Mahogany, what's left in ...

[AKarab@aol.com]

Thanks, Don, for the notes on wood.

Interesting that you mention Mahogany-_type_ woods.  I guess I had pictured
it as a tree, not a family (no pun intended).  You mentioned that Bubinga and
Sapele are the types used in hammer moldings, and that Bubinga is from
Africa.  Do you know where Sapele is from?  You also mentioned that Young
Chang gets their Luann and Nyatoh from S.E. Asia -- what are those the types
used for veneers?

BTW, my comments about sellers not knowing about their woods was with regard
to some hammer suppliers, and not piano manufacturers as a group, with whom I
have rarely discussed wood; that makes your posting all the sweeter.

Yes,I have seen much in print about the vanishing Sitka spruce, the rumors of
cold/slow-growing spruce in Russia which turned out to be not true, and
discussed this with other technicians, as you may know.  I notice a lot of
companies are experimenting again with laminated boards, I assume to save on
wood costs.  Do you have any idea how much a manufacturer saves by using a
laminated board instead of a solid one?

I also notice the soundboard grain counts are dropping per inch from over 15
down to about 6-8 in lots of pianos!

Audrey Karabinus,   Seattle