I want a Gibson Les Paul Smart Wood Guitar with Banara wood, is it endangered?
I love these, I’ve played a few but am trying to locate a Banara smartwood. But, I read on a forum the scientists accidentally suggested Banara wood when it was lot rarer than they thought, and that’s why Gibson only made a few of these. I know they would probably want to keep it quiet if they accidentally used an endangered species for guitars, but I only really want one if its endangered.
They stopped making the Gibson Smartwood several years ago, so if you find one its in very limited supply. Gibson did keep a few of the less expensive woods in the product line, muira I think was one, and called it the Exotics or Exotic Woods. I think they may have separated with the Rainforest Alliance so won’t use the "smartwood" term anymore.
As far as a marketing exercise, they had some of their best builders during the early years of production, with fit and finish comparable to a custom shop guitar at a studio price.
But, to your question, I don’t know if its more expensive, that’s up to the marketplace supply and demand, but the Banara Smartwood is the rarest of all the Gibson Smartwood Guitars.
They stopped making the Gibson Smartwood several years ago, so if you find one its in very limited supply. Gibson did keep a few of the less expensive woods in the product line, muira I think was one, and called it the Exotics or Exotic Woods. I think they may have separated with the Rainforest Alliance so won’t use the "smartwood" term anymore.
As far as a marketing exercise, they had some of their best builders during the early years of production, with fit and finish comparable to a custom shop guitar at a studio price.
But, to your question, I don’t know if its more expensive, that’s up to the marketplace supply and demand, but the Banara Smartwood is the rarest of all the Gibson Smartwood Guitars.
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