Some new species were recently added to the list of CITES Appendix II species. The two that are often used for guitar building are Padauk and Khaya. Here are the specifics of the listings: African Padauk – Pterocarpus spp. (African populations) Inclusion in Appendix II CITES with note #17: Means logs or logs, sawn timber,…
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At Luthiers Mercantile, we have the largest assortment of binding materials anywhere. When shopping for plastic binding, it’s important to realize that there are a wide variety of lengths. This is true with wood bindings, but there we find that 32 inches long is pretty standard. The plastic bindings come in quite a range. This…
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We are often asked whether certain guitar finishing products are compatible with others. With so many great finishing products available, it is tempting to try a new combination of filler, sealer, and finish. But caution is in order. Even if you carefully prepare a test piece, there is no guarantee that incompatibility between finishing products…
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      Steps for applying Cardinal Pore Filler and Nitrocellulose Lacquer Step 1– Sand bare wood with coarse-grit sandpaper (180-220) Clean off the surface with air or solvent on oily woods. Step 2– Stain wood if desired Step 3– Seal wood with Cardinal’s Vinyl Sealer 2059-CLE18773. Color/Stain may also be added to the sealer.…
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What we call ‘bearclaw figure’ is a rare phenomenon among woods as a whole, but is not too uncommon in Spruce. The source of this nickname is obvious; the wood appears to have been scratched by the claws of a bear. Of course, the behaviors of our Ursidae family friends have no real impact on…
Read More “Defining and Photographing Bearclaw Figured Spruce”

Our ukulele wood offerings reflect the four main ukulele sizes. Unlike many of the guitar size designations, the uke sizes do not refer to specific factory models —such as the Martin Dreadnought. For this reason, you will find small variations in what one person and another call a ‘soprano’, for example.  This goes for the…
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Tonally and structurally, the guitar’s bridge is a delicate and critical fulcrum. The bridge of a standard acoustic guitar with medium gauge strings is being pulled by about 200 pounds of tension! Obviously, for a luthier striving to build a guitar with a light, responsive top, this is a fact that can not be tip-toed…
Read More “Repair Shop’s Bread & Butter”