I'm a guitar player, and my workhorse of the last 8 years has been a Tanglewood Indiana. Since 3 of those years were spent at university, my guitar is now looking a little careworn and scuffed (same goes for me), and more importantly starting to sound it. When funds allow – and when I feel my playing has progressed enough to deserve it – I’ll be buying a new one.

But here’s the thing: what about all that wood? The better the guitar, the better the sound must be, so the finer the wood. Traditionally, that wood isn’t cultivated using sustainable practices – for example mahogany, the top choice for a quality guitar neck, is the most valuable and controversial commodity in the international timber trade.

This quandary applies to all instruments – and it’s prompting an overhaul of long-held traditions (and sparking some heated debates over world cultural heritage). Take the Hugin, the Chinese string instrument similar to a pared-down cello, and formed of a bamboo frame covered in…endangered python skin. Four square meters for every 12 instruments. Hmm. Now the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra has started using Hugins covered in a recyclable PET latex membrane - and they certainly wouldn’t be doing so if the sound quality suffered.

For me, the choice is made much easier by campaigns such as the MusicWood campaign, and it won’t be long before this extends to other string instruments, pianos and woodwind, then beyond to the metal ranges. So when we decide to take our music-making to the next stage, the sustainable choice will be there for us - maybe a little more expensive, but perhaps that’ll teach me to look after my next guitar a little better.

Image: Rocketeer