Reply by Tennessee

Most of the hardwood suppliers are faced with a quandry – they are not selling much to the cabinet shops since housing is down. That being said, a lot of the ones around me are beginning to ask their brokers about exotics to make some cash to backfill the losses on traditional species. My local hardwood dealer is now selling things like purpleheart and flamed maple for around $5 a bd. ft., which is pretty good in my book. I’m buying the most beautiful Ambrosia Maple I have ever seen for $4.00 a bd. ft.
And truthfully, I would be very hard pressed to give anyone $4.00 a bd. ft. for aromatic cedar. Of course, I live in SE Tennessee, home to what was once the greatest cedar forest in the country. You can find people giving away the logs, just have to find someone to plank it up for you. I still have three 60-80 footers standing on my inner lawn. Took two others down about three years ago, gave the logs to a fellow for a load of beautiful walnut with a lot of crotch and quilt in it. Also got back one cedar tree planked including mantle stock, But my main source has become a local sawmill that now puts in exotics. WAY cheaper then someone like Woodcraft.

-- Paul, Tennessee, http://www.tsunamiguitars.com