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Mahogany Wood

Mahogany has a generally straight grain and is usually free of voids and pockets.  It has a reddish brown color which darkens over time, and displays a beautiful reddish sheen when polished.  It has excellent workability, and is very durable and slow to deteriorate.

These properties make it a favorable wood for boat making, as tradition has shown, as well as for making furniture and upholstery, musical instruments, and other durable objects.

Mahogany is a very popular material for drum making, because of its great integrity and capability to produce a very dark, warm tone compared to other more common wood types like maple or birch.  The famous Beatles sound of the 60s was made with Ludwig Drums in mahogany shells.

Today, several drum manufacturers have rediscovered the features of mahogany shells, resulting in several high end series offering shells made in this wood.

A wide variety of electric guitars are also made from mahogany, like Gibson's Les Paul line and most of the PRS guitars, among others.  Again, it is noted for its dark properties, as well as its weight, the combination of which produces a warm, rounded tone with huge sustain.

It should also be noted that Mahogany is a very popular choice of material for luthiers constructing all grades of acoustic guitars.  Mahogany is also an excellent choice for use in chess products.

Source:  Wikipedia