from Bob Wilkinson
b.wilkinson@coventry.ac.uk

I was talking with a guitar maker here in my hometown in England and he showed me a guitar, which had an interesting looking wood on its back and sides. It had a lightish grain, which at a distance was almost like satin. He said it was "tolla" wood - the spelling is something I am unsure about but the word seems to be pronounced in a way that it rhymes with cola as in coca-cola. Do you know anything about such a wood? And if so, how does it compare with rosewood? He knows nothing about this wood, and has it seems been given the material by a former luthier, and as he is about to make a guitar for me, I was wondering about its properties.

Bob Wilkinson

b.wilkinson@coventry.ac.uk

If anyone can help Bob, just let me know:
GNW-Editor@hitsquad.com

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Graham writes in response to Bob's query:

Dear Bob, Stumbled across your site/query as I'm looking for luthiers in the Uk - especially Stephen Hill.

The nearest I can get to your "tolla" is "Tolu" the latter refers one to the Latin: Saqui saqui which is interestingly described in the following terms:

"Saqui. Bombacopsis sp. (H.). C. America. Wild cedar. Resembles Spanish cedar. Reddish brown, light, soft, durable. Straight, fine grain, rather coarse texture. Easily wrought and seasoned. Used as a substitute for cedar. S.G. 0.52; CW 2."

Extract from "A Glossary of Wood by Thomas Corkhill; Stobart & Son; ISBN 0 85442 010 X

The above is an answer if not the definitive one.

Graham Morgan (Oxford)
GPMorg44@aol.com

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There is a great page that shows the different woods at:
http://www.braille.uwo.ca/~charles/woods.html
Charles S. Tauber, Maker of Guitars & Lutes

It takes a while to load, but the pictures clearly show the wood grain and colors of many woods, even "Spalted, flamed Koa", but... no "tolla"!