Paniolo Tonewoods, a joint venture between Pacific Rim Tonewoods and Taylor Guitars, is a new project based in Hawaii, aimed at bringing koa and other ethically-sourced tonewoods to market.
Native only to Hawaii, koa has long been prized for its beauty and versatility. It has traditionally been the wood of canoes, surfboards and guitars. Koa forests have been much diminished, and good koa lumber is now scarce. All over the world, hardwoods are becoming more difficult to responsibly harvest, yet the demand for beautiful wooden instruments keeps growing.
Paniolo Tonewoods is dedicated to meeting this growing demand with good forest management, reforestation, and innovation. With Hawaiian groups, we are collaborating on new ways to plant, grow, and manage koa forests to ensure their vitality.
