Madeira Mahogany / Vinhatico

Family: Lauraceae - Order: Laurales - Class: Magnoliopsida 

Scientific name: Persea indica

Trade name: Vinhatico /Madeira mahogany

Also known as  Loureiro-real, carisco and viñático.

Origin: Portugal in Madeira and rarely in Azores Islands and the Canary Islands.

Instrumental uses:

Guitar necks, Guitar back and sides, head plates, bindings and inlays.

Tonal properties:

Very loud and clear tap-tone with sustain in overall frequencies. Very responsive with incredible well defined basses and a great over all frequency response, brilliant on high frequencies and a great note separation. For those whom unknown this wood can have a nice surprise. Sounds much better than Honduran Mahoganies. Extremely resistant wood.

Is very rare to find and extremely expensive, even recycled. Nominated in 1999 World Natural Heritage of Humanity, makes this so precious wood a great wood for guitar building as guitar back and sides, necks and inlays. Easy to work and finishes extraordinary well.

Very light weight but very stiff and is also very decay and insect resistant with an average dried weight nearly 430 kg/m^3.

This is a tree of the untouched Laurel forests, where it may be frequent. It prefers shady spots, although it can withstand direct sunlight well. It is not tolerant of wind and requires deep, constantly moist soils (it reacts badly to prolonged droughts), which is why it is usually found at the bottom of ravines and in river valleys in the Laurel forest. Beyond the limits of these forests, it is very occasionally seen in humid river valleys with permanent water. It tends to grow at altitudes of between 600 and 1000 m.

Large evergreen tree that can be more than 20 m tall in optimal conditions. It has a fairly straight, sturdy trunk that is frequently, which quickly branches into a wide, dense crown. They are aromatic and give off a pleasant aroma when crushed.

Not to be confused with the Brazilian Vinhático Plathymenia foliolosa that belongs to the same class Magnoliopsida but from fabaceae family and mimosoideae sub family. The color of the wood is yellowish light brown, slightly heavy and dense, nearly 500 kg/m^3.

The Madeira mahogany (Persea indica) has grain that is straight to slightly interlocked. This wood was used very often a few centuries ago in caravels and wine barrels, caravels construction (small Portuguese sailing ship) and luxury furniture. So mostly pieces available are all rare and recycled from that time have and have incredible sound and are very stable. CITES status is unrestricted. Is reported on the IUCN Red List as least concern. Only exists now in Portugal, Madeira Island (rarely in Azores Islands and the Canary Islands).