Page 9 - Georgia Forestry - Fall 2017

Booth and his business partners embrace the ethos of Deadwood Guitar Company giving new life to old or fallen Georgia trees. In fact, the company’s motto is “You Give It Life.” A tree that might wind up burned as firewood becomes a beautiful instrument creating music for generations, and a family heirloom, said Booth.
“We have people who have brought us fallen trees from their own property, and we’ve used that wood to make them a guitar. We leave a lot of the character in the wood, the spots and streaks, so it is a one-of-a-kind instrument,” he said. “We are just trying to repurpose trees into something usable; it’s our way of being green.”
SUSAN BERNSTEIN IS AN ATLANTA- BASED PROFESSIONAL WRITER AND EDITOR WITH MORE THAN 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN SERVING AS THE AUTHOR AND EDITOR OF SEVERAL CUSTOM BOOKS, INCLUDING INSTITUTIONAL HISTORIES, SELF-HELP HEALTH TITLES, BUSINESS GUIDES AND BIOGRAPHIES.
Unique Sounds of Georgia’s Woods
Deadwood Guitar Company uses wood from many types of trees found right here in Georgia. As owner Jason Booth describes:
Eastern cedar
for the tops of guitars for a warm sound
Heart pine
for a deep, low sound, and beautiful tones
Black walnut
for guitar backs and sides
Pecan,
which is extremely hard and stable, for guitar necks that can hold up for years
Cherry
for a midrange sound
Maple
for a brighter tone
Persimmon,
which is extremely hard, for fretboards
Sweet gum
for a warm tone
Sycamore, although it’s not always available
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