Dick Boak of Martin recently spoke to Gearwire about the woods traditionally used in guitar making and how that wood was becoming scarce. Martin, along with other manufacturers, have been looking for alternatives–preferably renewable ones–to keep making high quality instruments.

Martin has made prototypes using White oak, Red oak, ash and walnut (for backs and sides). Boak says they have made many using ash which has been very successful. Of the oak, White is better according to Boak.

Cherry also works but has a different tone. Oak also has a problem.

“One problem with oak is that it has carcinogenic properties. This is not a problem for a player but it is for luthiers,” says Boak. “Some woods have hypoallergenic qualities--acrid in odor--and in some cases shown to be carcinogenic; oak being one of those.”

Another problem is that guitar players tend to be traditionalists.

“Guitar players are environmentally conscious and green minded but when it comes to plopping down money for a guitar they become purists.” says Boak.

This echoes the words of Bob Taylor of Taylor guitars in an earlier article. It isn't necessarily a knock on musicians because the same could be said of any consumer plunking down money on a big ticket item. How many people do you know who own hydrogen cars?

Another tactic Martin employs the use of “diaper wood.” A vendor from Martin goes to a pulp mill where there are thousands of logs–most will be used to make diapers. Martin’s vendor goes to the yard and looks for large logs that can be made into guitars. Those logs are purchased (guitar makers pay a lot more for log than diaper makers). Logs “rescued” this way mean that another tree doesn’t have to be cut down elsewhere.

Martin also rescues trees that fall in State forests. Trees that are knocked down by weather are identified, core samples are taken and Martin get a permit to remove the tree by helicopter.

“It is expensive but better than cutting down a tree.” says Boak.

For the past 15 years Martin has been looking for alternatives. One of these is high pressure laminate. Seven pieces of grey craft paper are laminated under head and pressure into a substrate. A layer is added to make it strong like formica. The result is light and strong like guitar wood. Around thirty percent of Martin’s production is high pressure laminate (mostly these are Martin’s more affordable instruments).

“Instead of beginners learning on an instrument made of precious wood it is made of a paper product.” says Boak.

One problem using substitutes comes in making guitar necks.

"Necks are very difficult they require a large chunk of wood. With high pressure laminate using Stratabond(tm)-- very thin slices of temperate hardwood veneer (non-rainforest woods). Multi-laminates of thin wood veneers makes strong wood. It costs more than a solid piece of neck wood.”

Strong and reliable, these veneers are used on affordable guitars again reducing the use of precious woods . Between 25,000-30,000 instruments a year are made using this and the numbers are growing.

Other, non-traditional, woods can be used as soundboards with excellent results. For soundboards mahogany, sapele from Indonesia, naytoh (similar in structure and grain to mahogany).

A sustainable wood that can be used in necks is cherry. Cherry necks are heavy but they are pretty--which is always a consideration. Who wants an ugly guitar?

Getting wood certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council is another option . Some woods that are certified by the FSC include katalox from Central American (good for finger boards and bridge and similar to rosewood). Machiche, also from Central America, can be used for backs and sides. Other woods being certified are tsalam and Solomon paduak (used in a recent Sting signature guitar).

Many of the above woods are available as part of the FSC sustainable wood program. But there has been a problem with certified woods as well.

“The problem with some of the certified woods is that we couldn't get it in the quantity and sizes needed but we are going back to give a second chance.” says Boak.

While tradition is one way to be assured of a great sounding instrument there are other options of equally high quality. Being bound completely by tradition will also keep a player from finding new alternatives–some of which might be tonally more appropriate to a style of playing than traditional woods.