DETROIT WOODS

Houses built at that time used a significant amount of pine taken from old-growth forests. It is not possible to buy modern wood with this type of grain pattern. And the difference in the old growth wood grain is visible in every Wallace Detroit Guitar.

The old-growth wood was also air dried, which allowed crystal structures to form and separate from the pores in the wood. This gives the guitars a vintage sound, and allows them to vibrate more freely than modern guitars. As a result, the guitars have great sustain and tonal range.

All wood used in Wallace Detroit Guitars is responsibly harvested. We are committed to participating in Detroit’s comeback, and we never take wood from a property that could be renovated and turned back into a home.

We source wood through local non-profits who provide training and employment to local Detroit residents. The money they make selling the wood goes to paying for deconstruction and to support their missions, including historic preservation projects.  They make sure that lead paint and asbestos isn’t getting into the environment when the houses come down.

And they keep literally tons of wood from being sent to landfills.

From time to time, we are approached by people who are renovating buildings. If they cannot reuse some materials, we take them and incorporate them into our guitars. Often these materials include baseboard trim and door casing. These provide a wider variety of wood species, including mahogany, maple, and walnut. Due to the dimensions of these materials when they are reclaimed, the laminates are built in a traditional pattern of horizontal grain, rather than in the butcher block pattern used for the pines.