Pete Howlett
Well-known member
After looking at the comprehensive list that also includes Bubinga now and Koso or African Rosewood, the writing is on the wall for these as luthier tonewoods. Just when you thought Indian Rosewood had just about managed to replace Rio as an equal alternative at least in the minds of most of the big guitar manufacturing marketing departments, (doesn't matter how many times the big boys oil it, IR is not BR and we all know it!) BANG, CITES.org screws the industry over yet again...
So this is what I think will happen. Richlite will take centre stage despite protests and there will be a rush to replace rosewood with ebony. And guess what? All ebony varietyes will be the next specie to go on the list along with any wood that has the title Mahogany even if it is not a true mahogany. They will put every other 'brown' wood into Appendix II and within a short space of time all of Appendix II tonewoods will be bumped up to Apppendix I. Easily, within ten years, CITES will have such a stranglehold over the industry that plastic and composites will be marketed as the genuine replacements for traditional tonewoods. And still there will be illegal logging of wood until it is all gone - Silent Running here we come!
As for me? I have 190 instruments more to make and I am stocking up on mgurure while they are looking elsewhere!
So this is what I think will happen. Richlite will take centre stage despite protests and there will be a rush to replace rosewood with ebony. And guess what? All ebony varietyes will be the next specie to go on the list along with any wood that has the title Mahogany even if it is not a true mahogany. They will put every other 'brown' wood into Appendix II and within a short space of time all of Appendix II tonewoods will be bumped up to Apppendix I. Easily, within ten years, CITES will have such a stranglehold over the industry that plastic and composites will be marketed as the genuine replacements for traditional tonewoods. And still there will be illegal logging of wood until it is all gone - Silent Running here we come!
As for me? I have 190 instruments more to make and I am stocking up on mgurure while they are looking elsewhere!
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