Conscious Connection recently did a story about Bedell’s wood sourcing efforts in Guatemala.  We source our Honduran mahogany in Peten, Guatemala through the CUSTOSEL concession.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

Bucking the Trend

Thankfully, eco-minded companies such as Bedell Guitars are working with environmental organizations such as the Rainforest Alliance to ensure that the wood they source from the forest is being harvested responsibly.  This past spring, Tom Bedell personally trekked to the remote forests of Guatemala to watch sawyers fell several of the Honduran Mahogany trees that would be used in the creation of his company’s guitars.

Interestingly, because of the climate in the region, trees can only be harvested about six weeks a year. Harvesting opportunities are further limited because it is preferential to fell trees during a full moon (tree sap rises as the moon waxes, improving the quality of the cut wood).

It was an emotional experience. These are living things, they’ve been growing for 150 years

Tom is a man who cares deeply for the world from which he procures his resources. Said Tom of watching the process, “It was an emotional experience. These are living things, they’ve been growing for 150 years, and we were cutting them down. But the sawyer explained to us that Brazilian Mahogany needs a great amount of light to grow and mature. Right near the trees that were felled were younger mahoganies that would now be able to grow. When the trees were felled, huge holes of skylight were opened up in the forest canopy. So essentially, while we were taking the life of one tree, we were giving life to others.”

To read the full story click here.

Bedell Guitars builds the 1964 series with Honduran mahogany necks.​