Environmentally concerned pickers might want to check out Eric Larson’s piece called, “Green Up Your Act (Unleash your inner rock god with our four easy steps to eco-stardom)”.
Larson covers carbon neutral recording studios, record labels that use eco-paks and purchase carbon offsets, and outfits that will advise you on how to green up your tour.
The part that find I particularly interesting, concerns the choice of materials used in guitar manufacturing.
guitar-makers and serious strummers insist upon the highest quality wood to produce the highest quality sound — and the highest quality wood just happens to come from old growth trees critical to forest habitat (the clear cutting of which contributes to global warming).
Musicwood.org and the Forest Stewardship Council are affiliated with Greenpeace.
The idea behind the FSC is simple: bring together representatives from environmental, social and business communities to work together on appropriate standards for managing forests to ensure that logging is carried out according to the best available science and with the highest regard for the ecological, social and cultural well-being of the region.
Greenpeace is working in partnership with a range of musical instrument manufacturers, artists, tonewood suppliers, instrument retailers and music industry associations to address critical issues for protecting habitats and species.
Current partners include: Gibson, Martin, Taylor, Fender, Guild, Yamaha,Walden, Luthiers Mercantile International, Pacific Rim Tonewoods, North American Wood Products, Allied Lutherie and with additional companies soon to come on board.
Some manufacturers are working with alternative materials.
First Act is using bamboo.
The Bambusa guitar’s body and neck are constructed of bamboo, one of the fastest growing plants in the world, and an uncommonly renewable resource. In its processed state, bamboo is harder than maple, making it a supreme-sounding and killer-looking substitute for high quality tonewoods.
Mada Guitars has developed a hemp material.
The MADA caimes body is an organically shaped semi-acoustic electric guitar body made of hemp pulp and is not carved or milled like traditional guitars. Design has revolutionized the production technique. One form without any linings or bracings.
With its edge-less organic shape, MADA develops an unmistakable, wonderful sharp and organic sound.Why hemp? The permanent transition from impact sound into airborne sound is essential to the sound. Thats how resonances are formed. This makes Hempstone® the perfect 3 dimensional molding material for music instruments. The material consists of 100 % hemp fibres and contains no plastics, which would close these resonance-gaps.
Both of these are good looking instruments. I would be interested in trying either one. It always comes down to playability and sound. And, that’s the challenge for forward thinking manufacturers, you have to come up with something that performs better than traditional materials or, as well as, with some other benefit.
Related posts
Tags: carbon neutral, forest stewardship council, global warming, Greenpeace, Guitar, Music, music industry
Kenski wrote,
Do we need more air guitar to fill the hole in the ozone layer?
Kenski’s last blog post..I’m Going Home
Link | May 1st, 2008 at 9:22 am
J wrote,
The grass guitars I understand; I’ll bet many musicians are “burning” to get their hands on one. But a carbon-neutral studio?
I think making everything out of plastic would save more trees in the long run.
J’s last blog post..Final Exams & More (blogroll).
Link | May 1st, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Pribek wrote,
One thing the world needs is more air guitar. Fly your freak flag high and close the ozone hole peoples.
I was evidently slow witted this morning J, as I let that whole thing go without one reefer joke. Thanks for watching my back.
“But a carbon-neutral studio?” A couple things that the guy talked about were solar powered studios and joints that purchase carbon offsets.
I am always worried about power issues as it is, especially with the hard drive situation. I always felt better about possible power outages when tape was rolling. So, the solar thing to me, would not be a feature that would greatly impress me.
Carbon offsets-well, I have referred to carbon offsets as a scam many times on these pages so, if a studio was using them to try and get my business; I would question their judgment on my way to Lou’s place.
Link | May 1st, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Sans Direction wrote,
Stick a UPS on the computer and when the power is tough, you have enough juice left to save and quit.
Sans Direction’s last blog post..The Lamest of All Possible Blog Posts, plus Lyrics Tossed To The Winds
Link | May 1st, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Pribek wrote,
Looks good on paper Sans, but I’ve seen entire projects lost on machines that were protected out the wazoo. Don’t know why because I’m not a tech guy but, running a bunch of high end ADC’s and, mic. pres, outboard stuff etc. etc. may be part of it. I’ve seen weird stuff happen in the digital playground, stuff disappearing and appearing out of nowhere.
There’s always a chance you can lose information. When it was tape, even digital tape, if you lost something it usually wasn’t the whole thing.
Link | May 1st, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Tele-portage wrote,
I heard Keefer was playing the Keith Richard’s Bambusa Mambo First Act LTD, when some hecklers in the front row really got his goat… he drove his guitar up underneath their fingernails… yep.
The Keith Shrine
http://members.tripod.com/blue_lena/news2008.html
he might have said.
Tele-portage’s last blog post..As Many Word Combinations as there are Grains of Sand on the Beach
Link | May 1st, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Pribek wrote,
Tele-portage; Nothing anybody says about Kieth, true or made up, will come as a shock to me.
Food for thought mang, how come nobody, I mean nobody, is talking about the very real HOLE in the dude’s head. I tried to get the ball rolling on this…
http://pribek.net/2007/04/04/a-hole-in-the-head/
…but, it remains undiscussed. Louis Vuitton!!??say no to drugs!!??”Led Zep don’t get it for me baby”!!??David Bowie isn’t a musician!!??Scorsese!!??on and on…DUDE HAS A HOLE IN HIS HEAD!
Link | May 1st, 2008 at 3:04 pm