Acoustic guitarists and mandolinists all over the world know of the importance of Sitka spruce. It's one of the favored choices for guitar tops (and for bracing inside the instrument). What many musicians may not realize is that the Sitka forests in Alaska face some of the same over-harvesting dangers that have occured with Brazilian rosewood, Madagascar rosewood and Adirondack spruce.
Musicwood is a new documentary that follows the fate of one forest in Alaska and the efforts of a group of guitarmakers (including Taylor Guitars' Bob Taylor) to slow down the harvesting.
In this week's podcast, we talk to the Musicwood's director, Maxine Trump, about the project, the Kickstarter campaign currently underway to finish funding the film and about the current state of the Sitka forests in Southern Alaska.
The Fretboard Journal Guitar Podcast