The Future of Sitka Spruce

Guitarplayer.com wrote an interesting piece about the potential struggles that Sitka Spruce will face in the future.  Specifically, the article discussed how Sitka Spruce might not be able to sustain the rapid pace of which it is cut down to create soundboards for acoustic guitars, violins and other wooden instruments.  Musicians and guitar manufactures alike have a strong preference for Sitka Spruce instruments, thanks to the wonderful sound that it creates.  However, the immensely popular soundboard is used for other projects, which has caused Sitka Spruce trees to fall at what could be an unsustainable rate, and has caused soundboard producers, instrument manufacturers and others in the industry to consider drastic changes.

Leaders in the industry started the MusicWood Coalition, a not for profit organization that attempted to change the methods that some corporations use when cutting down Sitka Spruce.  Although the organization has since disbanded, their motives, fears and goals remain well-founded. Greenpeace, an environmental organization that worked closely with MusicWood Coalition did a study in Southeastern Alaska and found that guitar wood only accounts for a small fraction of the Sitka Spruce market, as a great deal of the wood (around 80%) is shipped to Asia for home building projects or used in the United States for home improvement projects.  What’s more, since acoustic guitar manufacturers require or prefer Sitka Spruce that is a couple hundred years old, the amount of Sitka Spruce that is left for guitars and other instruments is sadly dwindling.  This is despite the fact that Bob Taylor of Taylor Guitars estimates that it only takes approximately 120-150 logs a year to create all of the guitars made in the United States.

Alaska Specialty Woods does our part by salvaging 99% of the material that we process into our soundboard products.  Furthermore, we make a concerted effort to not kill trees or purchase clear-cut trees, and we survey the forests to locate dead and down trees to produce our products.  Once we purchase our trees, we log them in ways that are not detrimental to the forest.  We strive to source the finest Sitka Spruce tonewood through sustainable forestry and responsible wood use.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Posted By: Alaska Specialty Woods