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So on my recent search for good BRW, I have found that the standard for "tonewood" seems to have changed. I have noticed this in a lot of rosewoods. When I contacted one supplier (none of our great sponsors), I received pictures of over 100 sets of BRW. There was ONE set that was passable. And even that set was just on the fringe. Most of the sets looked like flatsawn wood you can get from your local home depot. Needless-to-say, I wouldn't feel right charging a customer for a guitar with that "quality" of wood. And yes, it was priced like most BRW.

But BRW isn't the only wood I have noticed this in. Amazon RW, Madagascar RW, African Blackwood are all examples of woods that seem to almost never be quartered. I realize that this is often due to limitations of the tree size.

So here is the question, what is your standard for wood? Would you work with flatsawn wood? Riftsawn? Or do you only use quartered?

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I use some of the nicest looking Brazilian rosewood you will find. Beautifully grained, perfectly stabile, reasonably priced. I just have to glue it back together

But Clay, how do you tell if the veneer is quartered?
I'm picky about top wood being quartered, backs & sides not so much.

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Quartered Padauk in the classifieds at a good price,I would use them in a heart beat. I think we get too wraped up in the BRW thing. The time is over for good BRW for the average builder. There is just too much excellent alternative wood.
Tom

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Very nice tight, straight grained dark Indian rosewood is still available these days. This is my standard back and side wood. I'm also building with Spanish Cypress and Bird's eye Maple on occasion.
All woods are as quartered as I can get them with the exception of the Birds eye maple which is almost by definition flat sawn.

I think one's guitars should not be all about the wood but what you did with the wood.

I agree that BRW is a different monster. But BRW aside, with all the great alternatives out there, why settle for a rosewood or other wood that is structurally unstable. That isn't to say that all non quartered woods are unstable, just that quartered is preferable.

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