Aussie/NZ tonewood equivalents

[Tdq]

I've recently returned to Australia from overseas, where I had a chance to play some great acoustic guitars, which led me to thinking - what would the Australian/New Zealand equivalents be to some of the popular tonewoods? I'm particularly interested in Mahogany and Adirondack, but am interested in other matches. Of course there are many factors and probably no exact matches, but interested in what people think. I've done a bit of internet searching but the only one I could come up with was Tasmanian Blackwood matching Koa.
For the record I am not a builder by any stretch of the imagination, (unless you count cigar box guitars...) but I am a bit of an acoustic guitar nut.

[demonx]

Welcome to the forum. Post some pics of these cigar box guitars you speak of!

There is a sub forum here with several threads that will answer your question:
viewforum.php?f=9

[Steve.Toscano]

I find Qld maple to be very similar to mahogany.

[Nick]

Welcome to the forum (do you have a name? We like to keep it friendly around here). The Australian Tonewoods section has a lot of information about Aussie natives and Christian started a section on NZ tonewoods within that thread too, also you could give Tim Spittle's site a visit, chock full of Aussie timbers. There are a few locally available timbers that 'look like' well known timbers but why look for equivalents when there are heaps of Australian timbers suitable for building that make beautiful, unique guitars. I'm in NZ and very jealous of the range of Australian timbers available on your side of the Tassie. Not meant to sound negative to your initial enquiry but just getting you to think of the possibilities open to you.

[peter.coombe]

Mahogany - Queensland Maple or Australian Red Cedar. Red Cedar is a member of the mahogany family, although it is softer and lighter in weight than the traditional mahoganies. It can be used for tops or backs and sides just like Mahogany. Some pieces of Qld Maple are very difficult to pick from Mahogany, and it is often used for necks or B&S.

Redwood or Western Red Cedar - King Billy Pine is very similar, although it does have it's own characteristic sound.

Spruce - we don't really have any Spruce equivalents. Buna Pine and Celery Top Pine can be used for tops, but they are quite a bit harder and heavier than any of the Spruces. The closest to Adirondack I have found is Pinus radiata. A good piece is about the same stiffness and weight as a good piece of stiff Adirondack, and in mandolins at least it sounds very similar to Adirondack Spruce. Problem is finding a good quarter sawn piece that is not too heavy. You will probably need to sort through hundreds of pieces to find anything useful.

Rosewood - dunno, maybe some of the desert acacias, or native olive, but they are mostly small trees so finding a piece big enough can be difficult, and they don't look like Rosewood.

[Tdq]

Hey thanks everyone, I'll look at the sites mentioned. I mainly curious about the sound qualities rather than the visual ones, although that's a consideration, of course!
Nick, my name is Tim
DemonX, posting my CBGs? Perhaps in a bit - I still can't cut straight so perhaps no close ups.

[christian]

Hey Nick,

I forgot all about the NZ section! I must get around to updating it.
Tim
The closest wood I have come across to Adirondack in NZ is a wood called Kahikatea although not botanically a spruce it shares the same look and properties. The density is between 400-450 kg/m3 and has a modulus of elasticity or stiffness at 10.7 Gpa.

Welcome to the forum (do you have a name? We like to keep it friendly around here). The Australian Tonewoods section has a lot of information about Aussie natives and Christian started a section on NZ tonewoods within that thread too, also you could give Tim Spittle's site a visit, chock full of Aussie timbers. There are a few locally available timbers that 'look like' well known timbers but why look for equivalents when there are heaps of Australian timbers suitable for building that make beautiful, unique guitars. I'm in NZ and very jealous of the range of Australian timbers available on your side of the Tassie. Not meant to sound negative to your initial enquiry but just getting you to think of the possibilities open to you.