Sustaining Cameroon’s Exotic Wood Species

Abstract

Bob Taylor of US based Taylor Guitars tells a story, on YouTube, of the felling of 10 endangered ebony trees in Cameroon to find one with jet-black ebony – the remaining nine were left to rot. The story continues: Bob Taylor decided to purchase all the ebony, even that regarded as b-grade ‘streaked-ebony’ and incorporate the wood in guitar fretboards. Taylor Guitars used social media to communicate the environmental rationale behind the incorporation of streaked-ebony in the fretboards, and in so doing, consumers were able to view the guitars from the perspective of environmental sustainability, and the aesthetic appeal and sound of the streaked-ebony was appreciated and well received. The initiative created a competitive advantage for the guitar manufacturer and contributed significantly to the sustainability of this endangered wood species.