The Rarest Guitar Wood You've Never Heard Of

[@CamsCampbell]

"If a luthier does their job right, they can make any wood sound great." Sing it, sister! Great video by the way. I foresee this channel blowing up. 💥

[@matthewmcclure3181]

Just commented on your Spruce video, might as well add another but I'll try and be more concise this time (but probably fail). I have a Dread made from "The Tree" and paired with Engleman Spruce. I also have a 2nd set for a future Somogyi-style build. My thoughts: 1) I would never buy a guitar (or a wood set) for any reason other than as an actively used instrument. 2) The most impactful variable for both the musical quality and aesthetic beauty of an acoustic guitar is the skill of the luthier... and it's not a close contest. As for the importance of other components, I'd rank them (2) body style, (3) soundboard, (4) bridge-plate and internal bracings, and then (5) the back+sides. 3) Guitar tone is obviously shaped by the combination of wood choices working together, so I tend to compare wood combinations instead of a specific top or B&S. However, the B&S are the fuel while the top is the engine, so if I had to prioritize one it would definitely be the top. 4) I've found it's not about "better", it's about a achieving a desired response (ex: snappy/immediate vs. rich sustaining overtones). If I'm playing finger-style in an alt tuning, I'm going to want a lot of overtones so it's hard to beat BRW+Redwood. If I'm flat-picking my preference is Adi Spruce+Mahogany. If I'm playing delta blues, my favorite top wood is Birch (considered cheap and inferior) and anything other than Rosewood for B&S. If I'm recording/producing, my guitar choice is almost entirely related to it's specific frequency response. As for whether or not "The Tree" is worthy of the hype, I've had enough time to draw my personal conclusion. A guitar made with a heavily quilted set of "The Tree" is likely the most beautiful guitar you will ever see. However, it's my ears that matter, not my eyes. Mahogany is a fantastic tonewood, "The Tree" is mahogany -> so yes, a skilled luthier can make a great sounding guitar from it. However, I don't think even the most skilled luthier can make a guitar that delivers a $5k-$6k tonal improvement simply by using "The Tree". In fact, I don't think my Tree guitar sounds noticeably better than my other Hogs. I was fortunate to build a substantial acoustic guitar inventory before the market exploded, including a lot of pre-war and "storied wood" instruments. Based on a first-hand reference point, there's no doubt in my mind a majority of "storied woods" deliver on the hype. Please keep this in mind as I tell you "The Tree" is an excellent tonewood, but from a purely tonal standpoint (vs. alternative options) it doesn't quite live up to the hype. That said, if you value things like (1) shear aesthetic beauty, (2) investment retention, and (3) a great story, then "The Tree" may very well be worth the cost for you.

[@JMAWWorks]

A series of these sound tests would be really useful, especially if they could be somewhat standardized in the way they are hung, struck etc. there is a lot of mystery in tone woods and hard to know what is hype and what is real.

[@minkorrh]

Dude, use your brain. Wood can have no real effect other than it's hardness which will have an effect on the sustain of the guitar depending on it's hardness. 'Tone' refers to it's level of highs, lows, etc. An electric guitar has that wrapped up in its pickups and electronics. I should start a company because I'd have no issue separating people from their money in this respect. Your frets have a greater influence o. how the guitar sounds than any wood it's made from. No one thinks about this with any grey matter involved.

[@JMAWWorks]

@@minkorrh Absolutely start a company. As an engineer, I can think of several material factors that impact sound: hardness, density, dampening curves ... I am not a musician, and believe most on this topic is overhyped, but I doubt it’s the course of wisdom to casually dismiss centuries of passionate craftspeople’s experience for my armchair opinions, nor is it wise to continue to slavishly use materials that were simply locally available to historical makers.

[@minkorrh]

@@JMAWWorks It's like I always say about the argument between tubes and solid state. Is there a difference? Yes. Can the audience tell that difference? No. As far as your comment goes, I appreciate that wholeheartedly, but the strings are literally less than a centimeter above the pickups. If the wood has any effect other than the amount of sustain a guitar has then I'll eat my shorts. Good pickups are generally potted with parrafin to take out any microphonics that may happen, so that also works to negate any influence from the wood it's made of. I'd really like to see a grand experiment done to settle this once and for all, but we both know that would change no one's mind.

[@JMAWWorks]

@@minkorrh ahh, now I see the issue, we are discussing two different things. You are talking electric guitar (I agree there; body material is going to have negligible impact) I was thinking straight acoustic instruments.

[@duaneholcomb8408]

Tone wood only applies to acoustic guitars but it does make a difference in tone the way you get sound. From a acoustic is thru the vibration of the wood itself. Some woods have higher vibration calber. And the sound is more higher in tone some more dense and lower in tone. And in between. And then if you mix it say spruce on top and mahogany on back and sides it effects the sound

[@ByronWatts]

I watched someone else testing the sound of wood. They were specific in how the wood was held during the test and I believe they referenced holding it at about 2/3 of it's length rather than near the end.

