Our Woods | Lap axe Travel Guitars

Welcome to the Lapaxe™ Guitars wood page.

On this page, we showcase all the exceptional wood species we source locally within Indonesia. Every single one of our wood sources is sustainable, our suppliers are fully licensed traders, and all operations are backed by official documentation issued by local offices of the Ministry of Forestry.

The Sustainable Elegance of Indonesian Mahogany

In an era where sustainability is paramount and conscientious consumerism is on the rise, the choices we make extend far beyond mere functionality or aesthetics. They reflect our values, our commitment to the planet, and our appreciation for this magnificent wood species. At Lapaxe, we pride ourselves not only on our exquisite craftsmanship but also on our dedication to sustainable practices and environmental responsibility.

Mahogany has long been revered for its timeless beauty, durability, and versatility. Its rich, reddish-brown hue and fine grain make it the absolute perfect choice for our guitar bodies and necks.

The Sustainability Factor

Indonesian Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) is renowned for its rapid growth rate and natural regeneration abilities. Unlike slower-growing timbers that can take many decades to mature, Indonesian Mahogany reaches harvestable size in a fraction of the time, making it a highly sustainable choice for musical instrument production.

Furthermore, the Indonesian government imposes strict regulations on the harvesting and exportation of mahogany to ensure the preservation of natural habitats and biodiversity. By adhering to these guidelines, we not only protect the integrity of the forests but also support local communities that rely on the timber industry for their livelihoods.

Our Local, Natural Process

Local Sourcing: We source 100% of our Mahogany from a single, expertly managed plantation located in West Java, conveniently close to our workshop.
Natural Air-Drying: We naturally dry our woods for up to 1.5 years, carefully stacked with stickers in a well-ventilated space right on our premises.
Stability & Quality: The wood we are currently cutting maintains a moisture level below 12%, ensuring exceptional stability. In particular, our quarter-sawn pieces offer superior structural integrity, making them absolute perfection for building our guitar necks!

A Tiger Quilted Ebony

is an incredibly rare find, especially if it is mimicking the tight, clustered "eye" patterns of Amboyna. In the world of Diospyros (Ebony), "quilting" is far less common than "striping," making that block a true "unicorn" for a custom build.
Given the look, here is what is likely happening with that wood:
1. The "Compression" Effect
Quilting in ebony usually occurs when the tree has undergone immense physical pressure—often at the base of the trunk or where a heavy limb joins.
• The Look: Unlike the straight "Tiger Stripes" of standard Macassar, "Tiger Quilt" creates a 3D shimmering effect where the grain seems to dip and dive.
• The Amboyna Connection: When this quilting happens in a piece of Ebony with high color contrast (reds and oranges mixed with black), it breaks the stripes into the "blobs" or "clusters" that characterize Amboyna.
2. Identifying the Species: Diospyros macassar vs. Diospyros rumphii
Since we are in Indonesia and we believe it may be from Borneo, it might have Black Ebony (Diospyros rumphii) or is arare variant of Macassar Ebony.
• Macassar (D. celebica): Usually has the orange/black contrast. A "quilted" Macassar is highly prized in high-end Luthiery because it combines the "growl" of ebony with the visual depth of maple.
• Borneo Ebony: Often has a more "marbled" or chaotic grain than the Sulawesi varieties. If the quilting is tight, it can look like liquid metal. Due to the chaotic stripe and quilt in this piece we believe this is from Borneo.
Never the less an amazing find and we can make 1 single piece EX-Jazz from this.

Rengas wood (Melanorrhoea curtisii)

Also widely known as Borneo Rosewood or Rengas Tiger Wood, Melanorrhoea curtisii is a durable and striking Southeast Asian hardwood. While its rich aesthetic and acoustic properties make it a viable and appealing alternative to traditional rosewood for guitar fretboards, its raw sap is a potent skin irritant that requires strict safety precautions and thorough sealing.

