(Shown: T5z Custom Koa)
Origin: Southern California Urban Settings
Used On: Builder’s Edition 524ce, Builder's Edition 514ce
Our use of Shamel ash, also known as evergreen ash, reflects Taylor’s commitment to finding more sustainable, responsible ways to source tonewoods from within our local region. This ash is supplied by West Coast Arborists, Inc., a company that provides tree maintenance and management services to cities across California. Trees that eventually need to be removed due to age, safety concerns and other factors traditionally have had very little end-of-life market value. Our use of Shamel ash can create more value for these trees and support efforts to re-green city infrastructure.
Tonally, Shamel ash’s properties—comparable to high-quality Honduran mahogany—make it a strong contender as a high-grade guitar wood of the future. With its focused, fundamental-strong voice, it produces clean notes mostly free of ringing overtones—the note you play is the note you’ll hear. This makes it supremely adaptable to the particular style of the player. Compared to the “swamp” ash used by electric guitar makers, this species is heavier, denser and more resonant, but not nearly as heavy as the Northern ash used for baseball bats.
Goes Well With: Fingerstyle players seeking an articulate sound unclouded by overtones, or generalists looking for an all-purpose sound that can be molded to perform across genres and styles. It’s also a versatile tonewood option for singer-songwriters and players looking to cut through a mix with a group of musicians.
