Name: Dalbergia Nigra [Brazilian Rosewood, Rio or Bahia Rosewood, Jacaranda de Brazil (Spanish), Pianowood, Caviuna, Obuina, Palissandre de Bresil (French)].
Growing Region: Brazil, from the eastern forests of Bahia to Rio de Janeiro. Much of its original habitat has been converted to farmland.
Availability: Endangered. This wood has a CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora) appendix 1 Classification. Appendix 1 is the most critical listing for endangered species. It is illegal to trade except for pre-CITES stock which must have been registered. Efforts are now being made to salvage stumps from previously cut trees.
Weight/Hardness/Density: Hard, heavy and dense. Weighs 4.5 pounds per board foot. Maple weighs 3.4 pounds, pau ferro 3.85 pounds and red oak weighs 3.75 pounds per board foot. Brazilian rosewood scores 2720 on the Janka hardness scale. Maple has a score of 1450, pau ferro 1780 and red oak 1260. The Janka scale measures how much force is required to drive a .44” steel ball one-half of its’ depth into the wood.
Cost: The expression “If you have to ask, you can’t afford it” applies here. We did find places with some wood, and the prices were around $100 per board foot, nearly 30 times the cost of maple.
Habitat concerns: CITES lists it as Appendix 1. Only 5% of its native Atlantic rainforest cover still exists and is highly fragmented. This rainforest is also home to Pau Ferro (see previous issue). Much of this species habitat has been converted to farmland. Rodents create difficulties for seedling survival, and there is little to no replanting.
Comments: In the past, wood produced from trees growing in the Rio area was larger, but the wood in the Bahia area was considered to be of higher quality. Trees can reach 125 feet in height, with a trunk diameter of 3 to 4 feet. Beautiful color and streaking. Considered one of the finest tone woods for guitar making.
Timbre/Tonal Color: Brazilian Rosewood has a higher fundamental pitch than maple, but lower than pau ferro. It has a VERY thick and rich sound. Cleaner than maple, but not as clean as cherry. More exacting in tone. Compared to Rosewood, the maple drum sounded flat and tubby.
Dynamic Range: more low end frequencies kicked in as volume increased from pp (very quiet) to p (quiet), and several more low end “boosts” as the volume increased. This filled out the sound nicely. At ff (very loud) volume, the drum closes off again, but is not choked.
Tonal Range : Center of drum has a tight focused sound. One inch off center, it opens up and more bottom end kicks in. One inch and out to the rim the low end keeps increasing smoothly and the sound spreads. MANY voicings.
Tuning Range: Head tension will go looser than maple, but not quite as tight. RB thought it sounded great as a timbale with a very tight head tension.
Resonance/Decay: Cleaner, shorter principle note than maple. Rosewood has a “musical” resonance as opposed to the “open” resonance of many drums.
Cross Stick: Very woody, rich and thick cross stick. Slightly larger area for cross stick than the maple drum. Maple sounded flat in comparison.
Volume: Similar to maple. It has a higher pitch, which can make it seem louder.
Sensitivity: Great at all volumes. Articulate.
Comments: “Meaty, meaty, meaty!” Fabulous voicings. Great for guitars AND DRUMS. Very musical sounding.
By Greg Gaylord & Robert “Tree Hugger” Bowler. |
