I prize the wood I use - I hate throwing away even the littlest bits of scrap. I’ve been known to make chopsticks and wooden guitar picks on the belt sander.

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I try to always use local North American woods for my guitars and basses. There is better regulation here (not perfect of course) than in many parts of the world, the lumber industry is significant for many local economies, and there’s a smaller carbon footprint to get the wood to my shop.
 

In North America we are lucky to have supplies of Maple, Alder, Ash, Spruce, Cherry, Persimmon, Walnut, Sycamore, Redwood, Cedar - all of which have made fine instruments for centuries.

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Of course there are lots of beautiful species of wood that are imported. Due to growing awareness, and to unfortunate mistakes of the past (the overuse of Brazilian Rosewood being the prime example) many countries supplying the lutherie industry today are practicing environmentally sustainable forestry. I make sure that the imported wood I use is responsibly harvested.