Sapele vs Mahogany

[Dave Bagwill]

I know they are both from the same 'family' - but would an all-Sapele work as well as an all-Mahogany?

[Kevin in California]

I would think so, and by the way, I have an all sapele planned. Perhaps my first 00 sized, or maybe just an OM.
As I've used Sapele for 3 necks, it is more dense then Honduras Hog and I'm thinking may give a little bit brighter tone???. The stuff I cut sure looks nice under a finish.

[ken cierp]

Sapele is harder and much more reflective than Genuine Mahogany -- actually sounds more like Rosewood. I understand it was a favorite of Doc Watson. But for sure its "sucky" to bend just like Honduran and African Mahogany.

[Dave Bagwill]

2 pcs .045" thick, laminated together on a mold in a vacuum bag.... Just sayin' - 'course now that I've said that, I'll be sure to break some...

[Kevin in California]

I've only bent one set of sapele sides so far, but for me it went fine. Spritzed with water, bent at around 280. I did have quite a bit of spring back as I remember, but no cracks, breaks, etc, etc, etc. I have 4 more sets to use up. So far I really like it.

[Bob Dill]

I've bent quite a few sets of Sapele and have found that I get my best results if I lightly spritz the wood and sandwich the side between damp Kraft paper. This is placed in a foil envelope and bent on a Fox style bender. I start the bending at about 325 degrees and do two heat cycles and let the side sit overnight. I'm careful not to use too much water, just enough so the wood won't dry out during the heat process. I have some Sapele that just refuses to bend and some that works fairly easy, I never try to bend it if it is thicker than .080".

[John Link]

Dave,

In your experience with laminated sides, have you ever used more than one species of wood? I suppose the underlying question is something like, does it matter?

Let's suppose, use your .045 inner and outer layer of the "true species" PLUS a thin middle layer of another species (hog) at .025 (1/40th, a standard veneer metric) with the grain running vertical. This would form a very stable .115 side with crisscrossed grain well constructed to resist humidity and temperature shock. It would also be more resistant to cracking due to trauma and easier to bend (see Bob's comment), albeit more time consuming. It would also be some heavier due to the weight of the glue. And, of course, more expensive than just using a single piece of solid wood.

I am assuming that the main role of the sides is to separate the plates and close the volume of the air pump, and not to vibrate significantly themselves - otherwise the use of any lamination seems counter-indicated.