Hawaiian Koa Figured Wood
Hawaiian Koa Figured Wood
"Acacia Koa is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands,[2] where it is the second most common tree.[3] The highest populations are on Hawaiʻi, Maui and Oʻahu. Its name in the Hawaiian language, koa, also means brave, bold, fearless, or warrior.[4]"
source: Wikipedia
Hawaiian Koa wood is prized for its rich colors and reflective chatoyance. For years, it's been a popular option for acoustic tops & side and electric guitar tops and body wood. Highly figured Koa wood sells for top dollar. Not surprisingly, they are typically found on high-end instruments.
In fact, ESP features flamed Koa tops on their limited production USA built TE-11 HT solid body electric guitars. The run was limited to 25 instruments.
One of those 25 limited edition Koa guitars can be found on Sweetwater. Here is what Sweetwater has to say about the figured Hawaiian Koa wood featured on this instrument top:
"They (ESP) topped the okoume (body wood) with beautifully figured koa, prized for its bite and sustain, as well as its distinctive look. The result is an incredibly thick tone with a unique, edgy character. "
source: Sweetwater