The Nature of Music

Making guitars in a changing world

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SmartWood and dumb decisions: Gibson’s checkered history

Posted on September 24, 2021January 4, 2022 by Richard Hobbs

Gibson has made great guitars, dabbled with sustainability, fallen foul of environmental trade rules and was often poorly managed.

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Tall trees, tunnels and train robberies: recycling Redwood

Posted on August 20, 2021January 4, 2022 by Richard Hobbs

Redwoods were extensively logged for structural timber and remaining stands are precious but vulnerable. Recycled redwood has stories to tell and music to make.

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Admiring imperfection: enjoying “ordinary” treasures

Posted on July 27, 2021April 30, 2023 by Richard Hobbs

Cheap Stella guitars from the 1920s-30s were made from local woods, were played by many well-known blues artists, and show the value of ordinary things.

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A violin needs a bow

Posted on June 12, 2021September 5, 2023 by Richard Hobbs

The best violin bows come from Pernambuco, an endangered Brazilian tree, bringing together musicians, instrument makers and conservationists.

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Stradivari, Cremona and violin mystique

Posted on June 12, 2021September 5, 2023 by Richard Hobbs

What makes classic violins made by Stradivari and others so good, and how is climate change relevant to this?

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The house of a thousand guitars: on being obsessed

Posted on May 28, 2021May 25, 2023 by Richard Hobbs

Guitars come in all shapes and forms, and enthusiastic obsession happens. This can be fun but can also result in too many guitars.

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Trees that nobody loves: weedy guitars

Posted on April 21, 2021January 4, 2022 by Richard Hobbs

Non-native plants can cause big problems everywhere, but are not always bad and can be put to use – guitars made from problem weeds.

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And . . . what are we going to do about it?

Posted on March 14, 2021January 4, 2022 by Richard Hobbs

It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the issues facing humanity and the planet, but it’s important to find positive things that can be done.

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Wheatbelt woodlands in Western Australia: loss, hope and a guitar

Posted on March 14, 2021January 4, 2022 by Richard Hobbs

I worked in the woodlands in Western Australia for over 30 years and grew to love them. Despite past losses, much remains, and there is hope!

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Re-use, recycle, repair, restore

Posted on February 2, 2021January 4, 2022 by Richard Hobbs

Restoring things is fun and important. But deciding how – and how much – to restore is not always straightforward.

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