What makes classic violins made by Stradivari and others so good, and how is climate change relevant to this?
Posts
The house of a thousand guitars: on being obsessed
Guitars come in all shapes and forms, and enthusiastic obsession happens. This can be fun but can also result in too many guitars.
Trees that nobody loves: weedy 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.
And . . . what are we going to do about it?
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.
Wheatbelt woodlands in Western Australia: loss, hope and a guitar
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!
Re-use, recycle, repair, restore
Restoring things is fun and important. But deciding how – and how much – to restore is not always straightforward.
Smoke on the water, a fire in the sky
Horrific wildfires in Australia destroyed much, inspired musicians and guitar builders and offered many lessons to be learned.
Out of Africa: Changing the world one guitar at a time
A Canadian guitar maker initiated a trade school in Uganda that trains young people to make world class guitars.
Sleeping giants: Ancient Kauri from Far North New Zealand
Old growth Kauri trees are now found only in small remnant areas. But huge ancient logs buried in peat yield spectacular wood.
The Cadillac of Woods: Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood has a long history as a prized tonewood, but its over-exploitation and subsequent trade restrictions mean it is now scarce.