Trees rescued in mine remediation efforts in Washington are being given new life as limited edition acoustic guitars.
A percentage of proceeds from Holden Village Taylor GS Mini sales will benefit clean water projects in Central America under the direction of two water organizations; Living Waters for the World and El Porvenir.
In order to clean up the water supply near an old mine in Washington, century-old Engelmann spruce – which happens to be a prized tonewood for guitar-makers – were slated for destruction.
Instead, trees harvested as part of this remediation project are being used to create limited edition Taylor GS Mini acoustic guitars, and in turn, improving the water supply for thousands of rural families in Central America.
In addition to the Engelmann top, the body is a figured maple veneer from the Pacific Northwest, donated by Pacific Rim Tonewoods. The neck is carved from African sapele and topped with an ebony fretboard. The guitars also feature a specially designed Holden Village fretboard inlay and a custom Holden Village GS Mini guitar label.
A closeup of the specially designed Holden Village fretboard inlay.
Over one-third of the world’s population – some 2.5 billion people – do not have access to sanitation. Living Waters for the World and El Porvenir were founded to aid in this crisis by providing sustainable clean water to much needed regions of Central America.
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Water-borne diseases are a major cause of illness and mortality in these areas, most of which are in the developing world. Last year El Porvenir involved 11,000 Nicaraguans in building their own wells, latrines and stoves as well as reforesting watersheds.
Learn more about the process here, or purchase your own Holden Village GS Mini here.
Acoustic Nation is written by Laura B. Whitmore, a music industry marketing veteran, music journalist and editor, who has contributed to Parade.com, Guitar World, and others. She has interviewed hundreds of musicians and hosts the She Rocks Podcast. As the founder of the Women’s International Music Network, she advocates for women in the music industry and produces the annual She Rocks Awards. She is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Positive Grid, making the world safe for guitar exploration everywhere! A guitarist and singer/songwriter, Laura is currently co-writing an album of pop songs that empower and energize girls.