Key Characteristics

Durability: Offers excellent natural resistance to decay and daily wear, making it exceptionally reliable for long-term musical instrument use.
Tonal Quality: Renowned for a distinct "glassy tap tone" and fantastic sustain, closely matching the acoustic profile of traditional rosewood.
Appearance: Displays a rich, reddish-brown color that is frequently free of knots and finishes to a high, beautiful luster.
Workability: While it glues and finishes very well, its high silica content will severely dull cutting tools, demanding proper equipment and experience.
Safety Note: The fresh sap contains irritants that can cause strong allergic skin reactions, meaning careful handling and thorough sealing are essential during the crafting process.

Mimba Wood (Often Called Limba)

Scientific Name: Azadirachta indica

Common Names: Neem, Margosa, Nimtree, Indian Lilac, Nim, Mimba
Family: Meliaceae (The Mahogany Family)
Origin: Native to the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia, now widely naturalized in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide.

Description & Background

Azadirachta indica is a prominent member of the mahogany family. Its name is derived from the Hindustani noun nim, coming from the Sanskrit word nimba. While globally famous for its fruits and seeds—which serve as the primary source of neem oil—certain figured sections of the tree yield an exceptional, highly-prized timber used by specialty craftspeople and instrument makers.

Tonal Characteristics & Properties

Sound Profile: Mimba wood is celebrated for its balanced, warm, clear, and resonant sound profile accompanied by impressive sustain, making it versatile across multiple musical genres.
Midrange Response: It features a pronounced midrange response that delivers a well-defined, highly articulate sound.
Comparison: While frequently compared to Mahogany due to its family ties and overall tonal behavior, Mimba tends to offer a slightly brighter and more open acoustic presentation.

Availability & Current Projects

Figured pieces of Mimba are quite rare; they do not appear in every tree, and intensely figured grain patterns are typically restricted to the trunk.

Rosewood for our fret boards.

Indonesian Rosewood locally known as Sonokeling, has an aesthetically appearance. It’s colour ranges from reddish-brown to purplish hues with streaks of Black and Golden Brown. Alongside Ironwood, Indonesian Rosewood ranks among the world’s hardest woods, with a remarkable hardness rating of 1100 pounds per square inch. This leads to outstanding resistance to dents, scratches, moisture decay and insect infestation thanks to its natural oily content.

Also grown at plantation mostly in East Java it makes for us a very desirable and popular for our fret boards and inlays for our instruments.

Ebony – Amara

Diospyros celebica , Also known as |Amara | Amara Ebony | Pink Ebony | Red Ebony

Amara Ebony and Macassar Ebony are of the exact same species (Diospyros Celebica), with the difference put forth being that Amara is exclusive to the Island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. Amara is known for its deep chocolate browns with pink striping; the difference in its coloration and that of typical Macassar Ebony being attributed to the soil conditions here in Indonesia. Its grains are more likely to be wavy or irregular than straight, with a fine texture and nice natural luster.

Our experience yields a broader perspective, as we have found the wood sometimes with greens and reds, more similar to Malaysian Blackwood, at times with darker and more muted hues¬† and devoid of any pink shades. Pieces which more resemble Macassar have also contained gold – orange hues, in addition to pinks. It’s sap content is tan in color and, despite its density, it has good working properties.

Black & White Ebony | Malabar Ebony | Pale Moon Ebony

More commonly known as “Pale Moon Ebony” to US guitar luthiers and aficionados, this Southeast Asian true Diospyros ebony is, without question, the world’s most difficult, perplexing exotic wood and at times, one of its most visually stunning. (It’s also one of its most sought-after.) The wood is known for the bold jet black ink lines which adorn its creamy, pale yellow base. Both the volume and pattern of its lines are unpredictable, varying greatly from piece to piece. Grains can be straight, wavy or irregular; its texture is fine, with a nice natural luster. Its hardness and density are quite moderate for an ebony.

After being harvested or re-sawn, the wood exhibits a strong tendency to self-destruct — often changing shape, cracking and checking — if not quickly coated in wax. Although it’s not currently viewed as endangered, the wood has always been in short supply in the US, despite an unquenchable demand from custom guitar builders and wood enthusiasts, alike. Other than the difficulties in drying, it has good working properties; it machines, turns, glues and finishes well.

Because of its noted self-destructive tendencies, the wood is coated in wax almost immediately after harvesting.

This wood is most always in short supply, while the demand remains constant.

Our source is based in the Sulawesi Island previously known as Celebes, its hard to find !!!

