Dear list, Ever since my Japanese apprentice brought her ornamental 
boxes have I been facinated with their light but strong construction. 
She told me that all stringed instruments with long histories have been 
made from the wood of the Royal Empress Tree (paulownia elongata). Here 
in Seattle we have access to most woods but I immediately ran into 
obstacles when I went shopping. For over a thousand years
the chinese have made and played the ancient GUZHENG which then came to 
Japan as the KOTO. After running the lists of other asian stringed 
instruments I wondered what I had been missing.
      I found absolutely beautiful clear paulownia wood almost on my 
door step. A fine clear resonant wood, paulownia is very stable and very 
stiff considering its extreme light weight. I can hardly wait to make 
the sound board as I'm trying my latest iron strung italian design. On 
this first harpsichord I will make everything except the internal pin 
block out of this wood. It is very exciting. I plan on having a playing 
intrument by the end of this month.  best Jack Peters ok

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