Brazilian? Indian? Ebony? How To Tell the Difference

There are guitar sellers all over the internet claiming that the guitar they are selling has Brazilian back and sides. Unfortunately, many manufactures used other woods and dyed them to look like Brazilian. The Mossman guitar builders were experts at this technique. They left the buyer to determine what the guitar was actually made of. Other builders did this as well. As is always the case, buyer beware.

Also, old Brazilian turns almost black and can look like Indian. In the late 1950s due to scarcity, Brazilian log prices started increasing until in the late 60s, Brazil banned exporting altogether. So vintage guitar prices increased accordingly. Another cause for the increase is the growth of a mythology about Brazilian as a tone wood.

Tone wise, there is no difference when these woods are used for back and sides. I do prefer Brazilian for bridges. Maybe this is just superstition on my part. The difference may be attributed to bracing work or top plank quality. It is impossible to separate these variables when predicting tone excellence.

You have the right to ask the seller to prove that the instrument is actually Brazilian, given that deception is very common. Why pay more than you have to? If the seller acts insulted or ignores your request for proof or insists they are an expert, move on to another guitar.

I am assuming everyone can tell mahogany from the rosewoods. South American Mahogany is a perfectly fine wood for acoustic guitar back and sides. I don’t include Sapele because I have never worked with that species. Lamination is a different problem all together.

You have every right to ask the seller for a simple test proving whether the guitar actually has Brazilian. Here is that test:

Take a paper towel folded into fourths, dab into some acetone to make a dime sized spot, rub a 1/2-inch square onto the inside back of the guitar. Do not touch the acetone on any finished surface. This test will not affect the bare wood at all, unless the surface is dirty. Acetone is a great cleaner. Color differences are 100% dependable for discriminating Indian (used much more frequently) from Brazilian. You will need to use a powerful LED flashlight to view the test spot. The following shows the colors you will see resulting from this test. If the back has lacquer over-spray, you can usually rub right through to the bare wood. My spots are made large for illustration purposes.

Brazilian

Indian

Ebony