Padauk: Pterocarpus Soyauxii

Bright sounding with good sustain, most popular species for sopranos, good for tenors as well as baritones. Colorful orange red color fades to dark brown with exposure to UV. From west and central Africa.

Jatoba: Hymenaea Courbaril

Also known as Brazilian Cherry, this wood is a good choice for tenors,baritones, and basses. It is very durable with a warm brown color.

Honduran Mahogany: Swetiana Macrophyla

Best choice for basses and baritones. Deep booming tone with good sustain. Mahogany is relatively light and of less than average hardness. This beautiful species is used for furniture and boat trim. From central and South America.

Black Locust: Robinia Pseudoacacia

One of the few native hardwoods in the U.S. with sufficient sustain and pleasing tonal qualities. Good for sopranos,tenors, and baritones. Black Locust is a fast growing species of medium density and hardness. It is light brown with a distinct grain pattern.

Honduran Rosewood: Dalbergia Stevensonii

This premier wood for orchestral marimbas is rare and expensive. It has a gorgeous grain with color ranging from pink to brown to purple. The tone is more mellow than Padauk, dulcet sounding with excellent sustain. Recommended for sopranos.

Maple: Acer

Another native hardwood that works for basses and baritones. Light colored and hard, Maple has less sustain than Honduran Mahogany.

Ipe: Tabebuia

Sometimes called Brazilian Walnut, or ironwood, is extremely hard and strong. It sounds great for basses and baritones Ipe is grey to brown in color with almost no grain pattern and is more than twice as strong as oak.

Red Cedar, Douglas Fir, and Redwood

These native softwoods have acceptable tonal qualities but are more likely to break or split along the grain when played vigorously.

There are many other possibilities than those listed here. If you have another preference we would be happy to discuss it with you.