• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Promotivia

Ideas. Innovation. Excellence.

  • Home
  • Topics
    • Family
    • Furniture
    • Health
    • Education
    • Pet Care
    • Construction
    • Marketing
    • Technology
    • Transportation
  • Ask a Question
  • Contact Us

Taylor Guitars Says B-Grade Lumber is Still Valuable

Last updated on October 11, 2012 by Sozo Staff Leave a Comment

Bob Taylor of Taylor Guitars recently posted a video on YouTube that announced a change to the guitar and wood world that may change minds about the quality of wood. He has decided that the use of B-grade ebony wood, which is used for the fret boards of high-quality guitars, will be used because the practice of only using A-grade ebony produces such extreme waste.

Taylor says, “The Truth of the matter is, we are living in the generation when almost all of the wood species we are using in a guitar are stressed beyond belief.” This is because “ebony has been used on instruments since the Egyptians made musical instruments,” and “ebony has been a wood that for 2 or 3 or 4 hundred years we’ve gone into countries and we’ve used the ebony until its all gone. Literally.”

With the supply of ebony dwindling and the only place to buy it legally being Cameroon, Taylor headed to the African country to look into buying a lumber supply company there. While he was there he learned the gruesome truth. To find one single A-grade ebony tree, workers had to cut down nine B-grade trees that were then left to rot. When he asked the workers why they didn’t bring them to the yard, they told him they were worth 1/5th of an A-grade tree, and companies like his would not use it because of the discoloration.

Taylor decided then that B-grade would now be used in their guitars. In addition, Taylor noted, “We supply not only Taylor Guitars but the vast majority of guitar builders of high quality guitars,” meaning that other high-quality guitars will soon be following suit. He said, “I can’t in all good conscience know that we cut down ten good trees to get one black one and let that happen over and over again… every month, every year.”

J Gibson McIlvain does not sell ebony because most of our clients prefer other species similar to and more sustainable than Ebony. However, we have been touting the use of B-grade lumber for years. Today, very little A-grade wood is available in many species, and buyers are beginning to accept the use of B or even C grade material often in the name of price, sustainability, and even the unique character of the wood.

We can’t help but be excited about Bob Taylor’s recent decision to use B-grade wood in guitars. This is a giant step forward in sustainability for our industry that will ensure these species survive for many more generations. Ebony is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the use of exotic A-grade lumber, and we can’t wait for other industries to follow suit.

Watch Bob Taylor’s YouTube video below.

Looking for more lumber-related tips?  Check out these selections from McIlvain’s Lumber Blog:

  • Exciting New Product: Red Grandis Lumber
  • Lumber Industry Poised for Change
  • Radio Frequency-Dried Lumber

 

Filed Under: Construction

Additional Articles

Fireplace Corner Doors in Oil Rub Bronze
Beautiful & Energy Efficient Glass Fireplace Enclosures
sapele doors
When it Comes to African Mahogany, Sapele has Plenty to Offer, Part 2
flat and quartersawn sapele
When it Comes to African Mahogany, Sapele has Plenty to Offer, Part 1
Advantages of Concrete Parking Lots for Industrial & Commercial Properties
Is It Better to Have More Plies in a Sheet of Plywood? Part 3
Is It Better to Have More Plies in a Sheet of Plywood? Part 2

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

1 + five =

Primary Sidebar

Quality Wood Products
Plywood options

Featured Articles

  • Matching Lumber Color Is Trickier Than It Seems – Part 1
  • Good News for Forests & the Future: Why We Should Start Considering B Grade Lumber
  • Building an Ipe Deck That Lasts for Decades, Part 1
  • Lumber Pricing, Demystified (Part 1)
  • Why Do Large Timbers Have Cracks? Part 1
  • Is Lumber Sustainable?
  • Evaluating Issues Surrounding Teak, Part 1
  • FSC Lumber, LEED Certification, and the Price of Being Green
  • Mahogany Alternatives: A Wood Worker’s Top 3 Picks
  • Outlook for Genuine Mahogany’s Future, Part 1
Tropical Decking Lumber

Popular Articles

  • Expandable Children's Furniture at The Bedroom Source
  • African Mahogany Lumber vs Genuine Mahogany Lumber
  • The City Way: Taking Your Child’s Bed to the Next Level with Maxtrix!
  • Perfect Furniture for a Boy's Bedroom, Pt 1
  • Perfect Furniture for a Boy's Bedroom, Pt 2
  • How Do You Treat Reactive Attachment Disorder?
  • Ultra-Budget-Friendly Swimming Pool Upgrades
  • Why Sleep Is Important for Young Athletes
  • Why Parents Love Jackrabbit Class Management Software

Reader Feedback

  • Aika on Can Bedroom Furniture Help Your Child’s Mood & Academic Performance?
  • WAYNE Prokosch on It’s an Ipe Thing
  • Amanda Drew on The Wood Drying Process
  • Hannah on Quality Western Redcedar Lumber
  • Hannah on Is Ipe Decking Lumber Right for You?
  • Sheryl on Quality Western Redcedar Lumber
  • Zach H on Is Ipe Decking Lumber Right for You?

Copyright © 2021 Sozo Firm Inc · Privacy Policy · Disclaimer · Sitemap