This might just be the most beautiful commercially built blackwood acoustic guitar ever made.
Only 150 of the 2007 Parkwood Limited Edition LE061 models were built.
With Master Grade solid fiddleback blackwood back, sides and soundboard and abalone trim, this guitar is definite eye candy. The chatoyance of the fiddleback is extraordinary.
In a plush red velvet with faux crocodile skin case this guitar was designed for the collectors market.
The full page add in Guitar World magazine in 2007 was clearly designed to impress.
Parkwood is the premium brand name for the Cort Guitar company based in South Korea.
http://www.parkwoodguitars.co.kr/
These days Parkwood guitars are hard to find with limited distribution. That’s unfortunate given their quality and price.
I especially like the matching blackwood on the headstock.
Fiddleback blackwood tonewood of this quality is very rare. A Tasmanian Blackwood Growers Cooperative could potentially supply tonewood like this under two scenarios:
- Occasional arising from the active management of the remnant native blackwood forest that exists on farmland across northern Tasmania;
- Research is needed to determine the extent to which fiddleback blackwood can be cloned. Cloned fiddleback blackwood would then only have value within the context of a commercial blackwood plantation program.
The question remains is anyone in the tonewood market prepared to support such an opportunity?
And why am I writing about this 9 year old guitar?
Because I finally got my hands on one that’s why!
Extraordinary!!
In 2013 Parkwood released an updated version of the LE061 called the LE081CE. This model has a cut out and onboard electronics, again with limited production (only 60) and distribution. Check this out!
Beautiful!!
Here’s one currently for sale on Ebay:
Addendum: Here’s an LE061 for sale in the USA on Reverb:
https://reverb.com/au/item/3151805-parkwood-le061-australian-blackwood
Tasmanian Blackwood Growers Cooperative 