Official Luthiers Forum!

Greetings, in the 90’s I purchase a Quilted Mahogany board from Charlotte Hardwood. The board was 6/4, 13 inches wide and 11 ft long. Also found another board with curl that was about the same size. No other boards, which was a lot, exibited any figure. I just came across these boards while I was moving them. Also, I was reading about the Mahogany “The Tree” in an old issue of Guitar Bench magazine. All pictures except one were the tortoise shell figure. One picture showed a top on a guitar that look like my board. I have no illusion my board compares to the ones selling for thousands of dollars. But I have read that only part of the wood from “The Tree” exhibited the tortoise shell figure. Another four different figures were present. I have tried to search Google for Robert Novak whompurchased the. The Tree and Global Hardwoods of Miami and Hand Loggers of Sausalito with no luck. They my be long gone after 30 years. Not sure how my wood got into a load at Charlotte Hardwood, but I am sure it was a mistake. If anyone can help me find any information about my wood and the figure or lead me to someone who might know, I would appreciate it. Thanks. Ken

"Not sure how my wood got into a load at Charlotte Hardwood, but I am sure it was a mistake"

Probably not a mistake. Many of the boards luthiers find desirable other wood workers avoid. Curly and crazy grain wood can be difficult to mill, stain and finish, and unless you have a whole kitchen's worth will stick out like a sore thumb in a run of cabinets. Some cabinetmakers mill their curly boards into drawer box stock - something left unfinished where a little bit of tear out doesn't matter.
You will get some fine looking guitars out of that Hog!

You want to track down a fellow by the name of Jay Howlett. Nobody knows as much about “the tree” as he does.

Steve