How can you tell Brazilian rosewood from Indian rosewood?

Brazilian is mostly dark brown with some black grain lines, occasionally being close to black on wider areas, and with some with tan areas. Some very old sets can be a lighter brown. Indian has again a dark brown base color, but not as dark as Brazilian, and with a lot of purple overtones.

How can you tell the difference between Indian and Brazilian rosewood?

To most, Brazilian has better clarity in the bottom and a almost bell like tone in the trebles. Indian rosewood has become the general substitute for Brazilian rosewood. Generally speaking, this wood is not as attractive as Brazilian and It has a noticeably purple color and the grain markings are coarser.

Is Brazilian rosewood better than Indian?

Yes there's a difference, but it's pretty subtle, and neither is better than the other IMO. Few (if any) listeners would be able to tell a difference in a blind test. Brazilian rosewood is harder to get (particularly quarter sawn), much more expensive, and is more prone to cracking.

How do I identify rosewood wood?

Rosewood — This wood gets its name from the scent it gives off when you cut it, much like the flower. It can look similar to mahogany, but has fine black or white rings and is much heavier lumber.

Is Brazilian rosewood expensive?

The prestige of Brazilian rosewood, an expensive material to begin with, rocketed once production was halted. Rarity, coupled with the cachet of authentic Danish modern designs (and the names attached to them), has made mid-century Brazilian rosewood furniture one of today's most coveted grails.

Is Brazilian Rosewood Better Than Indian Rosewood? Lets Find Out!

What is so special about Brazilian rosewood?

Brazilian rosewood is highly desirable, exceptionally rare and heavily regulated. It is regarded as one of the finest tonewoods; hard, stiff, and highly resonant with a glass-like ring that sustains; it has a floral scent, similar to roses, thus the name.

Why is Brazilian rosewood illegal?

Why is Brazilian rosewood so heavily regulated? In 1967, Brazilian rosewood had become so popular for instruments and other wood products that the Brazilian government became concerned that this precious hardwood could be wiped out, so the government outlawed the export of rosewood logs.

How can I tell if my rosewood is real?

Even texture with an orange/yellow-red to deep purple with black bars color range: Even if artificial dyes can reproduce the color, if with an uneven texture it can be confirmed the product is not made of rosewood. Fake rosewoods products have a thick color or light colors with white color in some space.

What does raw rosewood look like?

Color/Appearance: Brazilian rosewood can vary in color from a darker chocolate brown to a lighter purplish or reddish brown, with darker contrasting streaks. The black streaks can sometimes form a unique grain pattern that is sometimes referred to as “spider-webbing” or “landscape,” very similar to ziricote.

What wood is closest to Brazilian rosewood?

There are various other woods that can be used as alternatives to rosewood. These woods include: Macassar ebony, ziricote, bubinga, grenadillo and pau ferro. Macassar ebony and ziricote are higher end woods whereas bubinga, grenadillo and pau ferro are more moderately priced.

How do you test for Brazilian rosewood?

For suspected samples of Brazilian Rosewood, take a small test tube or other small transparent container and fill it with some shavings, (a handplane works great for this), and then fill the remainder of the container with water and shake it up for a few seconds.

Does Gibson still use Brazilian rosewood?

Since 1991, Brazilian Rosewood has been listed as an endangered species and has therefore been used sparingly by guitar makers. However, there have been some small runs here and there of Gibson guitars that do have Brazilian fingerboards, particularly during 2001-2003.

Does Martin still use Brazilian rosewood?

Supplies grew extremely thin in the late 1960s, however, and Martin and others stopped using Brazilian rosewood in 1969, moving over to Indian rosewood, then other varieties. In 1992, Brazilian rosewood was added to the CITES treaty, strictly banning its exportation.

What does Brazilian rosewood smell like?

Brazilian Rosewood that's used in perfumery is from the Aniba rosaedora tree (not to be confused with the Dalbergia genus) and has a floral, slightly rose-like odor.

When did Guild stop using Brazilian rosewood?

Guild started using East Indian Rosewood as early as 1963 and you'll find both Brazilian and East Indian on Guild guitars up till the end of the '60s and into the very early '70s, sometimes even mixed on the same instrument. Brazilian is pretty rare though after 1971 but occasionally you will find one that has it.

When did fender stop using Brazilian rosewood?

Brazilian rosewood was a common wood for fingerboards and partly also for bodies and bridges of high quality instruments, produced especially in the U.S. until about 1965 (Fender,Gibson) sometimes until 1969 (Martin) .

What is a true rosewood?

Rosewood is the rarest, finest, and most revered wood species worldwide. It gives each piece an individual character that exudes boldness, strength, and unparalleled elegance. We carefully source the best species of rosewood available anywhere in the world.

How much is rosewood worth?

Rosewood fetches in excess of USD$17,000 per ton but Zambia is failing to benefit, here's why. Rosewood is popular in China for 'hongmu' – antique furniture. Rosewood is the generic name for several dark-red hardwood species found in tropical regions across the globe.

How many kinds of rosewood are there?

There are at least 20 different true rosewoods with a rich variety of colors and several other woods are called rosewood because of their density and appearance. Several species have become popular landscape trees in the US.

Is Indian rosewood illegal?

The most widely traded illegal wild product in the world today is rosewood, an endangered hardwood prized for its use in traditional Chinese furniture.

Where does Brazilian rosewood come from?

D. nigra, commonly known as Brazilian rosewood, is native to the Atlantic coast of Brazil. It is one of the most highly valued hardwoods, well-known for its durability, pest resistance, beauty, acoustic properties, and distinct rose scent.

Is Indian rosewood legal?

The good news is that if you own an item made of rosewood, you should be able to travel with it without issue. But the bad news is that if you are selling any type of rosewood (either as lumber, or as a finished product), you can no longer (legally) ship it out of your country.

Can I sell Brazilian rosewood?

Again, this provision has been in the regulations since 2007 and remains unchanged. It allows you to sell, buy, or otherwise transfer your Brazilian rosewood guitar so long as the rosewood was certified as “pre-Convention,” no matter when it was imported into the US.

Is it legal to sell Brazilian rosewood?

Brazilian rosewood products may be imported and exported commercially only if they are: Presented with a USDA-APHIS Protected Plant Permit; Presented with documentation from CITES certifying that it was acquired prior to June 11, 1992; Imported and exported through designated ports.

Is Jacaranda the same as Brazilian rosewood?

Jacaranda has been used as a common name for both Brazilian Rosewood (Dalbergia Negra) and Indian Rosewood (Dalbergia Latafolia) and others, as Russell mentioned. So to answer your question in a general way, the answer is "Yes".