[@holden2gether]

Each piece of timber when sawn like this has nodes, points at which the timber doesn't vibrate (imagine two sine waves 180 degrees out of phase with each other, the point at which they cross over each other is a node and produces no tone, it has no amplitude and is sonically 'dead'). You move your 'grip' or pinch up and down on the wood until you find the point that rings out the best when tapped, you know then that your grip/pinch is at a node and not interfering with the natural resonance of that particular piece of wood. Those 'nodal' points can be unique to each piece of wood depending on it's internal structure, thickness and grain tightness. As you machine that wood you will find the nodal point shifts ever so slightly. Typically most 'rough' pieces you will start at roughly the 2/3rds point but it doesn't always give the best tap due to the reasons I've given so Daisy may have found the node point to be higher up on this piece simply because of it's figure (internal grain structure) and thickness. Hope this explains a bit better?

[@mildmanneredjanitor0]

Very interesting. I would definitely not commission an instrument to be made out of rare wood. Firstly because that's not really what I love. I love getting a good, solid, workhorse kind of instrument and playing it for decades (and maybe tweaking it) until it feels like an extension of me. Secondly, even if I'm not the one being ripped off, rarity inflates prices and leads to fraud and other crime. The violin world, for example, has seen a ridiculous situation where all the really expensive instruments are bought and sold by bankers and trust funds who can't even play them, creating the perfect conditions for fraud.

[@davidrees1840]

You don't need to look any further than old Les Pauls for that example -they say about 550 1958-60s were made, but only 2000 still exist. Funny thing about violins is that most experts prefer the sound of modern violins, but we still can't say the same about modern Les Pauls and copies.

[@SkunkworksProps]

Most violin soloists will not own their own instruments, they are generally loaned to them by museums, collectors, or even these trust funds. And in blind tests as has been said, it's generally 50/50 as to whether people prefer the old or new instrument.

[@LA-qv1ir]

I'm amazed by the production of your videos! Really like those drawings too.

[@ipuya]

What a lot of people fail to mention is what part of the tree the wood is cut from. Different parts of the tree sound different. For example the resonance of a piece of ash from the base of a tree is different to the trunk of that same tree. The base gathers water and then distributes it throughout the tree so it is more porous and consequently more resonant and also lighter. The way it's cut is also hugely important. Guitar manufacturers don't tell you this because those quality cuts are not easy to find and they don't want to be held accountable for what cut of wood they are using. They want us to believe that as long as it's ash then it's all the same.

[@manofbeard]

Thank you for pointing that out! A very interesting piece of information.

[@johngriswold2213]

Not sure about that. The water/sap distribution is conducted through the bark and sap wood while the heart wood that luthiers mostly use is dead and closed off to fluid transport. Further, it's doubtful that the back and sides contribute more than about 10% of a guitar's sound, which means that even significant differences in these woods only make marginal differences in total sound. Far more important would seem to be the wood in the top, the bracing scheme, and most important of all, the luthiers skill and judgement. Thoughts?

[@ipuya]

@@johngriswold2213 oh you're talking about acoustic guitars. I'm talking about solid electric ones. But as far as acoustic yeah the too is by far the most important. But my point is that even different cuts from the same tree sound different. So the cut matters as much as the type of wood. If not more.

[@johngriswold2213]

@@ipuya Though I read about the differences of wood in electric guitars I have no experience with them. You might want to look at Chris Alverez's "Tidalcaster" that he shows on his KZbin channel Driftwood Guitars. He has innovated with the neck joint to improve the solidity and resonance of that joint.

[@BottleMakesMusic]

It's a lovely piece with an interesting history. Personally, I would like to see it used in a build for an instrument that's going to be played and gigged, rather than hung on a wall to be admired as an "objet d'art" or a collectors item.

[@trevorgwelch7412]

I have a piece of ZEBRANO ... I used it for a model train display . C.F. Martin makes excellent guitars with exotic woods , $50,000 is insanely expensive .

[@erickvpoul]

Can we see closer shots of the wood itself? 👀

[@jeffhildreth9244]

The wood ? , you missed the point of the video.. Just my opinion.

[@rogermoore2798]

I am gifted with an inbuilt ability to make the best guitar sound crap. Personally I think it's a lot of hype.