Asian Striped Ebony | Makassar | Striped Ebony

Native exclusively to Sulawesi, Makassar Ebony is renowned for its striking, distinctively striped appearance. While deep browns typically dominate, exceptional pieces can feature vibrant secondary highlights of green, yellow, burgundy, red, orange, and even peach. The sapwood ranges from a dull tan to a light golden brown, occasionally showing muted tones of orange, peach, or light pink.

In high demand among veneer mills, it is also a prized material for guitar luthiers. Its exceptional density gives the wood tremendous resonance, making it ideally suited for acoustic guitar back-and-sides or fretboards.

Appearance & Grain Patterns

Striping: Characterized by large, bold stripes—frequently featuring unique twists and overlaps.
Consistency: Finding long, consistent grain patterns on longer pieces can be challenging, though highly desirable pieces with fine, tight-knit, and consistent striping occasionally appear.

Working Properties

Like many woods of comparable density, Makassar Ebony can be challenging to work with and is notoriously hard on cutting blades. However, this poses little concern to craftsmen experienced with this regal ebony species.

Southeast Asia produces some of the world's most astounding exotics, and Makassar Ebony stands firmly as one of its most renowned trademark species. Despite these working complexities, we are still able to source Makassar easily and at a very reasonable price specifically for our fretboards.

Jet Black Makassar – Palu Ebony

Scientific Name: Diospyros celebica

Family: Ebenaceae (Ebony family)

Endemic Region: Sulawesi (specifically Palu, Central Sulawesi), historically known as Celebes.

Description

The Palu ebony tree features a straight, upright trunk that can grow up to 40 meters in height, with a lower trunk diameter reaching up to 1 meter—often supported by large buttress (board) roots.

Bark: The outer bark is black-brown, grooved, and peels off in small pieces with a light brown surface underneath, while the inner bark is yellowish-white.
Leaves: Simple and alternately arranged, they are elongated-elliptical with pointed tips. The upper surface is dark green, leathery, and shiny, whereas the lower surface is gray-green and pubescent (hairy).
Flowers & Fruit: Small, white flowers cluster in the leaf axils. The ovate fruit is hairy and transitions from red and yellow to a dark brown hue when ripe. Its whitish flesh is frequently consumed by monkeys, squirrels, and bats, which serve as natural seed-dispersal agents. The seeds are wedge-shaped and blackish-brown.

Wood Properties & Uses

Palu ebony yields exceptionally high-quality timber prized for its distinctive profile—often subtly striped yet predominantly pitch black.

Characteristics: The wood ranges from very dark brown to solid pitch black. It is extremely dense and heavy, with a specific gravity greater than water, meaning it does not float.
Trade Names: Internationally recognized as Macassar ebony, Coromandel ebony, streaked ebony, Jet black ebony, or Palu Eboni. Local Indonesian names include kayu hitam, toetandu, sora, kayu lotong, and kayu maitong.
Applications: Traditionally used for high-end furniture, fine carvings, sculptures, and premium musical instruments.

Distribution & Conservation

Habitat: Endemic to Sulawesi Island, it thrives in primary tropical rainforests and deciduous forests up to 600 meters above sea level, typically preferring well-drained clay, sandy, or rocky soils.
Trade History: This timber has been exported globally since the 18th century, with Japan serving as its primary historical market.
Availability: Although wild populations have become increasingly scarce, we are still able to source these exceptional fretboards on a regular, sustainable basis.

Amboyna Burl

Technically not a distinct tree species, Amboyna is the prized burl wood harvested from various Pterocarpus trees. While most commonly sourced from Narra (Pterocarpus indicus), burl sections of Burma Padauk (Pterocarpus macrocarpus) are also frequently traded under this name.

The name originates from Ambon Island in Indonesia, historically the primary hub from which this heavily figured wood was exported.

Appearance & Color Varieties

Amboyna stands among the most expensive and sought-after burls in the world, typically sold as fine veneer, turning stock, or small craft blanks.

Red Amboyna: Features the classic, rich reddish-brown heartwood.
Golden Amboyna: Exhibits a lighter, yellowish-brown coloration.
Sapwood: It is common for pieces to feature sharply contrasting, pale yellowish sapwood.