Guitaronomics: The Rising Cost of Tonewood – presented by Mike Overly

Reserves of tonewood staples once considered inexhaustible – like mahogany, rosewood and maple – continue to diminish and market prices for these commodities continue to soar.

There are builders out there taking great care to make timeless instruments. This is what creates the demand for wood and leads to large scale harvesting. As the value of this wood increases, so too will the value of the instruments built from them.

But, it’s hard to shake the feeling that a change is in the air. The wood combinations of yesterday will inevitably give way to substitute woods or composites.

So enjoy the guitar you have today. It is a time capsule of the way guitars used to be made.