Brazilian or not?

[Uke]

A question for the wood experts here. Is this Brazlian Rosewood, or something else? What say ye all?

 

[AcornHouse]

I’d say not. But a little context would help.

 

[Uke]

I’d say not. But a little context would help.

This is a Yamaha G C - 50 Classical from @1995, made in Japan, ostensibly "handmade" by Hideyuki Ezaki. Edit: I'm not trying to sell it -- recently inherited it from a good friend.

 

[fronobulax]

A question for the wood experts here. Is this Brazlian Rosewood, or something else? What say ye all?

Scratch and sniff or scrape and DNA. Otherwise all you have is the opinions of people who looked at a picture on the internet. Experts whose professional opinion depends upon the accuracy of their appraisal are reluctant to make a definitive statement based upon a picture.

Of course it doesn't matter unless you are trying to describe it accurately for sale or replacement value, or crossing an international border involving CITES treaty partners.

In that spirit, it doesn't remind me enough of other pictures I've seen that were allegedly Brazilian so I'm going to say Not Brazilian.

;-)

 

[Rocky]

This is a Yamaha G C - 50 Classical from @1995, made in Japan, ostensibly "handmade" by Hideyuki Ezaki. Edit: I'm not trying to sell it -- recently inherited it from a good friend.

Brazilian Rosewood has been subject to CITES regulation since 1992. If the instrument has crossed an international boundary since then, then it should have accompanying paperwork.

That said, very few instruments have been made after 1969 with Brazilian rosewood, unless they were special production runs, or from small manufacturers.

 

[Mapleman54]

Great comments, and Frono gets to the heart of the matter as usual! BUT...!!! I personally own 5 instruments that are Brazilian back and sides, and all postdate 1969. All are from specialist builders but major exporters of classical guitars in Europe- they are David Rubio (1971), Deiter Hopf (1984), Robert Welford (1987+2012), and Bert Kwakkel (2004). Something that makes me feel the discussion is still open is that Brazilian (dalbergia negra) when cut on or near the quarter looks much different than that cut on slab. In these photos, both the Hopf (left) and the Kwakkel (right) are on slab cut, but the Rubio (both centre) is quartered.
It seems indeed what Rocky said, that in the UK where I am, that 1992 marks a watershed, but single use Cites permits are available for instruments bought before that date as I have sold instruments with Brazilian boards and bridges and got a Cites certificate as I had owned the instruments since before that. On the other hand I have been denied permits on older, pre-convention instruments (1962) as they were coming into the UK for the first time. So I think the Yamaha GC (which very likely was hand built at that time) could be Brazilian quartered on the back, and slab on the sides. Fun eh?

 

[Uke]

Brazilian Rosewood has been subject to CITES regulation since 1992. If the instrument has crossed an international boundary since then, then it should have accompanying paperwork.

This leads me to think it certainly is not Brazilian. I don't have any of the paperwork that came with the guitar, but was present when the guitar arrived at the music dealer where my friend ordered it. I don't recall any discussion of Brazilian Rosewood or accompanying paper documentation. Had not thought about all of this until I read your response, Rocky. Thanks!

 

[RBSinTo]

Try speaking Portugese to it, and see if it makes a sound.
That should tell you.
RBSinTo

 

[chazmo]

In the late '70s and early '80s the Japanese manufacturers (well, Ibanez at least, and others, I think) were often using "Jacaranda" as their description in their catalogs for the high-end rosewood. I've never been able to confirm or deny that this was Brazilian rosewood.

In any case, I seriously doubt that a guitar from a Japanese manufacturer in the '90s would be made of Brazilian rosewood. Since it's a Yamaha, you should be able to dig up catalogs pretty easily to see what they had to say.

Anyway, it looks quite beautiful, and I love the straight-grained back (whatever it is!).

 

[beecee]

Try speaking Portugese to it, and see if it makes a sound.
That should tell you.
RBSinTo

é mentira

 

[GAD]

Moving to acoustics

 

[mavuser]

can u pls post clear close up photos of these areas

and another of the back from inside the sound hole?

 

[Uke]

Try speaking Portugese to it, and see if it makes a sound.
That should tell you.
RBSinTo

Had not thought of that! Obrigada!!

 

[Uke]

can u pls post clear close up photos of these areas

and another of the back from inside the sound hole?

Pardon the lack of technical prowess with these pics.

 

[Greg1233]

I have an old Yamaha catalog that includes the GC-50 model with the following specs:

Top: Solid White Spruce or Solid Cedar
Back and Sides: Solid Jacaranda
Neck: Honduras mahogany
Fingerboard: Ebony
Bridge: Jacaranda
Nut and Saddle: Bone
Scale Length: 650mm
Fingerboard Width: nut - 52mm, 12th fret - 62mm
Finish: Top - Lacquer, Back and Sides - Polyurethane

Hope this helps!

 

[West R Lee]

Lots of Madagascar rosewood looks like Brazilian to me.

lovely rosewood back side guitar set luthier tonewood back sides madagascar | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for lovely rosewood back side guitar set luthier tonewood back sides madagascar at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

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Collings OM3 Madagascar Rosewood (057) | Reverb

New Collings OM3 Madagascar Rosewood in stock! Stunning Madagascar rosewood back and sides!Custom features include Madagascar Rosewood back and sides, 1 3/4 nut width and 42 style top inlay and fretboard inlays. This guitar has a strap button installed. • Select Sitka spruc...

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And then you have Panamanian rosewood.

Collings SJ Custom Panamanian Rosewood/German Spruce - Sunburst | Reverb

Very rare Collings custom SJ with the perfect combination of tonewoods. The Panamanian Rosewood is spectacular to look at, plus the sound is absolutely incredible. When paired with German Spruce, the sound is magical. When I first played this guitar, I thought...

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West

 

[Uke]

I have an old Yamaha catalog that includes the GC-50 model with the following specs:

Top: Solid White Spruce or Solid Cedar
Back and Sides: Solid Jacaranda
Neck: Honduras mahogany
Fingerboard: Ebony
Bridge: Jacaranda
Nut and Saddle: Bone
Scale Length: 650mm
Fingerboard Width: nut - 52mm, 12th fret - 62mm
Finish: Top - Lacquer, Back and Sides - Polyurethane

Hope this helps!

Interesting. Is there a date on the catalogue?

 

[chazmo]

can u pls post clear close up photos of these areas

and another of the back from inside the sound hole?

Mav, FYI, I think that's a (bookmatched) knothole in the wood. That back sure is a lovely quarter-sawn piece of wood (whatever it is).

 

[Uke]

So it seems this is probably not Brazilian Rosewood. Until the guitar erupts in the middle of the night with an Etude by Villa-Lobos, or a Samba by Jobim, I'll just call it pretty wood.

 

[chazmo]

So it seems this is probably not Brazilian Rosewood. Until the guitar erupts in the middle of the night with an Etude by Villa-Lobos, or a Samba by Jobim, I'll just call it pretty wood.

Uke, just to be clear, there's no real understanding of what the Japanese folks meant by "Jacaranda." It *could* be Brazilian, but likely not. As far as I know, "Jacaranda" was their top-of-the-line rosewood(-esque) wood.