BThese straight growing trees with large canopies are planted all over India for shade and for timber production. The best quality trees grow wild in the rainforest - but ever since Indian Rosewood has been used for shading tea plantations... a sustainable supply is available as well.  Indian Rosewood has been a favorite of guitarmakers ever since the infamous Brazilian rosewood became rare and protected.  It is generally dark purple, tawny or brown with the occasional red streak and will lighten up to a gorgoues reddish brown with age.

Indian Rosewood backs and sides lend a textured rich bass response to an instrument, and are my personal favorite for building tenors since the layered sound fools the ear into thinking that there are more than four strings on the guitar.  Rich and chocolatey are other words often used to describe both the look and sound of this classic tonewood.