Are we killing the rainforests?

ColinMmmmm · #1 02-08-2008, 12:14 AM

Just a question that's been bugging me lately. I'm just wondering where all the lovely wood that makes our instruments comes from. Is it legit, or are we destroying valuable tracts of wilderness for a wood that may or may not improve the tone of a guitar? I mean being from Canada, we all learn about the deforestation in B.C. - if they were making guitars from Douglas Fir I wouldn't buy one, and would probably discourage other from buying them. I mean some of those trees are hundreds of years old! But I don't know where half the woods used in guitar making come from, much less the exotic ones. And, while I'm not necessarily a tree-hugger, I'm a person that believes we should try and preserve the natural wildlife in areas with high species diversity, such as rainforests. Just wondering . . . .

Tubarão Guitars · #2 02-08-2008, 04:16 AM

Not being too political, but YES, all brazilian mahogany and brazilian rosewood you see in EVERY guitar in the world is a illegal ripoff of our brazilian Amazônia.

Here in Brazil is just PROHIBITED BY LAW own, distribute, transport or even 'get CLOSE' to brazilian mahogany and brasilian rosewood.
If any luthier of any kind says he has mahogany on storage, or even a single one piece of mahogany neck ready to assemble a nice private guitar, it's still AGAINST THE BRAZILIAN LAW to own or handle it.
So the brazilian hipocrisy still continues, since i can get any brazilian mahogany i need just on the next block, without issues at all, and make my custom guitars. Nobody gives it a ******!
It sounds really stupid, since we have lotz and lotz of PRS Brazilian models and so and so. It's a shame, really.
And Brazilian government cannot do anything in general, since only 2% (yes, two percent!!!) of our woods are legally imported to USA and Korea, China, etc... then 98% is just stollen from brazilian native workers that earn no more than $90 bucks (USD) per week doing it and giving the woods to other HUGE wood suppliers.

I know youre kinda new on the forum, but those things don't get comments here lately.
And the Rainforests was PRICEY last time: more than USD$6000!!!

DavyH · #3 02-08-2008, 08:29 AM

Well, PRS has accepted the criticism of using Brazilian rosewood and this is no longer an option on any of their models (i.e., if you have a BR neck hang on to it, it's going to appreciate).

Normal tonewoods - basswood and alder - and cap woods - maple - come from medium fast and fast growing trees and are easily replaced (thanks Wiki), although I'd think highgly figured maple may be from older trees (anyone?), so the industry in general isn't too voracious.

Mahogany refers to a number of species in the Phillipines, but generally the harder the wood the longer it takes to grow - therefore the less replaceable it is.

Woodwinds are certainly doing more generalised damage to the crop of African Blackwood than guitars to the rainforests.

mike570 · #4 02-08-2008, 08:40 AM

The sources of most guitar woods (basswood, alder, ash, agathis) are fairly ubiquitous and grow fast if memory serves. Mahogany and rarer woods like Koa are restricted to certain regions and take longer to grow. Considering the widespread use of mahogany in the marine industry (and others), I don't feel so guilty having one or two guitar bodies made of it. Mahogany isn't as bad as woods like Koa, though, which I think only grows in Hawaii.
In terms of deforestation, I think urbanization and the fact that people use more *doors* contributes as well.
Overall, it's not just one thing hurting our environment. There's just too many people on the planet. I know that sounds horrible to say but it's the truth.
And in the end...nature will win.

jemplayer55 · #5 02-08-2008, 10:43 AM

To answer the title question is pretty much a "no brain-er"..... singling it out to just one particular industry or type of manufacturer though, well...... It's a combination of several types of manufacturers and industrial users known as the woodworking industry.

ColinMmmmm · #6 02-08-2008, 12:49 PM

Well whats gonna happen then? We're gonna cut all the Koa, Brazilian rosewood, etc. until it's all gone, then move to other, more renewable sources? It just seems wrong to not do anything now, when there are things we can do to slow the process. I was thinking of getting a custom neck made from some exotic wood, now I'm thinking of going straight maple.

Tubarão Guitars · #7 02-08-2008, 02:38 PM

I agree guitar market isn't the biggest problem about deforestation in the world.
And in the end... nature will win.
will destroy all of us just to live in peace alone.

And yes, i still want to buy any exoticwood i could afford, since it's not my problem, it's a humanbeing's problem