New kit, can anyone ID this wood?

[Theotherone]

Here's the new kit I picked up. The flamed maple veneer exceeded my expectations by a long shot but I'm a little stumped about the wood on the back of the body? Can anyone identify it for me? The neck is mahogany so I took a side by side for comparison. At first glance I suspected poplar but im honestly not sure.

20171208_140720

• Theotherone
• Dec 8, 2017

20171208_140744

• Theotherone
• Dec 8, 2017

 

[archey]

Mahogany has so many variations it's hard to say. There are many different woods that are in the mahogany family, and woods close to it that are used as a substitute. Unless they specify in the kits description it's a really hard call.

 

[Theotherone]

Well, I just learned something new! I was always under the impression mahogany was strictly a red wood. When I build panels and bases for taxidermy I usually stick to white oak, red oak, cherry, or walnut. So needless to say since I've got into guitars I've really been getting schooled on a lot of new woods!

 

[THDNUT]

So, how much does a kit like that cost?

The back looks like alder to me.

 

[Treble_Booster]

Looks ash-y to me. The grain structure looks far to loose for any type of mahogany- mahogany is characterized by dense and dead straight grain. Could be maple at a push but my best guess is ash.

 

[bluesriffdev]

Looks ash-y to me. The grain structure looks far to loose for any type of mahogany- mahogany is characterized by dense and dead straight grain. Could be maple at a push but my best guess is ash.

Not necessarily dead straight, look at this: https://www.digimart.net/cat01/shop5074/DS04281180/

One of my Les Pauls has a pretty wavy mahogany back (also with some straight grain as well). I think you're right about it being ash, though.

Does the wood have any smell OP? If it were poplar it'd be quite soft with no smell / neutral smell.

 

[Theotherone]

$135 to my door.

So, how much does a kit like that cost?

The back looks like alder to me.

I

 

[Ripthorn]

For that price, my guess is it is some Asian species that is most closely related to something like poplar or basswood. In other words, an inexpensive, plentiful hardwood that was easy to source by the manufacturer.

 

[ARandall]

Yep. Looks like a cross between a fast growing conifer like Pine and Alder in looks.

 

[Treble_Booster]

Not necessarily dead straight, look at this: https://www.digimart.net/cat01/shop5074/DS04281180/

One of my Les Pauls has a pretty wavy mahogany back (also with some straight grain as well). I think you're right about it being ash, though.

Does the wood have any smell OP? If it were poplar it'd be quite soft with no smell / neutral smell.

Even on that guitar the long grain is still straight. It may have that wavy appearance but it is still pointing vertical. The long grain on OP's body lists to the side, hence why I say ash. It's not poplar and I'm pretty sure that it's no alder, the colouration says ash to me.

Yep. Looks like a cross between a fast growing conifer like Pine and Alder in looks.

^^ Ash then XD

 

[Oatie]

The body also looks like poplar, is it kinds greenish close up?

 

[the great waldo]

Looks like Chinese tanglewood to me.

Cheers

Andrew

 

[Theotherone]

The body also looks like poplar, is it kinds greenish close up?

No, its actually a light pink/fleshy color up close.

 

[tabascom16]

Who knows what wood you are actually getting for the "mahogany" neck. There is so many wood species being falsely advertised as mahogany to take advance of the name. It is like fish, rebranding cheap fish with a fancy double worded name with one word being that of a more well respected fish species. While the wood of the body kind of looks like ash, the dark bands done seem porous enough to me. While it also looks somewhat like poplar, it seems to have to much color variation to me to be poplar. But poplar would be a much more likely wood that ash since poplar is about a cheap a wood you can get in the states. If a Chinese guitar, probably some inexpensive Chinese wood for both the neck and the body. Look at the wood database online at end grains, that really helps identify woods.

 

[The Ballzz]

Coloration kinda looks like ash, but the grain does not appear to be deep and coarse enough for that. I'm in the camp of it being some plentiful, easy to source wood from Chinesiawanoreanam! Something we don't have in The States. Maybe some relative of poplar?
Just Sayin'
Gene

 

[Mr.Fingers]

Paulownia, I'd say

 

[Open_Book]

Weigh the body. If its light in weight its likely what Mr Fingers suggests - if its Ash (and its definitely not Swamp Ash for one) I'm the Pope!!!

 

[MooCheng]

Paulownia, I'd say

think your right
In asia its know as Kiri, used for anything from furniture to coffins. Its fairly cheap

 

[Theotherone]

Paulownia, I'd say

Your absolutely correct. It actually states this fact where I purchased the kit. I had never heard of that type of wood before. So I assumed it was their "word" to describe a Les Paul body style.

 

[pshupe]

Paulownia is a pretty common wood for guitar bodies. The wood place close to me sells this in body blank sizes and they do not have a huge selection.

Regards Peter.