Conservation vs. Tone woods

Tigeralum2001

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There is an interesting debate going on in Alaska about how much, if any, forest should be cut. This part of the series talks about a tone wood maker and his perspective. At the 3:10 mark it talks about the ancient Sitka I posted about previously.

The discussion does give me pause about the impact I have on the environment. While wood is a renewable resource, if managed correctly, some trees take at least 75 years to regrow. I'm still digesting it all...

http://www.ktva.com/guitars-mandolins-ukuleles-tongass-tonewood-grows-business-615/
 
It is important to think about. There is a movement (or a few groups) to protect the trees that clarinets are historically made of. The wood has been used for many things, as well as clarinets. There is actually a farm located in Florida currently trying to grow the trees, which are usually located in Africa. African blackwood, known to me as Grenadilla, or Mpingo is a beautiful wood. The bark is a light color and the interior wood is dark.

Just one more reason why I want a Blackbird Clara, which is made of eKoa, a renewable resource. I have to admit, I still love the exotic woods and the rare woods.
 
i don't think the use of rare woods in the musical industry is the cause for major concern. we should be conscience and frugal in most everything. it's the management of the resource we have that makes a big difference. in hawaii, people are using koa for flooring and kitchen cabinets (!). in africa, the ebony trees that didn't have a pure black core were discarded even though the lighter wood was just as hard and acoustically good; (this is being addressed by bob taylor). think of all the koa trees blown over in the last storm. on tv i saw them bulldozing them off the roads. the urgency of safety is of course the priority, but i hope someone is keeping track of the wood and not letting it go to a land fill.
 
i don't think the use of rare woods in the musical industry is the cause for major concern. we should be conscience and frugal in most everything. it's the management of the resource we have that makes a big difference. in hawaii, people are using koa for flooring and kitchen cabinets (!). in africa, the ebony trees that didn't have a pure black core were discarded even though the lighter wood was just as hard and acoustically good; (this is being addressed by bob taylor). think of all the koa trees blown over in the last storm. on tv i saw them bulldozing them off the roads. the urgency of safety is of course the priority, but i hope someone is keeping track of the wood and not letting it go to a land fill.

those were Albesian trees(sorry bout spelling) not Koa...
the Albesian trees grow like weeds and the wood not used for anything...and the roots very shallow...

these trees all over Hawaii..so now land owners want to knock them down before they cause more problems in the future...
 
Many of the woods we know as "tone woods" are also used in making furniture. Before the use of particle board in all that junk people sell as furniture (think Ikea), hardwoods dominated the furniture industry. Huge stands of trees were clear-cut to feed the mills and take the hardwood to market-- mostly for furniture and cabinetry. Modern harvesters replant saplings and young trees to replace the trees they are cutting. Most solid-wood furniture in America is made of pine and oak, both are in good supply.

In areas where harvesting is not done (trees are protected) the canopy is getting so thick that trees are covered with mold. Forest floors are too damp and that is causing other issues.

It all goes to show that the best course of action is using moderation in all things.
 
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