(robinia pseudoacacia)

Black Locust, also known as Acacia, is a ring-porous hardwood.  The wood is a pale yellowish brown to yellowish green.  It is native to the southeastern United States, but has been to other parts of North America, Europe, and Asia.  It is among the hardest and heaviest of the North American hardwoods, so sharp tools are a necessity.  Black locust responds well to ebonizing, and does, in fact turn almost completely black.

Size                 Price             Back                    Side
Classical           $55.00 CND     5mm x 8" x 22"       5mm x 4.5 x 31
Dreadnought     $60.00 CND     5mm x 8.5" x 22"    5mm x 4.75 x 34
Jumbo             $65.00 CND    5mm x 9.25" x 22"   5mm x 5.25 x 35
 

(Acer macrophyllum)

Our pride and joy.  We are priveledged to live in the center of heaven when it comes to this wood.  Our business was founded because we have so much of it growing on our own property. It is one the most traditional maples used for carved and flatback instruments.  Tonally Maple is clear and bright with nice projection.  Big Leaf Maple has quilt and curly figure.

(Prunus emarginata)

Bitter Cherry has a warm golden honey colour, often with hues of green blueish stripping. Known to the older generation natives as a medicinal tree, as the leaves produce hydrogen cyanide. In small amounts this compound was used to stimulate respiration, improve digestion and give a sense of well-being. The wood has too small amount of toxins to have any harmful effect. Used a lot for furniture as it takes a high lustrous polish. Bitter Cherry has a sweet tap tone, often compared to Mahogany.

(Juglans nigra)

Black Walnut is softer and less dense than rosewood and mahogany but is still very resonant. This wood has proven itself as a tonewood with large manufacturers and custom builders alike. Similar in density and grain structure to Hawaiian Koa. Black Walnut yields excellent balance with tonal characteristics that fall between Mahogany and Rosewood. The trebles have a unique earthy tone which records very distinctively. Often recommended for a flatpicked sound and mellow fingerstyle playing. With its rich brown colour and occasional steaks Black Walnut has a stripy appearance somewhat like Indian Rosewood.

(Cordia elaeagnoides)

Bocote comes from the same family and region as Ziricote (Mexico to Northern Amazon). It is a particularly fine, beautiful wood, with colors varying from light to golden brown and variegated irregular markings and is less brittle than Ziricote. It is a strong lustrous wood, with medium and uniform texture and straight or shallowly interlocked grain. It is easy to work, responds well to both hand and machine tools. It also polishes to a smooth finish, and stains and glues well. Bocote's bending strength is comparable to teak, and compression strength is comparable to mahogany.

(Guibourtia tessmannii)

Also known as African Rosewood, Bubinga has a dark red colour with a brownish tinge. It is harder and heavier than Brazilian and Indian Rosewood with interlocking grain. The figure ranges from Pomelle (waterfall) to Block mottle. Bending is similar to Sapeli and the more challenging Mahogany. It is a great tonewood and finishes nicely to a smooth glossy finish.

(Chamaecyparis nootkatensis)

Alaskan Yellow Cedar, aka Canadian cypress, is so closely related to the true cypresses that it has been classified with them by botanists in the past. It is an excellent carving wood, with fine even texture, and very close-grained. It is one of the most stable woods in terms of dimensional change due to moisture content change. It works easily and finishes well. Though YC/CDN Cypress is not a traditional wood, it is gaining popularity. Many custom builders use YC/CDN cypress for guitar tops, including archtops (jazz guitars and mandolins). It is also used for backs and sides of Flamenco guitars. It is a denser wood than Red Cedar, with a specific gravity very close to Sitka Spruce. It has a nice light yellow color and a pleasant aroma.

(Dalbergia retusa)

A member of the Rosewood family, Cocobolo is considered by some to be the closest replacement for the revered Brazillian Rosewood.  It produces a clear, musical tone when struck.  Cocobolo's density and natural oils help to achieve a highly lustrous polish, but also cause abrasives and fine-toothed saw blades to clog rather quickly.  It is easy to machine, but the dust is known to produce allergic reactions in many people, so wearing a dust mask is definitely recommended for any amount of this wood.  Ranging anywhere from brick reds and browns to brownish purple with streaks of orange, Cocobolo is one of the most visually striking woods around, and some of our sets show a small amount of creamy-white sapwood.

Size                Price             Back                     Side
Classical          $110.00 CND     5mm x 8" x 22"        5mm x 4.5 x 31
Dreadnought    $120.00 CND     5mm x 8.5" x 22"     5mm x 4.75 x 34
Jumbo             $160.00 CND     5mm x 9.25" x 22"   5mm x 5.25 x 35
 

Juglans regia

English Walnut, also called Common Walnut, or Persian Walnut, is the original walnut tree of the Old World.  It is a relatively slow-growing tree, and is grown extensively for nut, as an ornamental tree, and for wood.  The wood is very high quality, and is used for furniture, rifle stocks, and musical instruments.  It is a porous wood, like the other walnuts, and is denser and heavier than black walnut.  Some of our sets show the contrasting creamy white sapwood.

Size                         Price            Back                Side  
Regular- steel-string  $70.00 CND    5mm x 9" x 22"   5mm x 4.75 x 34 
Figured- steel-string  $90.00 CND    5mm x 9" x 22"   5mm x 5.25 x 35

(dalbergia latifolia)

Due to the decline in availability of Brazilian Rosewood, East Indian Rosewood has become the staple tonewood for luthiers.  The color is purple/brown which darkens to a rich brown color with exposure to air and can contain streaks of red to light golden brown.  It is slightly less dense, more evenly grained and more stable than Brazilian Rosewood.  It bends well by hand or machine.  Considered the best value in rosewoods.  It is a sustained resource as it is planted to shade coffee and tea plantations.