Ace Flibble
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Various types of cedar can end up looking like that, too, and that is frequently called a mahogany.
There's actually only three or four species which can be called genuine mahogany, but forty or so specieis which can be referred to as 'a' mahogany. They all vary quite wildly and as far as guitar building goes, there is very little correlation between the cost/scarcity of the wood and the tonal or visual qualities. This is the big #1 reason why cheaper mahogany guitars—Epiphones, Agiles, the occasional Squier, and so on—can vary so much in weight and tone between similar models, while with something like a PRS or Gibson, you have a better idea of what you're going to end up with.
Really, when it comes to higher-end guitars, broad terms like simply 'mahogany' shouldn't be used, because all it is doing is giving people an easy way to pass off cheaper cuts of wood at a premium.
There's actually only three or four species which can be called genuine mahogany, but forty or so specieis which can be referred to as 'a' mahogany. They all vary quite wildly and as far as guitar building goes, there is very little correlation between the cost/scarcity of the wood and the tonal or visual qualities. This is the big #1 reason why cheaper mahogany guitars—Epiphones, Agiles, the occasional Squier, and so on—can vary so much in weight and tone between similar models, while with something like a PRS or Gibson, you have a better idea of what you're going to end up with.
Really, when it comes to higher-end guitars, broad terms like simply 'mahogany' shouldn't be used, because all it is doing is giving people an easy way to pass off cheaper cuts of wood at a premium.
