Bubinga is an enormously loved wood for its hardness and thin texture. However, this distinctive feature makes it more difficult to work with. Its intertwined grain can make sides quite hard to bend, but the result is worth the effort.
This wood is original from Africa, it has a terrific rich sound full of warm uniform tones and it physically reminds to Tulipwood. It got popular thanks to a good price-quality relationship and made it also requested for acoustic guitar sides making. Find out more at Maderas Barber.
BOTANICAL NAME: Guibourtia spp.
COMMERCIAL NAMES: Bubinga
ORIGIN: Gabon
DESCRIPTION: Reddish colour wood with a 700-910 kg/m3 density. Its sapwood is whitish or reddish grey and old pink-red for its heartwood. It has lots of discontinuous thin grains of a violet, pink or red colour and some other more wide, diffuse grains of a brown colour. The grain is usually straight or slightly intertwined, but sometimes it can be waved too. The grain goes from thin to medium.
SUGGESTIONS: Saw is easy, but it’s recommended to use a powerful equipment. Machining doesn’t present any problem, but precautions need to be taken. The wood needs powerful equipment and the tools get quickly blunt.
DRYING: Drying speed is slow with some risks of deformation and cracks.
USES: Is equally used for sounding boards and wind instruments, apart form tops for electric guitars and basses.
