Hi guys and gals-
I just got back from a trip to an exotic hardwood dealer in my hometown. I haven't been to this particular establishment in about 5 years. The proprietor started resawing backs, sides and tops in the past few years. Some of this wood has been laying around for 60-70 years in board form. When I showed up today, I asked if he had any wood for building guitars. He brought me to a small closet and let me poke through some sets of cocobolo, limba, sapele and some spruce tops. I asked for the good stuff and he pulled out some nice Brazilian rosewood and lightly figured Cuban mahogany. I picked out a set of the mahogany and then asked where he hides his personal stash. We went into his office and he let me dig through a cabinet full of old quartered Brazilian rosewood but the stuff on the bottom was a few sets of quartered Pernambuco big enough for 17" jumbos. I begged for one particular set of the Pernambuco and he relented. I also picked up some chunks of Brazilian rosewood big enough for 20 bridge blanks.
The Cuban mahogany (actually from Cuba) is from pre-1946 and the Pernambuco was cut into board form prior to 1982. Here are a couple of grainy cellphone pictures - it is hard to see the figure in the Cuban mahogany.
Share your best sets of wood from your own personal stashes.
Cuban Mahogany
Pernambuco
