Urban trees at the end of life become guitars in second life

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Trees don’t live forever, but two San Diego powerhouse companies have joined forces to give them a second life.

New life that not only retains their beauty, but in guitar speak, gives them a rich shimmer.

Bob Taylor, the co-founder of Taylor Guitars, tells us about the Urban Wood Initiative that began three years ago between Taylor Guitars and West Coast Arborists. The initiative gives trees another purpose at the end of their natural life.

The trees are removed in a special way. Then the pieces are cut, dried and worked into beautiful musical instruments.

John Mahoney heads up the program at West Coast Arborist, which they’ve dubbed the Street Tree Revival, and his love of the idea of giving trees immortality is nothing short of evangelistic.

The Red Iron Bark Eucalyptus is one of two species of trees here in San Diego currently being used by Taylor to make guitars.

The second type of tree being used is the Shamel Ash.

From their offices in San Diego, West Coast Arborist uses their technology to see, track, and document 10 million trees in the county, from the time they were planted to each time they were trimmed

The tree’s value is also logged.

To date, Taylor has produced tens of thousands of guitars from San Diego’s urban forest. Trees which came to the end of their life…but their beauty and usefulness live on.

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