This group of guitar makers has come together in an effort to preserve the threatened Alaskan forests that provide the timber for a crucial part of their instruments. At the current rates of cutting, they say, the Sitka spruce, in particular the older trees which are vital to the sound and performance of their guitars, could be gone in a decade. “It’s time for us to self-govern and take responsibility to get in there and say these practices have to change,” said Bob Taylor, the president of Taylor Guitars… Taylor, along with Fender, Martin and Gibson, are calling on the suppliers of Sitka spruce, an extraordinarily strong, vibrant timber that is used for the sound boards of acoustic guitars, to apply for certification under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
News notes are courtesy of Southern Forests Network News Notes
www.southernsustainableforests.org