SUSTAINABLE TONE
Thanks for the very interesting and informative article about the new CITES regulations in the last issue [422]. This made me wonder – perhaps the guitar-making industry (either as individual companies or as a collective) could sponsor afforestation/ reforestation and/or sustainable forest management schemes. They could tie this in with conservation bodies to help manage, protect and perhaps even expand threatened ecosystems.
Yes, we might pay more for our instruments, but we would do so knowing that we are playing our part (no pun intended) in saving these species for future generations. Keep us in the loop! Dr Rob Hensley, via email Hi Rob, we’re glad you found the feature interesting. In fact, many of the larger makers have taken collaborative steps towards a sustainable future for tonewoods. As we’ve reported in this magazine, Taylor, for example, has begun working with universities and companies (such as Pacific Rim Tonewoods) to ensure they can cultivate sustainable supplies of figured maple for decades to come. The company also designed an all-new line of maple-bodied acoustic guitars – the 600 Series – that produce a more balanced tone than the bright-sounding voice of classic maple acoustics, specifically to help popularise it. Why? Because Taylor, among other
forward-thinking makers, feels strongly that tropical hardwoods such as mahogany are over-exploited and expects such tonewoods to be increasingly hard to procure from verifiably sustainable sources as time goes by. Martin has a similarly far-reaching, sustainable approach to tonewoods, and other big makers aren’t far behind.
Certification – ie, the inspection and verification of a chain of supply by independent bodies such as FSC – is a key part of how many companies comply with international law on this issue. We’ll be sure to keep you posted on this important topic as time goes by and more changes are rung.