As I have repaired and occasionally built guitars for years, I am subscribed to Stewart Macdonald’s newsletter. They are a large luthier supply company. A couple of weeks back they sent out a newsletter that included a link to a page of matched wood sets for guitar building. The wood was a species called “ziricote,” which I’d never heard of before.

You can see their ziricote guitar backs and bodies here.

Interestingly, Ziricote is a member of the Cordia genus. It is Cordia dodecandra in Latin.

Another beautiful Cordia is “bocote,” which apparently is the name given to wood of multiple species.

If “Cordia” sounds familiar to you Floridians, it is because one of South Florida’s most famous trees is the Geiger tree, AKA Cordia sebestena.

I wonder what that wood looks like? Anyone seen a piece cut? Judging by the small size of the tree, it may not be worth it, but it sure has some pretty relatives.

*wood images via https://www.flickr.com/photos/mauroguanandi/