Sapele and pieces question

[Mullet]

Has anyone here worked with Sapele please?

I'm looking at having a body and neck made from both for a Fender style build (Jazzmaster / Tele hybrid) with double humbuckers routed instead .

I appreciate it's likely heavier as a tonewood, but wondered if anyone had any advice on the sound and if it made a difference if they cut me a 1,2 or 3 piece body at all.

Thanks

[Bizman62]

Sapele is a bit on the heavier side of the various species called mahogany according to the Wood Database but there's mahoganies almost twice as heavy and the lightest was only about 20% lighter.

The body has quite a little effect to the electric sound compared to the neck and pickups so it's mostly your budget that dictates how many pieces you make your body of. It also depends on how you're going to finish the guitar - paint will hide all the seams.

 

[mistermikev]

I think @Prostheta's recent comments on sapele have effectively scared me away from ever using it for a neck.  have some in my garage and it's lovely looking stuff.  I'm told, unlike mahog, it is pretty difficult to work.  I can't imagine it contributing negatively to sound.  I've been told that all sapele is mahog but not all mahog is sapele.  given that it is more expensive than typical mahog... i don't think I'd go out of my way to use it... but I certainly wouldn't avoid it for a body.  there was a chap here using it to build 8 strings (neck included) so... ymmv.

[Mullet]

Thank you fellas. 
I'm thinking of staining it - I've been told grain filler is needed too, but I've never worked on anything like this before so taking in all opinions before I get going. 

The site I'm ordering from has sapele necks as one of two options so it seemed to make sense to me

[ScottR]

Sapele is typically considered to be a warmer sounding wood, as far as that goes.

It is heavier than mahogany as mentioned and actually sands, cuts and machines fairly well with one caveat. It nearly always chips out when routing the exterior with a pattern following bit. I've never had that issue in routing cavities, but almost always on the body perimeter.

SR