Pre-CITES brazilian rosewood guitar sides from my Dad!

[Dave MacArthur]

Somewhere on SMC, just last week, I somehow got reading about a guy that had a bunch of pre-cites brazilian rosewood, dalbergia nigra, for sale. Can't remember where, but I spent some time looking at it, interested because my Dad had built an acoustic 40 years or so ago out of it, and now you can't get it almost.

I've built an electric guitar, thread is on SMC here somewhere, and have been thinking about building an acoustic once I retire and have the time. So last night I called my Dad and asked him if the guitar he built for my sister was actually dalbergia nigra, and did he know you couldn't get it almost now? And strangely enough, he tells me that just last week while cleaning up his shop and going through his veneers, he came across an extra two guitar side veneers he had bought way back 45 years ago, and put it on EBay just yesterday!!

Well, he pulled them off EBay, and he and I will be biulding another guitar together, maybe for my daughter, 30 years after our first one but this time I'll be retired. I'm looking forward to it a lot.

Strange how it all happened, I hadn't looked at guitar veneers for 30 years and he hadn't looked at his stock for 40 years, and it all came together in a moment of synchronicity across a continent yesterday. Makes me feel I am supposed to be building this guitar with him, and I'm pretty sure I got the message to relax a lot and drink some beer in there too!

Here's the veneers. Now I need to acquire some material for the back... any suggestions on what is a good wood to use with rosewood sides? I've got a ton of east indian rosewood growing all around me (dalbergia sissou) and had considered resawing some on my agazzani? Any thoughts on mixed-wood sides/backs?

[chiesa dan]

Hi,
i would try hard first to find a brazilian rw back to go with those sides. It is hard to find and expensive, but not impossible. Also, i would consider a 3 or 4 piece back before using some different wood for the back. You can look for extra sides, with some defect also, to be joined as a back. If you do it properly, it can look very nice (thisi is 4 pieces):

Paolo_Back.jpg

Good luck,
Daniele.

[Chris Fournier]

I'm sitting on several sets of Brazilian Rosewood. All resawn from limb sections that were hauled out of the forest long after the saw logs were gone. The figure is fantastic and the colour is from black to tan. Sides to match but no clients for either right now. They wait...

[chiesa dan]

Hey Chris,
i might have cut that set myself! Is it from Allied?
Beautiful stuff anyways.

[Chris Fournier]

Hey Chris,
i might have cut that set myself! Is it from Allied?
Beautiful stuff anyways.

No I bought the billets from A&M Wood Specialty and resawed them in my shop. I was sweating bullets while I did that work. Ended up with about a dozen sets, most of them this quality with sides that are a perfect match. The deal of a life time for a luthier.

[richard shelby]

What permit(s) do I need to sell some pre-cites rosewood? These are dreadnought backs and sides in my shop for 50+ years.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Richard Shelby, Your topic probably deserves it own thread, this one is from 2011.
It has been a while since I read up on CITES. If the rosewood is Brazilian it is likely to be very valuable. Do you have any documentation about the wood?

https://cites.org/eng/prog/Permit_system

[richard shelby]

The only documentation would be my personal testimony that I purchased it from Constantine before 1980, and its been in my shop ever since. I was denied EBAY because of CITES.

[stephen thomas]

Probably the best bet is ask (&/or sell) on Acoustic Guitar Forum
It's done all the time.
Like on SMC, you have to be a member to sell and to see all the pix and forums, but it is worth it.
And i'm not even a luthier.

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/index.php

Not related to guitars, but i have bought or been gifted BRW in the past year, no paperwork that i am aware of.
It is not yet like ivory, where essentially it cannot be sold in most states, even as part of a manufactured item.
But then there are still states that you can.