[@mrkim3257]

Evaluation of 'tonewood' is very subjective. But I'll tell you an acoustic guitar builders truth. Luck aside, if you gave your 'TheTree' set to a hobby builder who has 6 or so builds under their belt and is still spending much of their time reinventing the wheel, and you gave a set of the cheapest, straight grain quarter sawn mahogany to a builder who has 6 or so dozen builds under his belt, gave them soundboards resawn from the same billet, and asked them to do a build off. I KNOW the guitar built with experience is going to win out in a blind test, every single time. Its well known how much our sight over rules our other senses.....We really do eat with our eyes....but I know that we seem to hear with our eyes also...and nobody understood this better than the guy who got hold of, and then marketed..THE TREE..You will find countless well known builders willing to talk it up, but the level of their enthusiasm is often governed by how much of it they have in their own 'superannuation' stash. I'll tell you another acoustic guitar builder's truth. 'All' wood has magic, every single stick of it...its up to you to develop the skills and understanding to be able to cut and carve away as much of that which isn't as you safely can, and leave behind as much of it that is to prevent the guitar from folding up on itself. Learn 'that' knife edge in a lifetime, and you've done very well. The impact of various types of back and side tonewood is there...but so minor in the endless mix of lutherical magic, that its a topic probably best left for next lifetime, or to players who only hear with their eyes.

[@Dayman667]

Oh shit, i've laid my hands on this wood before. In Oregon, at Breedlove where I work. We made a select few guitars out of "The Tree" and i have heard the tones from the wood itself!

[@GeorgeHawking]

I have a few sets of The Tree hog, it’s more rare than Brazilian Rosewood however the acoustic performance is not as good as Braz sonically, can’t beat a Quartercut Braz.

[@davidthegood]

This is fascinating. When I was in the Caribbean, I saw a beautiful mahogany tree cut into little bits because someone was clearing it out of the front yard. It was painful to see! Such amazing wood, and that was just a normal tree, not a super-duper amazing /marketed/ tree! Great videography and story, Daisy - thanks.

[@bloemundude]

A wood this rare deserves to only be paired with strings made from the woven feathers of the Queen's favorite swan and played only with a plectrum made from a Czar Nicholas II's tooth. Seriously, rarity does not equal quality. I would keep it as a board, but if you use it in a guitar, you need to ask yourself if it should become a standard acoustic or a classical nylon guitar. Do you want to hear your gifted $6000 wood sing "Wonderwall" or Bach and Segovia?

[@woodstoney]

I once play tested a rather expensive guitar but ultimately ended up choosing a guitar that cost 1/4 as much because it not only felt better in my hands but actually sounded better and had better harmonics and playability. It's difficult to ask a guitarist which is the best guitar. That's akin to asking dog owners which is the best breed of dog? It is as equally subjective as it is to choose the best guitar. Ultimately, it is an individual choice. For me, I love the different kinds of woods, but to just pay such an inflated difference in price without getting a noticeable and far more enjoyable sound and playability would be a wasted experience. Your experience will likely differ. I do enjoy your videos! Cheers!

[@jessekitts3976]

Anyone that has a custom guitar built, hangs it on a wall and doesnt play earns my ire.

[@renoysrobert]

Hi! I live in Kerala, South India and I have some mahogany wood from a tree that was felled in our property about 3 months ago. It was about 30 years old. When the put the chainsaw to it, the noise was so loud. The planks ring out when tapped and it sounds unusually loud even when i scrape my dry finger tips over it.

[@radioking]

No sure about the Tree or Moon spruce but what a maker needs to work out is why sitka / mahogany works so well or why a J45 is a killer recording guitar. I'm way more interested in tonewoods than blingwoods.

[@jeffhildreth9244]

I have owned approximately 100 guitars since 1961. For steel string.. my choice is still mahogany and sitka. I currently have two such Martins. My all time favorite guitar (stolen in 1965) was a 1946 J 45. For Classical; older, reddish/black East Indian backs and sides and Hauser style bear claw euro spruce tops. For Flamenco ( I am not a player of Flamenco but prefer them over classical) again for a negra.. Older East Indian, and for a blanca : Mediterranean Cypress, or Alaska Yellow Cypress with Port Orford or Euro spruce.

[@Michael-Ray]

Legendary wood like this gives the guitar a story and soul and if an expert luthier can craft and adorn it into a majestic looking instrument then that would ascend its status to the holy grail of guitars. I've seen beat up guitars auction for well over $1 million just because of its history. Value is in the eye of the beholder.

[@jpavlvs]

I have to wonder if how the tree grows. For example if the wood comes from the North facing side of the wood which would cause closer growth rings as opposed to the south side of the tree? I know to make a Yew bow staves were and are prefered to come from the north side of the tree.

[@Orangie2008]

"If a luthier does their job right, they can make any wood sound great." Bob Taylor here in the States built a guitar from all pallet wood to prove this point back in the 1990s.

