banner

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Let's talk about Okoume as a Tonewood...

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #16
    Re: Let's talk about Okoume as a Tonewood...

    I was under the (vague, possibly incorrect) impression that okoume was just the more accurate name for what we've been calling "African Mahogany" for years. Is it actually a different tree?
    African Mahogany is KHAYA.
    aka Chris Pile, formerly of Six String Fever

    Comment


    • #17
      Re: Let's talk about Okoume as a Tonewood...

      Being Used in the Squier Offset Tele. This is the Natural colour. Looks better in surf green IMO
      Click image for larger version

Name:	Offset Tele Squier 2.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	28.1 KB
ID:	5820859
      Dave's not here man.

      Comment


      • #18
        Re: Let's talk about Okoume as a Tonewood...

        My very first run of guitars I made in 2013-2015 were made of okoume and I had to make a strat recently out of this wood as well. My views:

        - it's super lightweight
        - it's soft
        - it's cheap
        - it works great (sands and routs easily)
        - the dust is a nightmare. When I picked it up this spring after not having used it for five years I remembered again why I stopped using it: you need squeaky clean, fresh filters and respirators if you work with this stuff because the dust is so fine, it clogs up your filters immediately
        - it's a tonal chameleon. Make strat out of it, and it sounds like a great strat (soft highs, great quacky tones, bouncy low end, hollow/scooped mids) but make an LP out of it with a maple top and it sounds like mahogany.

        It's a great alternative for the known woods and so, so much better than basswood.

        Comment


        • #19
          Re: Let's talk about Okoume as a Tonewood...

          Its a pretty wood, but I haven't had any experience with it. Bring on the alternative woods and materials, I say.
          Administrator of the SDUGF

          Comment


          • #20
            Re: Let's talk about Okoume as a Tonewood...

            Right. You'd think I'd remember that from having bought raw Khaya blanks, but alas.

            In any case, the (still relatively) new Mariposa from EBMM is made from Okoume. I didn't plug it in, but when I briefly held and played one, I was struck by how light and resonant it seemed.


            Originally posted by ICTGoober View Post
            African Mahogany is KHAYA.
            ---------------------------
            The most popular thread I've ever made was 1) a joke and 2) based around literally the most inane/mundane question I could think of. That says something about me, or all of you, or both.

            https://forum.seymourduncan.com/show...or-for-a-Strat

            Comment


            • #21
              Re: Let's talk about Okoume as a Tonewood...

              Originally posted by Mincer View Post
              Welcome to the forum!

              Can you post a pic of it? I'd love to see an instrument made out of it.


              I have a similar Ibanez to that, only had it maybe 6months now, but I've loved it so far it's all Okoume except for bridge and fretboard(not 100% what that is, but its much darker) It has a nice pattern, and has already darkened slightly just in the time I've had it, was fairly cheap(under $300) and new nut,saddle,endpins,tuners plays/sounds as nice as a lot of higher end stuff I've had. I was surprisingly impressed with it, had never heard of the wood myself either at the time of purchase one of those impulse buys that actually worked out for a change

              Am about to do a tele body with some(stumbled upon forum here while making sure I didn't just want to go ahead and go maple(I'm poor and also hate working maple)

              Should be pics of Ibanez if I figured out how to attach some
              Attached Files

              Comment


              • #22
                Re: Let's talk about Okoume as a Tonewood...

                Originally posted by orpheo View Post
                My very first run of guitars I made in 2013-2015 were made of okoume and I had to make a strat recently out of this wood as well. My views:

                - it's super lightweight
                - it's soft
                - it's cheap
                - it works great (sands and routs easily)
                - the dust is a nightmare. When I picked it up this spring after not having used it for five years I remembered again why I stopped using it: you need squeaky clean, fresh filters and respirators if you work with this stuff because the dust is so fine, it clogs up your filters immediately
                - it's a tonal chameleon. Make strat out of it, and it sounds like a great strat (soft highs, great quacky tones, bouncy low end, hollow/scooped mids) but make an LP out of it with a maple top and it sounds like mahogany.

                It's a great alternative for the known woods and so, so much better than basswood.

                Thanks, was looking for someone who had done some work with it before I hopped into a project! appreciated.

                Comment


                • #23
                  Re: Let's talk about Okoume as a Tonewood...

                  Originally posted by dzdandcunfsd View Post
                  I have a similar Ibanez to that, only had it maybe 6months now, but I've loved it so far it's all Okoume except for bridge and fretboard(not 100% what that is, but its much darker) It has a nice pattern, and has already darkened slightly just in the time I've had it, was fairly cheap(under $300) and new nut,saddle,endpins,tuners plays/sounds as nice as a lot of higher end stuff I've had. I was surprisingly impressed with it, had never heard of the wood myself either at the time of purchase one of those impulse buys that actually worked out for a change

                  Am about to do a tele body with some(stumbled upon forum here while making sure I didn't just want to go ahead and go maple(I'm poor and also hate working maple)

                  Should be pics of Ibanez if I figured out how to attach some
                  I'd be totally cool with the way that looks.
                  Administrator of the SDUGF

                  Comment

                  Working...
                  X