Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi everyone I’ve been on the casual lookout for the past years for a back and sides set of pacific yew but no luck- all I have found are European yew sets.

Anyone have any leads?

Hearne Hardwoods
https://www.hearnehardwoods.com/yew-pacific-lumber-2/

Hearne lists the wood, but has none...

there are a few places around that are selling live edge slabs or logs.

don't know about pacific yew, but european yew is rather toxic, like every part except for the red cone covering...kills you if you eat 6 needles type of toxic..with no known antidote...I'd skip the mentioned mask to wear if working with it and wear a respirator....

Thanks folks I understand most of the pacific yew trees were used in the production of taxol which is a chemotherapy drug.

I remember seeing some uke sets a while back but nothing in guitar dimensions although it must exist somewhere previously as Rob Girdis made some parlors from Yew.

Seems to me that anything so potentially toxic is not worth using. What are you building? I might give you a free set of something else just to keep you alive.

Many thanks I didn’t have anything specific in mind but was looking to stock up a little!
My quest for mesquite, Osage orange and persimmon also goes on!