a guitar for me, and he let me hold some of
both woods this weekend... it was easy to tell that they are quite different.

He compared this chunk of Catalpa to Mahogany... not looks-wise, but
wood-property wise. The neck block in the guitar he's making
for me is Catalpa.



I don't know if that is controversial or not, but I know I like everything
I've seen that he's made, from his workbench to this finished guitar...
he likes to work with cherry...



Luke builds about ten or twenty guitars a year, and Travis, his
business partner, builds some too. Their main business is
tonewood, and Luke described this top as being an inferior
visual grade because of the bands of color. He has all the
tops you could want to pick from, he picked this one because
he likes it...

-Mike

[Fathand]

Catalpa and Paulownia don't have a lot in common. You can research them at the Wood Database and also compare them to more traditional woods,

https://www.wood-database.com/paulownia/

[hubcapsc]

Originally Posted by Fathand

Catalpa and Paulownia don't have a lot in common. You can research them at the Wood Database and also compare them to more traditional woods,

https://www.wood-database.com/paulownia/

Thanks. I went there to compare Catalpa to Honduran Mahogany...
As if I knew what "janka hardness" was or how to perceive the
differences, it seemed that maybe there were plenty of them...
The chunk of Catalpa in my picture, aside from its looks, seemed
like a respectable piece of wood...

-Mike

[Fathand]

Originally Posted by hubcapsc

Thanks. I went there to compare Catalpa to Honduran Mahogany...
As if I knew what "janka hardness" was or how to perceive the
differences, it seemed that maybe there were plenty of them...
The chunk of Catalpa in my picture, aside from its looks, seemed
like a respectable piece of wood...

-Mike

I think Bruce Sexauer here has made Catalpa guitars. I'm sure they are fine instruments.

[redir]

I built a Catalpa guitar once though the wood was a bit more golden that that. I have always wanted to try Paulownia as a top wood. IIRC the Catalpa was pretty easy to work with.