Luthiers Mercantile International is proud to have recently obtained our Forest Stewardship Council certification, and we are now providing Certified materials which were obtained through the FSC chain-of-custody. FSC standards “ensure that forestry is practiced in an (1)environmentally responsible, (2)socially beneficial and (3)economically viable way.”
Environmentally responsible forest management protects the forest’s biodiversity, productivity and ecological processes.
Socially beneficial forest management helps both local people and society at large to enjoy long term benefits and also provides strong incentives to local people to sustain the forest resources and adhere to long-term management plans.
Economically viable forest management means that forest operations are structured and managed so as to be sufficiently profitable, without generating financial profit at the expense of the forest resources, the ecosystem or affected communities. The tension between the need to generate adequate financial returns and the principles of responsible forest operations can be reduced through efforts to market forest products for their best value.
We hope that you will consider these truly “environmentally friendly” products when you choose materials for your guitar. More information about the Forest Stewardship Council is available at www.fsc.org
Please note: FSC woods can be difficult to obtain, therefore stock levels fluctuate widely. Nevertheless, we will still describe the woods that we are sometimes able to get.
Machiche -This wood has a brick red/brown color and fine, even grain lines -very reminiscent of Honduran rosewood. And like Honduran rosewood, it has a crisp, sustaining tap tone that indicates that it will be an excellent tonewood for both classical and steel string guitars, promising quick, even response and excellent volume.
European Maple is between Rock Maple and Bigleaf in hardness, and is fine and even-textured. Its appeal lies in its ease of working and in its lustrous, creamy whiteness. Because of the tension in the wood and the relative instability of thinner stock, most backs and sides of this material are rarely flat. You may even require board supports on either side of the backs to be jointed. Expect movement in the sets until you have them braced.
Narra is a wood that comes from the Solomon Islands. Its color is similar to Koa -golden tan to cinnamon brown. The sets we have in stock have a dazzling bees-wing figure and interlocking grain. It seems to be a little harder than most Koa and should be a good choice for fingerstyle, steel string guitars.
Pau Ferro, also known as Caviuna, Bolivian Rosewood, or Palo Santos, this Rosewood-like wood has many names and is often imported interchangeably with other similar species. In appearance it’s much like Indian Rosewood, but substitute browns, golds and yellows for the purple shades.
A nonporous wood, it is a dream to finish, and has a nice tap tone. It’s heavier than Indian and Brazilian Rosewood; and it machines and glues well.
The Lacewood we carry is from South American. It is dense wood with a loud, sustaining tap tone. Our Lacewood features a warm cinnamon brown color and has outstanding, bold cris-crossing figure. It finishes nicely but can be a little tricky to bend (like most figured woods). For a representative photo, see our non-FSC lacewood page.
