I had a long telephone conversation with Peter Tsiorba this afternoon. He has been busy applying French Polish to the new Alaskan Yellow Cedar back and side, Engelmann Spruce top, blanca he is getting ready for me. I was very impressed with both Peter and the Tsiorba guitar I played while visiting him in Portland about a month ago. I am really looking forward to owning one of his guitars.

-Bob

Interested to see photos of it and hear some sound clips. I wonder how many Peter has made using Alaskan yellow Cedar which I understand is of the cypress family as is the Oregon Port Orford cedar.

Manos Lentas wrote:Interested to see photos of it and hear some sound clips. I wonder how many Peter has made using Alaskan yellow Cedar which I understand is of the cypress family as is the Oregon Port Orford cedar.

I don't know how many guitars Peter has made with Alaskan Yellow Cedar. I just know that I liked what I heard.

According to a wood information site I found on the web, all Cedars are members of the Cypress family. The same site says the scientific name for Alaskan Yellow Cedar is Chamaecyparis Nootkatensis. Other common names for the same tree are Pacific Yellow Cedar, Nootka Cypress, and Sitka Cypress. It grows only on the Pacific Coast of North America between Southern Oregon and Southern Alaska. It is one of the slowest growing trees in North America. There are often 50 to 60 annual growth rings per inch and it is reportedly the hardest known Cedar in the world. Some Alaskan Yellow Cedar trees are 700-1200 years old.

The same site says the scientific name for Port Orford Cedar is Chamaecyparis Lawsoniana and that other common names are Pacific White Cedar, Pacific White Cypress, Oregon Cypress, and Hinoki. It originally grew only in Northern California and Southern Oregon, but now grows in other places. It is rated as the strongest of all the cedars, whereas Alaskan Yellow Cedar is rated as the hardest.

-Bob

An Alaska Science Forum article states that Alaska Yellow Cedar is a Mosquito Repellent, that it kills ticks, and that it prevents diseases from attacking other trees. A wiki site states that Alaska Yellow Cedar makes good battery storage boxes, because the wood resists acid. So, as a combined entertainment device, pest repellent, pest killer, and battery storage box, it seems that an Alaska Yellow Cedar guitar will be an all-round good thing to take along on backwoods trips.

-Bob