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Posts: 1108
Joined: Sep. 29 2009
From: Back in Boston
RE: Future is non tropical (in reply to Joan Maher)
the classical and negra crowd will need to be convinced to part ways with rosewood which may be a tall hill to climb. likewise, it may be a tough sell to get people to part ways with ebony and accept persimmon. eventually though it may come down to having no choice but to go non-tropical.
RE: Future is non tropical (in reply to Joan Maher)
I suppose northern hardwoods will do, and that good luthiers will find ways to get the best out of these. Hence, the quality of fine hand built instruments might not change.
However, foreseeable how todays specimens of exotic wood will simply for their uniqueness be cherished and awarded mystic image of properties.
Provided naturally, the same ecological desaster that may lead to protection of habitats, may allow us a future at all, in which one could be nostalgic about instruments exotic woods. Which again is not self-evident at all, but rather questionable actually.
In the meantime we keep watching international meetings postboning environmental measures ever further away, on behalf of todays brainless profits. Because, when cashing in in abundance today*, who cares about tomorrow. When time comes to face the question of death or life one can still regret yesterday, innit.
Ruphus
* Other than Amazonas´ Indios producing soil by ash and feces long ago, none of the harvesters has invested a single dime into trees that notwithstandingly turn into several ten thousands of bucks by merely cutting and hauling them away. Who can resist such one-way goldmine, and similar affluent cash cows rising from disregard of nature, reason and foresight.
the classical and negra crowd will need to be convinced to part ways with rosewood which may be a tall hill to climb. likewise, it may be a tough sell to get people to part ways with ebony and accept persimmon. eventually though it may come down to having no choice but to go non-tropical.
In the UK a few luthiers for steel strings have been offering Bog Oak for fretboards, and although it's little lighter (about 10%) than African Ebony it's still jet black and is supposed to have many of the qualities of ebony.
Posts: 1108
Joined: Sep. 29 2009
From: Back in Boston
RE: Future is non tropical (in reply to tijeretamiel)
i found this at the wood database which is a superb on-line site for info on wood and wood use. below is the link for the database
"Though Bog Oak does not describe a specific tree, it tends to most commonly occur in the United Kingdom, with English Oak being the most commonly salvaged species taken from bogs. Since there is such a limited supply of the wood—with Bog Oak essentially being the very early stage of fossilization—prices for this type of wood are very high."
Posts: 401
Joined: Mar. 5 2010
From: Caves Beach Australia
RE: Future is non tropical (in reply to Joan Maher)
I have gone to using an Australian desert timber "gidgee" As hard as ebony, but sands better and is more stable. quickly attains a deep brown. I sawed up a chunk bought at a woodshow last weekend for $20
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Posts: 1108
Joined: Sep. 29 2009
From: Back in Boston
RE: Future is non tropical (in reply to Joan Maher)
synthetic fretboards should be included. they may not be all that "green" but i doubt if epoxy/carbon or phenolic resin/cellulose compound material will land on a cites list.
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