Source: R Taylor Website
It was found deep in the outer reaches of the Chicibul Jungle in Honduras. One hundred feet tall, with an appearance like nothing else of its kind. Revered, discussed, and theorized by guitar makers for decades, it has the makings of a story straight out of Hollywood. We’re referring to sets of highly figured mahogany (swietenia macrophylla) that are truly without equal, known in guitar circles simply as, "The Tree."
The Tree was felled in 1965 and chose its own direction on the way down, landing in a deep, nearly inaccessible ravine. It remained there, irretrievable, for 18 years. Finally, temptation prevailed over the physical obstacles and an ingenious plan was developed. The Tree was quartered where it lay, then dragged, trucked, and floated over 170 miles to an ancient steam-powered mill for rough processing.
It is the most stunning mahogany ever seen. We realize that’s a strong statement, but in a generation of guitar building we have yet to see any mahogany like it. The wood has an incredible deep quilt figure, overlaid with tortoiseshell "veins." The guitar in these photographs has no color or tint added to the finish. The color you see is actually the natural color of the wood. It also happens to be the best sounding mahogany we have ever used to build guitars.
To call it rare would be a gross understatement. We have a very limited number of sets remaining of this Premium Grade Quilted Honduran Mahogany. We also have a limited supply of AAA grade sets from the same source. These sets have a lovely quilt figure, and the same great tonal properties, but without the tortoiseshell "overlay."
You may be wondering why we have wood that is only now being made into guitars, some forty years after it was cut. The answer is simple. The wood is so rare and so unique that woodworkers have simply been fearful of working with it. The thought of breaking or wasting any of it has just been too daunting. And yes, it is extremely expensive. But we’ve made a few now, including the one shown here, which was designed and built by the R. Taylor team as a surprise gift for Bob.
Is there another, similar tree somewhere in the jungles of Honduras? Nobody can answer that question, but be sure that the stories of The Tree will be spun for decades.