Grevillea Robusta is often referred to as Silky Oak or Silver Oak even though it is not part of the oak genus. It has its natural habitat in  Australia,  but has been introduced to subtropical regions around the world commencing in the mid to late 19th century and is widely planted in India,  Sri Lanka,  Central & South America and Africa.

    Jean Larrivee really excels at so many aspects of instrument building and one of his strongest attributes is hunting down exotic woods all over the world.  When Jean found this stash of African Silver Oak he knew immediately from its highly resonant tap tone that it would give superb immediacy of response to his instruments. 

     I find some people fall into the trap of "listening with their eyes" when it comes to evaluating esoteric tonewoods.  If the colour of the wood is light,  some people prepare themselves to hear a colder sound ... if the colour is dark they want to hear a warm sound.  Don't fall into that trap with this Grevillea Robusta.  If anything,  it has a slightly more rounded attack transient,  excellent bass/mid/treble balance and a very transparent midrange register.  The overall sound seems to have a less aggressive edge with a few more delicate nuances ... very pleasing to the ear!