okoume wood

Okoume offers a fairly balanced yet bright tone and is a good solidbody wood. It can improve the clarity of the guitar itself and produce a cleaner overall tone. Okoume is rather soft and easy to dent. It’s often used in laminate designs with a harder, more sonically complex tonewood that makes up the top/veneer.

Is Okoume a hardwood?

Aucoumea klaineana, or Okoume, is an African hardwood that can only be found in the Congo, Gabon, and Africa’s equatorial Guinea. The tree grows in close stands and can reach over 100 feet. It also grows quickly so regeneration is usually not a concern.

What kind of wood is Okoume?

This is the commercial name for timber that comes from the tree Aucoumea klaineana, an African hardwood also known as “Gaboon” or alternately “Angouma.” It has been widely used throughout Europe over the past century.

Is Okoume wood cheap?

Pricing/Availability: Most commonly sold as veneer, Okoume should be moderately priced for an imported hardwood, though highly figured pieces tend to be more expensive. Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices, but is on the IUCN Red List.

Is Okoume better than mahogany?

Another is a wood known as okoume (sometimes known as gabon from its main country of origin). This wood is softer, and leans toward the warmer side of the classic mahogany tone. Because it is softer, okoume often is used as a laminate, giving it additional rigidity.

Is Okoume wood waterproof?

In addition to being strong, lightweight, and water-resistant, Okoume marine plywood comes with properties that make it foldable. Its therefore very easy to build kayak boats, hydroplane racing boats, canoes, sailboats, hull components, and various other boat parts.

What is Okoume wood similar to?

Okoume wood is less dense than other mahogany substitutes like Sapele and Khaya. Thus, it makes lightweight electric guitars without chambering . Its grain is very similar to the more expensive Genuine Mahogany. Luthiers often say okoume’s tap tone is similar to traditional mahogany.

Is okoume wood good for electric guitars?

With beautiful luster and light weight (it’s been used for decades in boat and airplane building) Okoume is ideal for electric guitars. Sonically, it’s similar to Mahogany, but with a brighter high end and more dynamic range. It glues easily and finishes very well.

Is Okoume African mahogany?

There are a few different woods marketed as “African Mahogany”, mainly Okoume, Sapele, and Khaya.

Is Okoume sustainable?

Many of these woods—including Big Leaf Mahogany, Spanish Cedar, Caribbean Pine, Ipe, Rosewood, Teak, Ramin, Merbau, African Mahogany, and Okoume—are difficult to manage sustainably as they typically grow in low densities in natural forests and regenerate poorly after logging.

Is Sapele wood good for guitars?

With sapele, you’ll notice a strong low-end and midrange bark, very similar to mahogany, but it delivers more top-end definition than its African counterpart. That makes it a highly versatile wood for an acoustic guitar, ideal for a number of styles.