Okoume Wood
Lets talk about Okoume as a Tonewood.
Okoume wood. The nondurable heartwood dries readily with little degrade. Within its native range Okoume is considered relatively common. Okoume is the wood of the Okoume tree Aucoumea Klainneana a species native to west-central Africa in particular Gabon Equational Guinea and the republic of Congo.
Okoume is similar to Mahogany in its working finishing properties. The wood is kiln dried surfaced on two sides and ready for use. Sawn lumber is somewhat difficult to machine because of the silica content but the wood glues nails and peels into veneer easily.
The lumber of this tree is known by many names among them Acoume Gaboon wood Uume and Zouga. Due to its excellent properties it is the first choice for racing boats kitchen cabinetmaking furniture and applications where weight is important. Okoume wood is typically a high-quality product coming in 4 x 8 two-sided marine grade panels in thicknesses ranging from ⅛ to 1.
The tree generally grows in small stands with the roots of the trees intertwined. Okoume offers unusual flexibility in finishing because the color which is of medium intensity permits toning to either lighter or darker shades. The Lumber of this tree is known by many names among the Acoume Gabon wood Uume and Zouga.
Okoume is a fast growing plantation grown tropical hardwood. I have owned a Martin D-15 mahog for comparison. A cubic foot of Okoume weights over 25 pounds.
My very first run of guitars I made in 2013-2015 were made of okoume and I had to make a strat recently out of this wood as well. Lets talk about Okoume as a Tonewood. The core can be made from pine poplar or hardwood to give it added strength.