Ash Wood Diminishing?

[CW Zing]

Hi everyone,

I got an email from water rower saying that they are phasing out ash wood on their product line:

“…The ash tree, which has long been a source of our high-quality wood, is facing a rapid decline in the United States and Europe. Various factors, including prolonged heat waves, fungal diseases, and the notorious Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), have dramatically reduced its populations.”

I’m wondering if this will affect the availability of ash for bass and guitar bodies in the not-so-distant future?

 

[DrKev]

It already is a problem. The Emerald Ash Bore beetle continues to devastate ash stocks in the US. It can spread quickly by transporting infected lumber and kills millions and millions of trees. I spend my summers in Western New York where EAB devastated the ash population. Dead ash trees everywhere - just look for the whole stands of naked trees in the middle of summer. I really noticed it in 2016/2017, it was just shocking!

But ash was never an expensive wood and the price is not the issue as much as the stocks. Guitar makers don't use ash in the quantities that furniture and flooring require. It was only ever used for transparent color finishes, and I that just may become a little less common in future.

 

[tbonesullivan]

A lot will depend on whether lumber companies decided to "stockpile" ash trees, and also whether they decided to deal with the infected trees. The emerald ash borer only attacks the surface layer of the tree, so it does not really diminish its value as a lumber tree. If properly stored (and if there is room) there may be a surplus of cheap ash for many years.