I originally noted the wrong wood for this guitar. Its actually Thuya Burl. I knew nothing about it, until David (Simba) from Belgium got me some info about it. I bought the wood just because my wood guy told me he had it and I should get it. As some know I am not crazy about fancy wood but I will use it if nobody else is using it on a guitar. I would hate to be like anyone else of course.

Thuya wood is known scientifically as "Tetraclinis Articulata". A coniferous tree, Thuya is indigenous to the hot, dry climes of Morocco and Algeria. Thuya burls are actually outgrowths on the roots of Thuya trees, not part of the trunk or branches. Above ground, many of the Thuya trees are long gone in Morocco, having been cut down to build houses. Below ground, however, lies a treasure trove of Thuya burls.

Uncut burls, which look sort of like boulders, range anywhere from about 50 to more than 1,000 pounds. Their color varies from golden brown to red and they're distinguished by the clusters of small "eyes" ingrained in them. Not everyone, of course, is interested in obtaining a rather unwieldy, 1,000-pound hunk of Thuya — which is why most of it is sold in smaller pieces of cut Thuya wood.

I bring attention to the fact that this is a one piece top, which is hard to achieve these days but the Thuya Burl being large enough to allow for that. I had my two pieces band sawn form one of these large boulders. This stuff is very expensive. The boulder was big and heavy a and it gives off a strange smell when cut. It has a strange consistency being hard and heavy yet crumbly. I have one more piece left for a guitar.

What really sets Thuya wood apart from other woods, though, is the magnificent appearance it assumes after being polished. With its many spectacular eyes, which genuinely shine, it's no wonder that Thuya is so revered by Moroccans. I also noticed how well one can polish this wood and its best appearance comes out if its polished totally smooth.

Here is some more information on the History Thuya
Thuya has been used since the days of Solomon and David when it was called Thyine wood. The Greeks named it Thuya, meaning sacrifice, because they used an oil distilled from it as incense in their religious ceremonies. The wood is as beautiful as it is fragrant and the Greeks and Romans vied with each other over furniture made from Thuya. Today Moroccan artisans use the beautiful burled root wood to create unique and beautiful handcrafted items for you to treasure for a lifetime.

Artisans use centuries-old techniques for creating Thuya treasure that have been handed down from father-to-son for generations. Each piece is handmade and thus unique. The harsh desert conditions force the tree to grow underground where, like a slow motion eruption, it grows into itself creating dense burls. Thuya is a rare wood, taking hundreds of years to grow large enough to be used by the artisans.