Environmental Considerations for Mahogany guitars?

[hexa-db]

Does anyone else worry about the environmental implications of buying mahogany guitars?
I mean I love my RG620 but I'd hate to think that some 500 year old mahogany tree was cut down so I could have it :/

The first mahogany guitar I got was my Epi LP, and I worried about it and found that Gibson were one of the few companies to sign up to all these standards for protecting forests and stuff.
Where does the Mahogany for Ibanez guitars come from?

(or am i being a treehugging hippy fool?)

[jay ratkowski]

A Redwood died so I could have my bass.

[darren wilson]

Most countries that grow mahogany and other exotic woods have already imposed serious harvest and export restrictions on their natural resources. A lot of what is on the market now was probably harvested and milled before these restrictions were in place.

Compared to the manufacturing of pulp and paper products, lumber, furniture, cabinetry and architectural materials, i think guitar builders are probably minor offenders in terms of their depletion of the world's wood supplies.

But i think the SmartWood program is a good start. Currently, Martin and Gibson seem to be the only guitar makers involved.

[guitarkatana]

I think a nearly dead driftwood tree was killed for me to have my guitar .

[ScottB]

I used to believe that Joe Satriani was environmentally conscious until I heard that some of his guitars were made from the ultra rare luthite tree.

[dex]

Originally Posted by ScreamJem7

I used to believe that Joe Satriani was environmentally conscious until I heard that some of his guitars were made from the ultra rare luthite tree.

lmao

ilia

[frankfalbo]

I hear there are only three left in existence. It's a blackish grey lumber with chrome bark...very difficult to log. And depending on who chromed it the chrome can get in and all around the grass near the tree, spill over onto other trees, and bubble up later on as the tree grows. I heard "GGG" was hired to chrome a luthite tree and the whole forest had chrome residue on it when they were done. :P

Seriously we represent so little of the mahogany consumption, and quite frankly, I think we have a greater right to it. Nobody cares what the "tone" is on your chest of drawers, and nobody knocks on your sculpture of Abe Lincoln's head to check the resonance!

Let the other industries that CAN use other species use them. If the only consumer of Honduran mahogany was the guitar industry it wouldn't be endangered. But then I'd want to be the one to ration it out. Or at least be on the committee. And Epi-washburn-samick-dean sure wouldn't get any

[yurich]

if you're that concerned you can go get one of those recycled plywood guitars from the Sears brand

[babahi]

Actually, the luthite tree is yellow on the inside...