[@BirdYoumans]

It would be interesting to hear this compared to some more traditional woods. The first couple of strikes had a nice low end ring, but then, I suppose you were holding it differently, the ring sort of went away and it just sounded, well, not so good. So I suppose it matters where you hold it. I got into woodworking when I took about 7 years off from my music making thinking I was retiring (guess again lol. KZbin came along and I found a second career in music, but that's another story) and I made a xylophone and learned some interesting things about wood and tone. You are supposed to use a hard wood for the bars, but I had lots of leftover pine from a project and took my time tuning it (learned to tune the harmonics midway the process and that makes a huge difference) But in order for the bar to ring well it has to be supported at a certain point in the wood called a node where the vibration crosses the zero axis if I'm making sense. So I'm guessing you were holding it in a good place at first. But it did have a nice low end ring at first. Again tho, I'd love to hear some comparisons side by side with some other woods and then it "wood" become obvious which wood would be preferable. By the way, the xylophone turned out great to be made from scraps so to speak. Learned a lot in the process. Always thought of making a guitar, but at my age now and having none of the specialized tools and clamps etc not to mention I'm back to making music and videos, I doubt that will happen now. I'm enjoying your channel (just found you) so I will do it vicariously thru you!

[@selrod55]

There is a documentary about old growth trees that were harvested in the 18 hundreds in the northern Great lakes region USA. The method to transport the trees was to float them. Many of these became water logged and sunk. A diver discovered these and devised a way to float them. Because of the density of the wood due to the water and the beauty it became highly desirable for instruments. I can't remember the prices that the wood was selling for but it was unbelievably high and a lot of European violin makers were buying it.

[@u-N16z0rz]

What's the title of the documentary???

[@garymiller1216]

also where dams were created, forests were flooded, the trees that were later harvested became known as sinkers kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4PIe56JrNaXbLM

[@J_____C]

I doubt that. European Spruce and maple are normally used for violins. Michigan & that area isn't known for growing the type of maple used in instruments. They have sugar maple trees. And you won't find European Spruce there either lol

[@JamesMinchew]

I think you need to look at this in two ways. As an object of art and beauty, the cost of the wood is right. It will make something that is beautiful to look at, admire and bring beauty into the world. The legend of the wood and it's path into the guitar adds to the value of the art. As a guitar, I personally don't think it's worth it. I appreciate that there are diminishing returns when purchasing an expensive guitar and the "mojo" of a piece of wood in intangible but exists. I wouldn't get the benefit of a £3,000 guitar over a £600 guitar because I'm a sh*tty guitarist but my world would be a better on with this wood reaching it's potential in a beautiful guitar that brings joy into the world.

[@PeterKaitlyn]

I play... I don't collect or bargan or trade... so this one piece of wood isn't worth the expense, unless it makes the sound, something I can't get any other way...

[@nzdemon921]

Love your 'wood nerd' vids. I think your 'the tree' guitar more likely to be worth the money for the look. Example. I recently fitted my beach cottage kitchen with a worktop of porcelain edged with 'extreme figured' Honduras mahogany. The last and most 'difficult' part of a log I bought in 1972. This was so unstable it had to to set in epoxy to work. The figure of this wood is so fine and detailed that I get lost looking at it waiting for a kettle to boil. Would I have paid £6000 for it? Sadly yes because I can't think of anything that would give me more pleasure over the years for that sum.

[@drumsNstuff79]

I don't think I'd ever be able to play a guitar made from "the Tree" wood. Just the hype and value and everything would make me want to lock it in a vault and just watch it appreciate in value. "Oh my god, that pick scratch just devalued it! Is that a grand off of it's price? Gaaaahhhhh!"

[@Dookiefists]

Would have been cool to have other pieces of mahogany there as a general control, like what does a nice piece and a relatively cheap piece sound like when put next to "The Tree" piece?

[@jeffhildreth9244]

No fair interjecting a reality check.

[@va7242]

This is like arguing over which type of chocolate icing works best on a cake: white, milk or dark? In the end, the quality of the sound is largely determined by the system consisting of the soundboard, bracing and bridge. To put it another way, If the top sucks, the guitar sucks. If the top sings, the guitars sings. The quilted mahogany from "The Tree" is gorgeous. The wood grain has a three-dimensional aspect that changes depending on the angle of view, kind of like those hologram stickers. It would be criminal not to use that set from Howlett for back and sides. That said, I might wait until I had mastered the art of building tops. I would use the best spruce I could possibly find, the pull-out-the-stops kind of spruce like ancient Sitka or old growth that was cut ages ago. When in early 1992, Santa Cruz began releasing a set of 10 limited edition Vintage Artists made of wood from The Tree, there was no reference in the marketing materials to The Tree. (Heck, was it even called The Tree back then?) Stan Jay of Mandolin Brothers, a Santa Cruz dealer on Staten Island, simply referred to the mahogany as "special quilted mahogany." lol. The main schtick used to market the Vintage Artist was that Doc Watson "said all those wonderful things about it." Which is of course why I bought a Vintage Artist. The first one in the series of 10, serial number VA-724, was finished in December 1991 and shown at NAMM in early 1992. I've been playing this guitar for 30 years. It has aged well and sounds killer. The killer sound is a function of the spruce and the high level of craft and skill used by Santa Cruz to create the top and partly due to the fact that it was played a lot at maximum acoustic volume as it aged over time. I've played maple, koa, mahogany and rosewood guitars. The top is the main determinant of quality of sound. Maybe 5% to 10% comes from the back and sides. The sheer beauty of The Tree mahogany is what makes it so special, imho.

