Honduras Mahogany or??

[wizard333]

I can't find any info at all on what type of "mahogany" Gibson is using now on Historics (much less anything else). Gibson help line gives "duh" answers and has no clue either. Anyone OFFICIAL able to confirm whether they are currently using real Honduras (South American, call it what you will) mahogany or are they using African/Asian "mahogany"? A mix of the two? What years did they definitely use ONLY South American mahogany?

 

You'd think they'd wear it on their sleeves if they were in fact using real mahogany since its a selling point. That they are so dodgey about it leads me to think they are NOT. Maybe someone from Gibson would like to clear that up.

 

Thanks!

[Custom Admin]

we are using south american mahogany. that's as much detail as anyone here will give me.

[Toner]

There are so many types of mahogany, and even "Honduras", goes by 17 different common names. I think that what is important is that they use heartwood of the correct density and season it right. Also, that they select the correct wood density for the neck, which should be of a finer grain than the body. Here's a link to some info.....

 

http://www.exotichardwoods-southamerica.com/mahoganygenuine.htm

[wizard333]

Whats important to a lot of us is thats its real mahogany, not an African or Asian knockoff commonly called "mahogany" by the guitar industry in the last few years, but not, in fact, mahogany. To quote your article, "The wide variability in color has enabled many look-alike species to be marketed as mahogany."

 

Not talking about "common names", talking about species. Swietenia macrophylla would be South American. Khaya ivorensis would be African. Not the same stuff, tree, or continent. Dont expect it to sound the same. Its properties that make it a substitute for furniture wood aren't the same properties important as a tone wood.

 

Not that the African or Asian species sound bad, they have thier own tonal properties. But frankly, when you spend the big bucks for a historic LP, you darn sure want it to sound like an LP, so it needs to be made out of the correct wood to do that. Thats sort of a BASIC thing in my opinion; I don't get hung up on knob placement and silly small things, but being at LEAST made out of the right wood is a requirement. Nothing wrong with an Alder or Ash LP either, except if you are looking for a real Mahogany LP. Then you have a problem.

 

Its good to know they are currently using the right wood on the historics. Seems to be general knowledge that there was a 8-10 year gap of NOT using the right wood on the standard USA Production (ie. non-CS) ones, if in fact we are including those in the statement that South American mahogany is now being used.

 

Will they say, at least for the historics, have they been consistently using South American mahogany year after year, or were there years when something else was used? Scuttlebut on the LP forums is there were some gaps in there, would be nice if Gibson would officially clear that up.

 

Thanks!