The future of Ebony wood.

Feel free to get outside the box here.
sbutler
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Wed Aug 15, 2012 10:23 pm

I ran across this video on the Taylor web site today. I guess my mind was about half closed or something, because the impact of what Bob Taylor was saying took a while to sink in.

We've all heard about the troubles with Rosewood, but it would appear, that's not the only species that's in trouble. It sounds as though, there is going to come a time, in the not so distant future, that pure black ebony on our fret boards, and under our bridges may be a thing of the past. This video is certainly worth watching all the way through, even if you'll never own a Taylor guitar. It affects every guitar maker.


Scott



Chasplaya
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Thu Aug 16, 2012 3:06 am

Hmm sceptica - good sales pitch maybe? or scaremongering? , most of the guys on this site will not be affected in their lifetimes by this. And anyway manufacturers are already lining up alternative woods, guys like Cole Clark lol!As I sure so are Taylor and Martin and the rest..


BigBear
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Thu Aug 16, 2012 8:57 pm

Scott- I had seen this video some time ago on the Taylor site. I'm very surprised more people haven't commented on it. What it means it we will all pay much, much more for perfect black ebony and we'd better learn to live with some color in our fret boards.

Since Taylor now controls a large percentage of the international ebony market they are in the driver's seat. No more wasting 10 trees to get one. I wonder if the world will just learn to live with that or if they will find alternative woods to replace ebony. Old habits die hard.

But I am very impressed with the environmental responsibility of both Taylor and Larrivee (who has another video on Jean Sr. selecting woods). Bottom line is perfectly black ebony, like Brazilian Rosewood, is going to become VERY dear!!

Good video. Thanks for posting it!!

Cheers!! :cheer:


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neverfoundthetime
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Fri Aug 17, 2012 5:36 am

Thanks for that... a really important message for the (guitar playing) world to understand.

How difficult is it to trade fair, preserve the environment and harvest valuable resources in a way that guarantees there will be a planet worth living on for our children's, children's children. It is our generation which has to solve these problems now!



Chasplaya
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Fri Aug 17, 2012 6:06 am

Sorry still skeptical isn't this just scaremongering ? I don't know ...? There are always alternatives aren't there


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neverfoundthetime
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Fri Aug 17, 2012 6:33 am

Chasplaya wrote:
Sorry still skeptical isn't this just scaremongering ? I don't know ...? There are always alternatives aren't there
Uff Chas!
I'm not in a position to independently check the facts but if I take Taylor's facts at face value... what's left?
I have seen the destruction of tropical forests first hand. As a kid I lived in Malaya for 3 years. the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Singapor (1hour) was flown low level in a turbo prop and we flew over nothing but thick rain forest with a fair smattering of rubber plantations. Last time over (1996) we flew over almost nothing but oil palm plantations. Forest gone. Malaysia still has large areas of protected rain forest (the oldest in the world) but so much is gone forever.

I would have no problem at all with coloured ebony. Taylor made one of the most sensible (and sensitive) appeals to common sense on the environment that I have ever heard. Just travelling parts of the world (real time and by film/documentary) the destruction of the environment screams in your face. In the incessant quest for resources and profit, mankind has been raping the planet on an industrial scale for several hundred years. The guys leading these businesses, on the whole, would sell their grandmothers for a little more of anything until it is all gone.

We shouldn't be scared, but ashamed.


dennisg
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Fri Aug 17, 2012 6:39 am

Why so skeptical, Chas? If the world's supply of ebony is dwindling substantially, isn't that a legitimate reason for people like Jean Larrivee and Bob Taylor to be concerned? Why does that concern translate into scaremongering in your mind?

Consumers of furniture products and guitars have long been conditioned to believe that only solid black ebony is "good" ebony, and that any variegation in the wood is a flaw. The result, as Rick noted, is that 10 trees would get cut down for every one that had the solid black ebony that consumers seem to prefer. If you think that's a sustainable way to manage a forest, you're free to believe that, but I prefer to applaud the efforts of anyone who's doing something about the problem.


sbutler
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Fri Aug 17, 2012 11:36 am

I must confess that looks and aesthetics are important to me. I'm just crazy about exotic wood. Always have been. However, this issue forces me to give conscience thought to what I've always instinctively preferred, and have mostly taken for granted. I don't have a problem with multicolored Ebony. In fact, the more color it has, it may be more appealing. Don't know. As long as it functions, why not.

One thing that I do wonder about though, is "What work is being done to replant these Ebony trees"? Mr. Taylor didn't address that, (that I noticed). Trees are a renewable resource.

Anyway, I mainly posted this to bring it to everyone's attention, and get a feel for how others view, what I believe to be a growing problem.

Scott


BigBear
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Fri Aug 17, 2012 1:14 pm

Chas my friend. I'm surprised at your skepticism. I think the bottom line, at least for me is, and as stewards of the earth, does it make any sense to cut down 10 Ebony trees to get one that is usable for fingerboards? That just seems insane to me.

I am confident that both Taylor and Larrivee (and many others), who make spectacularly beautiful guitars, will use their skills to incorporate these changes into their instruments. Does anyone remember when Brazilian Rosewood could no longer be cut down or traded? We thought it was the end of guitars as we know them. But the industry adapted and while Brazilian remains one of, if not the best, tone woods for guitars, we've found other more sustainable resources.

The biggest challenge to Ebony, and I'm not sure the video made a point of it, is black market trading in the wood. Criminals cut down the trees and hope they have a perfect black one. If not, they let it lay on the ground to rot. Not good.

By the way, Ebony is so dense that if you throw it in a bucket of water it will sink!!


Chasplaya
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Fri Aug 17, 2012 4:24 pm

It has been said trees are a renewable resource, so if folks are really concerned plant more, ok maybe huge costs involved but hey if really concerned just do it the consumer establishes demand if they want it they will pay. Also there are alternatives - start educating people about them; my Cole Clark is made entirely from renewable resourced wood and in my opinion looks great imperfections showing through add character. As I said in an earlier post this possibly won't effect most on this site anyway. But for the sake of future generations then a replanting plan needs to be introduced , otherwise alternative woods. Are we (the guitar fraternity big enough to make a sufficient noise, to get organised and actually do something, or what?) So what are the big players, manufacturers really doing? Or are they sitting back looking at these rare woods increasing in value, are they raising prices ahead of the need to?

As concerned consumers should we boycott any product containing endangered - rare woods at least until some action plan is put in place to replace/replenish.


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