Introducing Yellow Rosa, a premium hardwood from the Aspidosperma genus. Prized for its vibrant yellow hue, Yellow Rosa serves as an excellent alternative to traditional Yellowheart. While predominantly golden, some boards display patches of soft pinks and oranges, reminiscent of the classic tones found in Peroba Rosa (another species in the Aspidosperma genus). This fine-textured, durable hardwood is well-suited for high-end furniture, flooring, and precision woodworking. Whether you’re crafting timeless interiors or standout statement pieces, Yellow Rosa offers a perfect balance of beauty, strength, and workability.

A hard, durable, medium brown species found in the Central-Eastern United States. The grain is typically fairly straight, but the hardness does make it a little harder to work with.

Another recent addition to our species offering, we are little disappointed in the quality that was supplied, so please choose your pieces carefully.

Available in 4/4 and 8/4.

This vibrant Central American wood can features primary colors ranging from orange to golden brown (with gold, red and sometimes even green accent coloration). It is thought to be the closest relative to Brazilwood (famous for its use in stringed-instrument bows), and Chakte Viga shares many of the same acoustic properties. Grains are straight, but sometimes interlocked -- otherwise, this wood works easily, and finishes well. It has a fine texture and excellent natural luster. Sap is a pale off-white to pale yellow.

Chakte Viga is a wood that has been starting to emerge from relative obscurity over the last decade or so, being one of the lesser-known and -demanded woods from the tropical Central America region. We feel it has a huge untapped potential as a guitar tonewood, as well as in fine furniture production in the US. The wood has some very subtle aesthetics, sometimes exhibiting a 3D-like shimmering chatoyance after being finished with clear lacquer.

Longhi is an African wood with similar working properties to its more well-known cousin, Anegre. Its color varies from a greyish-white to beige to pinkish-brown color, which slightly darkens with age and UV-ray exposure. Its generally light appearance makes sapwood difficult to distinguish. Its grains are typical straight (though occasionally interlocked) and its texture ranges between fine and medium-fine. It can sometimes possess mottled or subtle tiger-striped figuring.

The wood must be carefully dried, as it is susceptible to fungus. It is considered to be moderately durable, and moderately stable. Longhi has a solid strength-to-weight ratio, which makes it a popular choice for flooring and decking.

Heartwood can vary from pale yellow to a light, muted reddish brown; sapwood is grayish-white. There are many species of Birch, worldwide; it is one of the most popular woods, ironically, for both veneer and utility applications. Figured pieces are the more desirable for veneer, with wide, dramatic curly figuring (similar to Cherry) decorating the surface.

American Birch works easily -- it turns, glues and finishes well -- although most boards have very little natural luster. It's a versatile wood that can be used for a number of different applications, but it needs to be protected, as the wood will decay when exposed to the elements. (... and if left unprotected will rot.)

Loosely translated as “Ironwood”, Pau Ferro is the common name for a variety of lumber species. The East African variant we have here (also known as Pau Rosa to some) has a glorious color palette. A dark brown base with reds, oranges and yellow tones - it reminds us of the African sunset…

It is hard and heavy to work, but the vibrant colors make it worth the effort! Pau Ferro / Pau Rosa was originally part of the Swartzia genus, but it was reclassified as Bobgunnia in the last 10-15 years. It turns and finishes well.

Renowned for its vibrant purple hues, Purpleheart is not only visually striking but also one of the toughest woods in the world. Known for its exceptional stiffness and hardness, Purpleheart boasts an impressive strength-to-weight ratio, making it one of the most durable hardwoods available. Its natural water resistance, combined with its durability, has made it a popular choice for outdoor applications, such as decking and even truck bed flooring.

The wood typically features a straight or wavy grain, though some pieces may show more irregular patterns. Its texture ranges from fine to medium, and it has a natural luster that emerges beautifully when finely sanded. Purpleheart works well with sharp tools, making it suitable for turning, carving, and other detailed work. It also glues and finishes nicely, but sharp blades are essential for optimal results.

When first cut, Purpleheart has a dull brown color with faint purple tones. However, within minutes, it transitions into a range of rich purple hues, influenced by factors like species and growth environment. With continued exposure to UV rays, the color gradually darkens to a deeper brown with purple undertones. This color shift can be slowed with a finish that includes UV inhibitors, preserving the wood’s vibrant purple appearance.

Despite its generally cooperative workability, Purpleheart’s hardness and density can cause challenges if tools are dull. When resawing with a dull blade, the wood may overheat and release a black, tar-like resin that requires careful sanding to remove.

Although Purpleheart grows across a wide range in Central and South America with 23 recognized species, its popularity in recent years has led to overharvesting in some areas, putting pressure on certain populations. Conservation efforts are important to ensure the sustainable use of this remarkable wood.

Denser than East Indian Rosewood, Honduran Rosewood is well known for being the preferred wood for Marimba bars, with its ringing, well-rounded tonal properties. It compares well to Brazilian Rosewood (many claim it actually superior), producing a well-balanced acoustic guitar, with great projection and strong lows and highs. (In fact, during the '50?s and '60?s, the great flamenco guitar crafters considered it to be the only acceptable substitute to Brazilian Rosewood.)

Honduran Rosewood's grain lines are unusually tight and straight (though sometimes wavy or interlocked). The color ranges from a medium tan to a brownish brick red color, medium brown (sometimes with a purplish tint) or even a medium to dark burgundy, with occasional dark brown or black ink lines. Due to the wood's density and high oil content, it can be difficult to cut, machine and glue. Its texture can range from fine to medium; (not unlike Braz Rw) it is porous, and those pores are usually medium- to large-sized. As would be expected -- given its oily nature -- the wood has a rich natural luster.

Honduran Rosewood has grown difficult to obtain in recent years, due to a poaching epidemic in Belize which victimized the species in 2011 and 2012. Despite a wane in its supply lines, demand for the wood remains constant. Every major source we could find were unanimous in listing "2200 lbf" as the Janka Hardness rating for this wood, but we consider this figure to be very suspect. Most knowledgeable sources compare its weight and density to Brazilian Rosewood. The same sources list Bocote's Janka Hardness at 2200 lbf, also, and the Hon Rw examples we have handled are far more dense than any Bocote. (Some darker examples were more along the lines of a Cocobolo-type density.)

Known in the US primarily as "Genuine Mahogany," Swietenia Macrophylla, its scientific name, is what most in the exotic lumber industry consider to be the true species when referring to "Mahogany." Historically, it has been a very economically important wood throughout the Latin America region. Its color can range from a pale pink to a light to medium reddish-brown, and it is renowned for its chatoyance. Grains vary; although generally straight, they can be interlocked, irregular or wavy, also. Its texture is fine and uniform, with a rich natural luster.

Lumber which originates from the wood's indigenous natural regions is considered to be significantly more durable and stable than its plantation-grown counterparts.

Once a mainstay in the cabinetry, furniture and guitar building industries, here in the US, Genuine Mahogany has become increasingly more difficult to source since its inclusion in CITES' Appendix II, in 2003. It is still imported, although a significantly high percentage are of plantation-grown origin -- which is less desirable and considered to be of inferior quality to that grown in native habitats.

While the net effect of all this has been to create a 'mahogany substitute' segment of the exotic wood import industry -- bringing woods such as Sapele and African Mahogany more into favor -- the demand for Genuine Mahogany hasn't waned.