Is okoume wood strong?
Is okoume wood strong?
Okoume is not the most durable wood available. It needs a fiberglass or epoxy coating on it because it isn’t rot-resistant. It must be sealed to prevent any moisture from getting in, which is why most okoume panels are painted and finished with epoxy and varnish to prevent any problems from exposure to the elements.
Is okoume an open grain wood?
Color darkens with age. Narrow heartwood is grayish white, not clearly demarcated from heartwood. Grain/Texture: Grain is straight to wavy or slightly interlocked. Texture is medium, with good natural luster….Okoume.
Okoume (sanded) | Okoume (sealed) |
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Okoume (endgrain) | Okoume (endgrain 10x) |
What type of wood is okoume?
hardwood
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.
Where is okoume grown?
equatorial Africa
klaineana, or okoume, is a large timber-producing tree native to the west coast of equatorial Africa. It can grow up to 60 m tall, and often has buttresses near the base of the tree that can grow up to 3 m.
Is okoume wood heavy?
Properties. Okoume has a low density, with a mean weight of 25 pounds per cubic foot. It is considered very soft, rendering it unsuitable for use in situations requiring durability, such as flooring. On the Janka scale, a standard measure of wood hardness, Okoume’s rating is only 380.
Is Okoume good wood for guitar?
Okoume has been a fairly popular tonewood in acoustic guitar building for several decades, though it’s not as popular as mahogany, rosewood, maple, spruce or cedar. Okoume tonewood yields a relatively bright tone with good articulation but relatively low sustain.
Is okoume porous?
The heartwood of okoume ranges from pale pink to light brown. It’s a diffuse-porous wood with relatively large pores and a medium texture.
How hard is Okoume wood?
On the Janka scale, a standard measure of wood hardness, Okoume’s rating is only 380. This is similar to the hardness of basswood (367) and redwood (402). Wood used for hardwood flooring is generally from much harder species such as red oak, which has a hardness of 1290.
Is Okoume better than mahogany?
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. All of these woods are great tonewoods that speak with that unmistakable mahogany accent, and have that gorgeous warm mahogany look.
Does okoume sound like mahogany?
Is Okoume a good guitar wood?
It is highly sustainable and fast growing, making it ideal for conscientious guitar builders. 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.
Are Okoume guitars good?
What does okoume wood look like?
Okoume. Color darkens with age. Narrow heartwood is grayish white, not clearly demarcated from heartwood. Grain/Texture: Grain is straight to wavy or slightly interlocked. Texture is medium, with good natural luster.
Is okoume toxic to humans?
Allergies/Toxicity: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Okoume has been reported to cause skin, eye, and respiratory irritation, as well as other effects such as asthma-like symptoms, coughing, and conjunctivitis (pink eye). See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.
What is the wood density of a tree?
Wood density varies with tree species, growth conditions and part of the tree measured. The main stem generally has a higher wood density than the branches, while fast growth is generally related to relatively low wood density. For most species the literature thus gives a range with low, medium and high values.
What does okoume stand for?
Okoume is also called Gabon (not to be confused with Gabon Ebony). This is a large African tree that grows 90-120 ft. tall and between 30 to 70 in diameter. The heartwood is salmon-pink to golden brown with narrow sapwood that is whitish or pale grey.