Posts

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

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

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

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.

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!

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

Horrific wildfires in Australia destroyed much, inspired musicians and guitar builders and offered many lessons to be learned.

A Canadian guitar maker initiated a trade school in Uganda that trains young people to make world class guitars.

Old growth Kauri trees are now found only in small remnant areas. But huge ancient logs buried in peat yield spectacular wood.

Brazilian Rosewood has a long history as a prized tonewood, but its over-exploitation and subsequent trade restrictions mean it is now scarce.