One day last summer, I sat with a guitar case at my feet, awaiting a return flight from the Healdsburg Guitar Festival in Santa Rosa, California. An older gentleman seated next to me was eyeing the case with a look that suggested he wanted...

BRAZILIAN ROSEWOOD has long been coveted by luthiers because of its beauty and tonal characteristics. The fact that it has been increasingly difficult to obtain, after it was officially designated an “endangered species” in 1972, has only made it more coveted. With the recent acquisition...