[@that_thing_I_do]

In the end, the quality is determined by the player.

[@lukasschliepkorte3019]

@@that_thing_I_do BS. When judging the quality of an instrument the player itself must be excluded.

[@RByrne]

I'd be pretty skeptical of anyone who says this is some "magical sounding" wood. It may sound slightly different, but you'd have to really REALLY know you're guitars to notice. That being said, I would definitely sell my car to buy some of this if I could.

[@jamieyoung9268]

I remember reading the article in Fine Woodworking about this tree. I ended up buying 2 25"x6' pieces of 4/4 of that tree 35 years ago. Still haven't decided what to do with it. Beautiful wood!

[@newffee]

Take your chances on selling one guitar at $50,000 or you could buy really decent sets of Mahogany for about $200 to $300 back n sides and make then sell many guitars at $3000 to $6000 a piece. The sound would be just as great. If you have the Tree in your position then definitely make a guitar but in the mean time make many other Mahogany guitars that will sell like hotcakes. My buddy has a Taylor with Mahogany and it sounds great. I think he paid around $2500 for it.

[@henkhessel3651]

I love all your videos and your love for perfection. Nothing wrong with your hands. I go to the concert of Lucy Thomas, the best vocalist in the world on October 22nd in Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London. I'm sure she sounds better for a lot less money.

[@MilosBrajkovic-rc3ik]

Splendid, thanks! I've always had doubt about the Three. Just the hype, to my mind. Sorry for my English...

[@sallywasagoodolgal]

I have the means. I have a problem buying something I can't HEAR. (Or see, or smell, or drive, or walk through, etc.) The wood goes THUD-THUD. I have a hard time imagining what the guitar will sound like in the end. I can imagine it will be visually beautiful. I can see that, but I like a certain sound and I'd be pretty mad at myself for paying $10,000, or $20,000 for a guitar I didn't enjoy playing.

[@hkguitar1984]

"The Tree" is historical in nature in that there will most likely never be another like it in our lifetime, perhaps many lifetimes. That being the case, yes, I would enjoy any type of instrument fashioned from "The Tree". Heavy figuring generally weakens a wood's structure, the heavy quilt pattern most often seen in woods from "The Tree" are no exception. Be careful when you form the sides using that mahogany. Scary and exciting for sure. Great Content, thank you for sharing.

[@SkunkworksProps]

With an unlimited budget, sure, I might commission a guitar out of this. Sadly I don't.

[@trebleclef169]

I'm hearing resonant frequencies of Bmaj. and Gmaj. Cool piece!

[@LEARNINGCHORDS]

you are awesome x

[@BobStCyr]

You have the facts about this particular piece of wood correct, but I wish people would stop spreading this mythology of a "special" wood. Yes the quilted figure in that particular piece of mahogany is beautiful aesthetically, but that doesn't mean it will sound any better than another wood. Torres used cypress (very plain cypress) as often as he used rosewood, and he used maple almost as much as either of those, and of course there is his famous "cardboard" back and side guitar. Pushing a demand or market for exotic woods only speeds up the demise of those forests. In South America and Africa more logging is run by organized crime than legitimate loggers. As long as we keep developing the demand they will continue to cut the trees. It would be far better to design and build instruments that sound and play great and are built from woods that are sourced from sustainable areas of tree growth. It's like promoting a piece of rare ivory for nuts and saddles, etc.

[@frankcousins6479]

Its undoubtedly a beautiful wood... but as you say, most will be collectors pieces rarely played or collected as investments no dings... probably;y made by luthiers who give each guitar a 'name'... Instruments should be made to be played, and dings and scrapes tell their story over time, not pristine relics to support a pension fund or ego...

[@JohnNaylor-x4x]

I tyhink you should make yourself a stunning guitar, and keep it as a treat to yourself

[@NSResponder]

When you ask "is it worth it", the response has to be: "to whom"? The value of any good or service is what someone's willing to pay for it. Clearly there's enough demand for this wood that its price is higher than alternatives. It may be too expensive for one person and a bargain to another.

