Question for Luthiers!

[PedroO]

Do luthiers really pay $2,500 for a set of Brazilian rosewood? Check this website I found:

http://www.alliedlutherie.com/weekly.htm?jrl=3699&clk=43144

[Armando]

Hello PedroO

I'm affraid there are some who purchase such rosewood otherwise they wouldn't offer their sets for such prices.

I find such prices to be not justified even when it's brazilian rosewood.
I would never ever pay such a price and even less for a rather poor quality of brazilian rosewood. Besides of being far too expencive i'm not sure where they got the wood from. Such pricetags always give me the feeling of selling illegal stuff. Maybe it's legal but i have my doubts.

You might get about 50 sets of good quality indian rosewood or about 18 sets of first quality madagascar rosewood with some spiderwebbing for an amount of 2500 bucks.

Armando

[Faya]

that seems a little much if you ask me.......... :?

[gjo]

[quote="PedroO"]Do luthiers really pay $2,500 for a set of Brazilian rosewood?



Why not ? As long as you have enough money to pay for the guitar made with this set.

............otherwise definitely not!

[daniel711]

Jeeezz...! I don't even think that wood is very pretty, let alone worth $2,500 for one set. What do I know??

[Geordie]

Do luthiers really pay $2,500 for a set of Brazilian rosewood?


Torres made a guitar with papier mache sides and back for heaven's sake.

Brazilian rosewood is over-rated.

I have played classical guitar for almost 40 years and only started to understand what makes a guitar sound good in the last 18 months since I started building them for myself.

A luthiers reputation is not always founded on the virtues of his guitars.

[PedroO]

...
Torres made a guitar with papier mache sides and back for heaven's sake.

So what? I do not think that guitar sounded the best. I heard a piece recorded with it and it was nothing out of the world. GSI sells the book with teh video (if you doubt it)

Brazilian rosewood is over-rated.

Grapes are not ripe yet syndrome! A good guitar made with BR would sound the best!!



I have played classical guitar for almost 40 years and only started to understand what makes a guitar sound good in the last 18 months since I started building them for myself.

Hurry up and understand them well before making statements like that!



A luthiers reputation is not always founded on the virtues of his guitars.

AGREE!!! It is probably founded on the brand of car he or she drives !! :twisted:






Have fun :D :D :D

[JFDana]

Todd Taggart of Allied Lutherie has a fine reputation as a wood supplier to the trade, and yes, makers do pay that much for the real deal in BZ. [Note: I am not a maker, but have several friends who are]. Obviously, buyers are willing to pay the upcharge. The good news is that you can buy a Bz guitar if you want, but you also can buy a fine Indian, Madagascar, Amazonian, etc. guitar.

Although, for several top makers who use Indian, the price might as well include 1/4d Bz!

John Dana

[Libre]

On the page, he has sets for all prices - from about $350 on up. The $2500 set was the most expensive. Just like with diamonds, some are cheap (compared with others) and some are astronomical. And, unfinished diamonds (or "rough") don't look anything like the polished goods. That may explain why these unfinished planks and boards may not look very pretty.

[19791982]

Hello,

What makes a one set of BZ worth so much more than another?

john

[JFDana]

Well, traditionally, the width of the plank that is quartersawn has been the main factor increasing value. The absence of worm holes, knots and other defects also helps. Color is a factor, with darker being preferred. Notice the 2 most expensive sets are D size, hence larger. My understanding (feel free to correct me) is that BZ logs are somewhat "C" shaped so that they tend to go off quarter at the edge. This is why backs tend to be straight towards the center but not at the edges of the lower bout.

Nowadays, I have heard of buyers rejecting well quartered Bz as being "boring," so the wilder grain from reharvested stumpwood (not to be denigrated by most accounts, and a good use of otherwise abandoned wood) seems to be gaining favor (especially among steel string aficionados) vs. the traditional quartered and difficult to find sets.

As I am not a wood expert, take all this with a large grain of salt.

John Dana