Posts

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.

Correctly identifying and putting a name to species is important for both conservation and trade. Many species are at increasing risk of extinction, including some of the trees that produce the most prized guitar woods. Here I look at the ins and outs of biological names.

Guitars and whisky barrels? The oak wood in the Fylde Single Malt Ariel started life in Kentucky and cycled through bourbon and single malt whisky barrels.

How the global timber trade turned giant Douglas Fir from Vancouver Island into floorboards in Fremantle.

Traditional materials for making guitars have been getting scarcer and caught up in tangles with trade restrictions. How are guitar makers responding?