[@ryanknuckles8747]

StewMac currently has sets of "The Tree" for sale at over $7000 a set. I'm sure someone has, but a luthier with deep pockets should pair "The Tree" with the 3000 year old Sitka Spruce they found in Alaska. 😅

[@cyrilpreece2658]

I am lucky to have 2 sets of flamed Mahogany and 2 of quilted Mahogany backs and sides all within CITIES regulations

[@edgarcastrillo7554]

I deal two reforestation programs in Costa Rica and we are planting mahagony ¨IN SPANISH ; CAOBA

[@wizardoftoys]

Wood is a living breathing material even long after it's "Mum" has been killed. The ultimate combination of coarse is a marriage of a good Luthier and a fine resonating wood. The Luthier will know how to best make it "Sing". I have a Japanese classic acoustic guitar ( no label left but seems to be a early 60s pre Aria school) it resonates nearly 50 seconds after I pluck a note.I am shure it is due to the wood quality and construction.

[@dietersdawgs]

I'd pass on it honestly. I'm from the "Torres" camp and believe most of your tone/sound comes from the top, well tuned and properly braced. This exclusive stuff just reminds me of collectors who want to brag about exclusivity, like the late Aristotle Onassis with his yacht bar stools covered with sperm whale foreskin ( true FYI! ). Mahogany does not a good top make in my opinion, great for backs, sides, and necks tho. I've played some very expensive guitars, and in all honesty the best sounding ones had price tags of $4,600, $5,500, and $6,750 Canadian dollars, and were " plain janes ". ...some of the others were priced at over $10,000 Canadian dollars. This piece might make a few nice headstocks, is it long and thick enough for a fretboard? Would that satisfy Ms. or Mr. Money is no Object? I dunno.

[@marquisdeceasd]

I find it a little sad that the tree couldn't have been protected & examined by highly skilled botanists to discover the source of the mutation. Perhaps that defect could've been leveraged in Honduras before we harvested their species to the point of near extinction. I have a few guitars made with Honduras mahogany & won't part with them for that reason. Anyway, back to your point. I don't know that this mammoth tree would provide a "superior" sounding tone-wood, so much as it would sound "slightly different". Very subtly different to an expert. (Like a chef discerning sodium chloride from sea-salt). And as you've said, the construction is the other half of the "tone DNA". Bob Taylor (Taylor Guitars) once made a guitar from "pallet wood" & it actually sounded pretty good. Anyway, I wish they'd preserved the tree as it was priceless.

[@PukaHeadMan]

It did have a lower ring tone. Now, would I pay $6000 for that piece of mahogany tone wood? No, definitely not, for the reason that I’ve heard tone woods that rang like a bell. Try quarter sawn Koa. You’ll be amazed.

[@mpart_woodlathe-stuff]

Hmm, I did not know this. (any of it!) Thanks much. Take care. -Mike

[@olubibabalola]

At 6k for wood alone? No way! Also I don't believe in owning guitars as investments. They are meant to be played. I have some in the mid price range (expensive for me) but all for playing. Even if I could afford and bought a $1m Hendrix guitar, it would be for playing.

[@TheNobbynoonar]

As you said yourself, if a luthier does their job right, they can make any wood sound great. Even if I had money to burn, I wouldn’t pay silly money for ‘wood from the magic tree’. Nice gift though.

[@genomitchalinni8106]

An employer has a high end flooring company. I figured, why not make Cigar Box Guitars from the scraps. To tell the truth, I'd rather just make the high end wood into the guitar necks.

[@Relayer6a]

If I had the money, sure. It's not like it's going to go down in value. I think it was funny how you were trying to "justify" upcharging, also known as making a profit, for the wood. Of course you should charge more for the wood than what you paid for it. It's business and you should get a return on money spent. You aren't a charity. In the end what you are being commissioned for is your expertise and abilities. lucrative So, if you can do something really good and people are willing to pay you a premium, why wouldn't you? No shame in making money. And it's not like you are supplying medicine or food or shelter and taking advantage of something people can't live without. You make guitars. And if they are too expensive someone doesn't have to buy it. There are more than enough cheap guitars available. Truly finely crafted instruments made from premium and beautiful materials are not so plentiful.

[@RAkers-tu1ey]

No, not worth it for me. I have a theory that in general, plucked instruments (like guitars) sound best with non figured woods, but bowed instruments can sound good with figured woods. I also think (for plucked instruments) that a great deal of the "tone" is in the top, and relatively little in the back and sides. How often have you seen a guitar (with great tone) with a highly figured top? I have a stack of reclaimed 1970 vintage mahogany shelving (4/4 x 12" x 7 ft. ) that is destined to be at least one acoustic guitar and one electric bass, and possibly one electric guitar. Also a couple of tongue drums , Cajons, and Shruti boxes. I have found a wide variety of tone from board to board - some pretty dead, others really ring. It seems that tone is always board by board.

[@grayson84111]

There is absolutely no difference in sound from "The Tree" and any other mahogany. Having played several, and knowing people in the industry, it's shameful if a luthier were to tell you the Tree sounds better.

[@golflre7179]

I would want it to be both aesthetically pleasing as well as superior sound for that price.

