eyeballing mahogany

[chuckatsoits]

Hi everyone, hoping to get some good advice on this subject.
I am planning on ordering a few mahogany bodies soon. 
My experience has mainly been  the classical guitar and have learned how to spot a good piece of Indian RW for a brighter guitar(black) or that the chocolate Braz with not too swirly a grain can have the deep "Madrid" type sound, 
Though I have experience looking at the grain patterns of a few different woods to help determine the quality I am
at a complete loss when eyeballing mahogany. 
The one custom body I am ordering will be thru Warmoth but I will probably order two more from ebay. 

What should I look for from a pic?  Tightness of grain?  color?  I really have no Idea with Mahogany?
Is it Honduran? or Cuban? that is used on Gibsons?

thanks

 

[Cagey]

Gibson uses Honduran mahogany, for whatever that's worth. I'm sure it's a pricing/politics/contract issue with them, as opposed to any desire for mahogany that's specifically grown in the Honduras.

Many of the subtleties of various "tone woods" you're used to being concerned about with acoustic guitars are lost on electrics. Wood makes a difference, but usually only in gross. A mahogany body will sound different than an alder or maple body, which are different from each other. But, you're talking about big, thick hunks of wood, not large 3/16" flat panels. They're not designed to vibrate sympathetically like acoustics, even though they do to some extent.

 

[Mor Paul]

I'm pretty sure I've read Gibson also will use African mahogany. Actually, I've even read that some of the 50's LPs had african mahogany, and the guy I read it from puts a TON of research into his guitars.