The latest Taylor Guitars Wood & Steel magazine (Vol. 93 2019 Winter, p. 28) shows us that Tasmanian blackwood has finally made it to the peak of Taylors model range.
https://www.taylorguitars.com/wood-and-steel
Fifteen years after introducing Tasmanian blackwood into their limited production and three years after introducing blackwood into their regular production in the 300 series models, Tasmanian blackwood is now included in Taylor’s top-of-the-line Presentation Series (PS) models.
The Presentation Series are an annual limited edition series of guitars that feature premium woods and premium appointments.
Our Presentation Series celebrates the finest in materials and craftsmanship detail. This year we’re thrilled to introduce the wood pairing of figured Tasmanian blackwood and Adirondack spruce to the collection. Tonally, we love blackwood — it’s loud, responsive and warm, yet with a clear focus. The sets we’ve selected boast a beautiful blend of variegation, figure and grain structure reminiscent of Hawaiian koa, featuring golden-brown and dark amber ribbons of color. Together with a top of creamy Adirondack spruce, this guitar is no mere showpiece; its dynamic voice is ripe for the picking (or strumming). Or, if you prefer the rich, dark variegation of a sinker redwood top, the option is yours. We’ve also shifted from a beveled armrest to our radius contouring, which ensures comfort for players of all sizes. Our elegant suite of aesthetic appointments saves the understatement for other models, tracing the lines of the guitar with sparkling paua and other eye-catching ornamentation, including our intricate Nouveau fretboard/ peghead inlay. From every angle, these guitars deliver stunning aesthetic appeal.
Tasmanian blackwood Presentation Series models to become available are: PS12ce, PS12ce 12-Fret, PS14ce, PS16ce, PS56ce, PS18e.
These guitars are so new they haven’t yet made it onto the Taylor website. Stay tuned!
https://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/acoustic/features/series/presentation
Prices for Presentation Series guitars start around $US9,000. These are top-shelf guitars for people with deep pockets.
Even despite the inevitable “koa’s poor cousin” comparison, Taylor are obviously confident they are making progress getting Tasmanian blackwood accepted into world guitar markets.
Congratulations Taylor Guitars!!
For Tasmanian farmers to get their product into the top of the market should be an occasion for recognition and celebration.
Unfortunately that is not how wood markets operate.
Is this extraordinary market achievement resulting in more Tasmanian blackwood being planted by Tasmanian farmers?
Surely it should!
Utilising market forces (price, supply, demand, achievements, etc.) to help drive the future of the blackwood industry should be the backbone of industry and Government policy.
Unfortunately market demand just helps the Tasmanian Government/Parliament justify logging native blackwood forest in our Conservation Reserves.
Thankfully this is not where Taylor Guitars source their blackwood timber, which comes from Tasmanian Tonewoods salvaged from Tasmanian farms.
https://tasmaniantonewoods.com/
But in the opaque world of the global timber trade politics and greed often confound good intensions.
So here’s the take home message:
Tasmanian blackwood timber achieves another major international market milestone (thanks Taylor Guitars!!!), but no Tasmanian farmer will learn anything about this achievement, let alone be moved to invest in planting blackwood for the future.
Are you beginning to understand the problem we face?
ACCC suing Government Business Enterprise (GBE) over alleged anti-competitive conduct
At long last the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is taking action against anti-competitive State Government businesses.
Hooray for that!!
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-09/accc-suing-tasports-over-alleged-misuse-of-market-power/11781852
And it is in Tasmania!!
Now who would EVER imagine anti-competitive GBE behaviour in Tasmania?
https://www.accc.gov.au/
I’ve written about this issue previously as it relates to the forest industry in Tasmania, particularly public native forestry:
https://blackwoodgrowers.com.au/2016/10/17/competitive-neutrality-in-forestry/
and
https://blackwoodgrowers.com.au/2019/05/13/fsc-supports-illegal-forestry-in-australia/
ACCC Chairman Mr Rod Sims said the case against Tasports was the first of its kind under the amended misuse of market power provision, an “important law reform designed to protect the competitive process and help us address the harm that anti-competitive conduct does to consumers and the Australian economy“.
Does handing out $100 millions of taxpayer dollars over decades to a failed State-owned forest enterprise, which is in direct competition with private forest growers, amount to anti-competitive behaviour?
It sure does!
Does selling 99% of your forest produce “off-market” in long-term secret sales contracts, with absolutely no competition or price transparency, amount to anti-competitive behaviour?
It sure does?
Now is the ACCC prepared to take on any more anti-competitive Government Buisness Enterprises?
I sure hope so!
Wouldn’t it be a laugh for Sustainable Timbers Tasmania to gain FSC Certification, only to then be prosecuted by the ACCC for anti-competitive behaviour?
Only in Tasmania!
Tasmania will never have a proper commercial forest industry until anti-competitive welfare forestry is stopped.
Leave a comment
Posted in Commentary, Markets, Prices, Sustainable Timbers Tasmania
Tagged Forest Stewardship Council, FSC