Our Specialty is Sitka Spruce

Alaska Specialty Woods (ASW) has operated for over 20 years, producing soundboards and other tonewood products from Sitka Spruce, Alaskan Yellow Cedar, and Western Red Cedar. We also source other species less common to the industry such as Western Hemlock, Mountain Hemlock and Red Alder. It is Sitka Spruce however, and the beautiful bearclaw soundboards from it, that we are best known for. At ASW we have first-hand experience processing millions of board feet of Sitka Spruce during our time of operation and, through our very particular methods of acquisition, have rejected tens of millions of board feet to do so. The experience we have in tonewood production is only possible because of our location, Prince of Wales Island, Alaska.

Alaska is so vast, it is hard to comprehend in entirety, all its majesty and natural beauty. However, Alaska is our home as well as our livelihood, and we have come to a deep understanding of the qualities that make it special. The seemingly infinite Tongass National forest is one of the beautiful qualities of Alaska. Located in Southeast Alaska, Prince of Wales Island is the heart of the Tongass National Forest, and is home to the world's finest Sitka Spruce. Since 1997 Alaska Specialty Woods has been utilizing experience and knowledge of the area, to find the best sources for old-growth Sitka Spruce to salvage and sustainably harvest.

We have produced primarily salvage-sourced material since ASW was established in 1997. However, in the last two decades, we have witnessed a significant decline in the supply of old-growth timber resources available. The direct implications of this diminishing supply, has resulted in the fact that we now source 100 percent of our raw material from only salvaged old-growth timber, and have resolved to promote an ethical stewardship policy throughout the scope of our business.

We are a custom shop and supply our own material. This gives us the ability to produce unusual dimensions that other producers cannot because of either material supply and/or lack of appropriate machinery. Our ability to produce these unusual products has familiarized us to an array of acoustic instruments, many of which are unknown to much of the world. Gleaning many thousands of board feet each year from millions of board feet of prospect, we have acquired an eye for tonewood. Our comprehensive understanding of what makes superior tonewood extends beyond the everyday dreadnought or classical guitar into the realms of double bass, nyckelharpa, harpsichord, piano, wiessenborn, and countless others.