[@scottlevine5030]

If I had the means I would definitely commision one (or buy a set and build my own, though I make electric guitars, and I don't think this would be the wood for my first acoustic). And I would use it as an instrument, taking it wherever it was the best suited instrument for the occasion, though it would not likely be making an appearance by a campfire, like, ever.

[@bobirvine]

Fascinating Story, but no, I would not spend that sort of £££ (even if I had the means) on a "special wood". I am neither a good enough player not have the ear these days to tell the difference between exotic woods, and standard builds. I do know the sounds I like in a guitar (either acoustic or electric), and for electrics, it is the acoustic sound of the guitar (before plugging it in) that I listen for. good tones, no buzzing, sustain, etc.... all the things a luthier built guitar should have. I have Gibson's, Fender's, self builds, etc, but the best tones (before I plug them in) comes from guitars that are made with care, and with nice sounding wood. Surprisingly, this is not always a traditional "tone wood".

[@williambishop6091]

Sorry Daisy, not for that price. I’m with you in that I would give you, the luthier free reign in choosing a piece of quality mahogany and trust your expertise in craftsmanship to make it voice to your liking!

[@sagittated]

As it wasn't a theme of the video, I find it interesting how it immediately started a conversation about who does or does not deserve the wood. (It's got to be used by a real musician; got to be in a classical 6-string guitar, etc.) So much gatekeeping! Fine. I think it should top a small set of ukuleles. And only be played by children. Who draw dinosaurs and unicorns on them with crayons. 🤘

[@markmanning2921]

any instrument that is not played is a waste of the materials and skills used to create it. I am not sure your test is 100% valid unless those boards were at their correct thickness, compare completed sound boards of each wood type you use (maybe both before and after bracing?).

[@limpindug]

Being honest it doesn't look like the tree I've seen, check out Slash's acoustic, the best instrument making from the tree is quilted.?cedar rock studio guitar gallery built Slash's guitar.

[@michaelmcdermott2178]

Not worth it to me, especially with the upcharge, but then, I'm old and grumpy.

[@AnimalJohn85]

Deffinately a daft price, its a kin to bog standard geetars selling for 1000's more than standard purely because someone famous strummed it a few times. A lovely looking plank though and certain itll look and sound great once used. Good stuff as ever me duck.

[@raymondeaton5692]

I have several sets of very plain looking mahogany that I would put up against "The Tree" any day. I've seen a set of it in person and no way is it worth all the extra $$$$$$$!

[@johngriswold2213]

Doubtful that this wood contributes anything of sonic value to match its price. Some luthiers think that since the wavy growth pattern in such "figured" woods reduces the continuity of grain through the back it actually reduces the possible resonance and resilience of the wood. Great wood for guitar collectors and musicians with money to burn, a real pucker factor for the builder, not only just to avoid mistakes but also to build an instrument that sounds and plays great enough to justify the added expense;)

[@markvonwisco7369]

I prefer the sound of rosewood. So I would rather have a guitar with a nice set of Brazilian rosewood back and sides, Adirondack top...

[@e11e7en]

Definitely not worth it. Honestly it’s a piece of a tree that was in my view sacred and ought never have been felled. Part of the beauty of any craft is engaging in your craft to improve society and not rob the future of a beautiful and vibrant world. Using that wood is somewhat like using ivory in instruments. That said, cool story and thx for sharing

[@andsalomoni]

I think that no luthier really needs more than maple and spruce (and cedar too, for the tops). Domestic woods are more than enough. To use exotic woods is just for luxury.

[@kevinronald4137]

That wood is worth it. Please build a definitive guitar with it to become your sound a la Stradivarius.

[@hermannhase6243]

Hallo Daisy, if i had the money i would get you to build me the Guitar of a lifetime. The only thing is i cant play Guitar, but i love your Videos and would still get you to build me one; if only this small Problem was not there…….Money

[@breasteve]

Seems more a speculative investment than player guitar due to the wood's history, uniqueness and scarcity.

[@sbolfing]

I am not convinced "The Tree" has inherently better tonal qualities than other highly figured (key!) mahogany. But because its scarcity has driven the price so high, it tends to fall into the hands of the better luthiers. I am convinced a really good luthier can make a wonderful sounding guitar out of almost anything - and when inspired by wood as beautiful as this, then you get a guitar than sounds heavenly.

[@hereasafanofallsorts5164]

What other highly figured mahogany ? Mahogany is not highly figured - ever - and you can quite easily find articles from the first Luthiers who used this wood - Specifically Tom Ribbeke who built two OM guitars at the same time in the 80's - one with Brazilian Rosewood and one with Mahogany form ' The Tree' - he concludes that the Guitar with the 'Tree' mahogany sounded more like Brazilian Rosewood than the Brazilian Rosewood guitar - This wass a man who had nothing to gain from promoting the wood as he was already one of the most revered luthiers on the planet.

