Is koa a good tonewood?

As a tonewood, koa is warm but balanced with a clear bottom end and defined upper range without being overly bright. Its midrange is nice and open with moderate warmth. It’s not overly loud but does have great projection.

Is Koa wood good for a guitar?

Lightweight, rigid, yet bendable, Koa is a great material for guitar manufacturers to work with. When paired with the right soundboard, it also has a wonderful tonal quality.

What is koa in guitars?

A dense tropical hardwood, koa blends midrange focus with extra top-end brightness and chime. The more a koa guitar is played and opens up — especially an all-koa guitar — the more its midrange overtones add warmth and sweetness to its voice.

Why is koa a good tone wood?

Koa is lightweight and has a wonderfully compressed dynamic range. It combines clarity with warm, thick tone and produces incredible separation for individual notes. Koa wood is diverse and complex with an incomparable appearance.

Is koa similar to mahogany?

The Quick Answer. Mahogany acoustic guitars sound warmer and fuller compared to koa acoustic guitars which sound brighter and clearer. Koa acoustic guitars are usually rarer and more expensive, and they have a more unique grain. Both woods are dark although there are some variations in the shades between guitars.

Is koa a heavy wood?

Koa is a hardwood and considered a moderately heavy wood. According to the US Department of Agriculture, Forest Product Laboratory, Koa’s technical weight is . 63 specific gravity.

Is koa A rosewood?

Koa is a dense wood that comes from Hawaii and is a fairly expensive (although not as pricey as rosewood). Koa can be used as a side, back and top wood and most guitars will feature all-koa bodies. In terms of a appearance, koa is a dark wood which has a very unique grain.

Is koa a mahogany?

Koa acoustic guitars are usually rarer and more expensive, and they have a more unique grain. Both woods are dark although there are some variations in the shades between guitars….The Quick Answer.

Mahogany Acoustic Guitars	Koa Acoustic Guitars
Dark wood with a subtle grain	Dark wood with a prominent grain

Does Martin make a koa guitar?

With the 000-12E Koa in Martin’s lineup, now more players can turn their dreams of owning a koa guitar into reality. The back and side of this gorgeous model are constructed with koa fine veneer, which is an environmentally conscious, alternative-wood option, made by bonding koa hardwood to an African mahogany core.

Is koa the same as Acacia?

The first thing to know is that acacia wood and koa wood are very similar. In fact, acacia is in the same family as koa and sometimes when shopping for an acacia wood ukulele, you will see it called “koa acacia.” There are about 1300 different kinds of acacia wood!

What is the difference between koa and mahogany?

The Quick Answer Mahogany acoustic guitars sound warmer and fuller compared to koa acoustic guitars which sound brighter and clearer. Koa acoustic guitars are usually rarer and more expensive, and they have a more unique grain. Both woods are dark although there are some variations in the shades between guitars.

What is Koa wood worth?

A koa tree—prized for its use in hand-crafted furniture—can be worth upwards of $50,000 in today’s market. In theory, you could score $2,500 from a single tree.

Is Koa wood hard or soft?

Koa is a hardwood and has high crush resistance and shock absorbance. It is often compared to walnut, however, it weighs about 25% more and its interlocking grain makes for an exceptional figure. It’s thin, light-colored sapwood surrounds the hardwood that woodworkers describe as lustrous, swirled marble.

Is Koa wood a lightweight?

Koa wood isn’t just good for weapons used by warriors in 18th-century Hawaii. A lot of musicians have reaped the benefits of its rich texture and tonal quality. The material is lightweight and pliable, making it easy to create smooth-sounding guitars and other instruments.

What is Martin koa?

What is koa HPL?

Constructed of newly upgraded HPL (High-Pressure Laminate) KOA, this guitar combines crisp, clear sound with a scratch-resistant surface that can withstand temperature extremes, making it perfect for playing anywhere – from surf to snow.

Is koa like mahogany?

How can you tell real Koa wood?

You can identify Koa by examining three primary attributes; color, grain, and origin. Koa is generally reddish gold to dark brown in color. Its acute interlocking wood grain produces a highly curly or figured appearance. Its origin is always Hawaii.

Is Koa wood still available?

Concerned people sometimes ask, “Is Koa wood endangered, or even extinct?” The answer is a resounding “NO.” Koa wood is not and has never been on any endangered species list. There is more Koa growing in the Hawaiian Islands today compared to ten years ago.

Why is koa wood expensive?

Koa wood is highly regarded and it is so precious because it can only be found in Hawaii. Its beauty and rarity make koa among the most expensive woods in the world. Koa wood starts at around $40 per board feet and can go up to $200 board feet for rare large slabs.