Tonewood Price List from 20 Yrs ago

AliGorie

I've done instrument repairs for quite some time, fiddles and guitars mainly and found this list of materials from 1997.
I think the supplier was 'Ian Highwood' or Harwood ??.
Note the price of Brazilian R/W

Sassafras

Bet you wish you'd bought a ton of it back then.

AliGorie

yeah Sassy, not half though I did get struck by TAS when I did the instrument making course - '08 - '10 and acquired a nice little stash of exotica timber.
Some of the prices on that list have gone through the roof but surprisingly others have barely doubled e.g Indian R/W though we now have a Cites restriction with r/woods.

Sassafras

I should imagine the ebony is one that's gone up astronomically.

BigLicks67

Triple AAA cedar sound boards for £8.80, never thought it would be that cheap.

AliGorie

Sassafras said:

I should imagine the ebony is one that's gone up astronomically.

oddly African Ebony f/boards can be got for £22 so just over double what it was.
Cocobolo b&s is now £220 for the same quality.

BigLicks67 said:

Triple AAA cedar sound boards for £8.80, never thought it would be that cheap.

yup, that was why the classical makers started using it followed by 'British'  makers like Fylde and Lowden, Euro spruce was 4-5 times more expensive.