[@sbolfing]

@@hereasafanofallsorts5164 Other figured mahogany? Quilted, flamed, beeswing are a few that come to mind immediately. A really skilled luthier can make almost anything sound great - especially if a highly skilled guitarist is playing it!

[@hereasafanofallsorts5164]

@sbolfing oh of course, yeah - show me this quilted beeswing mahogany that isn't from the tree. I'd be rapt to see it because it doesn't exist. That's why the tree is "the tree" - a skilled luthier would be making lutes - they wouldn't be a luthier otherwise - the guitar building community is so full of shit - making a guitar is a very learnable skill it's not magic - it's not even art it's a craft that was perfected 100 years ago and every builder is now just working to that formula or some slightly bastardised version of it because it wouldn't work otherwise

[@minkorrh]

Lol. Fools and their 'tonewood' You should really call it 'resonance wood', because literally that's the only effect wood has on a guitar. Sustain.

[@FugaziSB]

It's a matter of belief, if someone believes his guitar made of such expensive tree sounds better, it will sound better to him and justify the price. Never underestimate teh power of autosuggestion.

[@tomroucoux]

How about making a guitar from this wood for auction, to campaign to protect the rainforest in Belize?

[@DaisyTempest]

This is such an amazing idea, I’m going to try and make this happen.

[@tomroucoux]

@@DaisyTempest that would be very cool !

[@tomroucoux]

Shout if there's anything I can do to help make it happen.

[@kimbye1]

I think if the look is what you want, why not go for Pomele Sapele, looks fairly similar, and even if it's not a cheap wood, it doesn't cost 3 grand for a set.

[@AnonContributor]

Stew Mac has some of this alleged magical wood. Ugh. Charging stupid prices for a story. It's Mahog. There's plenty of awesome pieces around for $200. This whole "The Tree" b.s. is 100% hype and an overpriced story. Naw, not buyin it...

[@staleyexplores]

any luthier can make a guitar look good but I don't think a luthier can take any piece of wood and be a good luthier and then make it sound great. i say this because i don't feel every piece of wood really is ok with being a guitar hence cracks and issues. also it kind of lines up with I love a d35 but I don't like all d35's, i credit that to the wood perhaps not to neglect the role of the luthier but mass produced like that I figure the variables are less....idk maybe I'm a odd ball in this line of thinking.

[@brendanpeery2655]

Like the video, the content is awesome. the level of the music between dialogue vs the level of the dialogue has me turning the volume up and down constantly. try normalizing the audio in an effort to reduce the differences between the two. not trying to be mean, just offering it as constructive criticism. normalize.

[@martinlouden9005]

I think it's a very nice piece of wood. And as for verification that it is actually from the tree, how is that achieved? I'd bet my house that there are multiple pieces of furniture and guitars out there that claim to be from the tree but are actually from hundreds of different trees!

[@alexryder2046]

I've only just heard this. I have a couple of old cuban mahogany sets here which sound every bit as good as this tree set. Personally I think there are better value for money sets out there but sheer beauty there is only one serious competitor and that is a master grade set of Brazilian Rosewood..

[@Oioiou73]

"if a luthier does their job right, they can make any wood sound great" Perhaps that's how you know an artist from a craftsman

[@patrickharvey6310]

I love beautiful guitars. They are works of art to me but I have to play them!

[@cyrilpreece2658]

I tune my tops and sometimes backs using Chlandi sound patterns and thickness according to the pattern to form a circle.

[@张昊宇-p2e]

For that price I would rather have something like a nice set of Brazilian rosewood…

[@philipchung9492]

Stewmac is selling sets for $9000 USD.

[@Skibbityboo0580]

I would pay that much for the story, and the look of it. I think claiming that it sounds better is just hipster bullshit.

[@nmnmnm9509]

This wood deserve to be a classical guitar. The acoustic guitars with cheap and dead woods sound better. I thought only me don't like the sound of them but I found out all the acoustic guitar parts in the last Prince's album recorded with a cheap guitar that his producer has bought for the record.

[@michaeljoyce-q6s]

As a string instrument builder. It is about how much I can sell the instrument for. I am not a musician. I will let the musicians make the call.

[@saraazar223]

I vote for locating some historical scrap of tin, to make a fine shepherd's rabel.

[@coldpizzasoda8641]

The first couple of hits sounded like an expensive bass drum.

[@leevitalone]

If you don't play it don't pay it. When you can afford it but are not a player of it then why would you afford the disadvantage of one could prove its value or the lack of ?

[@ianevans67]

Is that one piece big enough though for a top or do you have a book matched pair. That piece doesn't look enough for an acoustic top

[@SveninColorado]

Whatever path you choose, listen to the wood, marry it to a soundboard that will turn both loose to sing.

[@trappenweisseguy27]

Fine Woodwoking magazine did a story about this tree and wood many years ago.