- PRESS RELEASE - Rare discovery: Dejawu Guitars builds guitar from 7500-year-old sinker wood.
THE HAGUE/DOETINCHEM - It must be an absolute dream for a guitar builder to accidentally dig up a perfectly preserved, completely discolored maple log that also turns out to be 7,500 years old. It happened to Derk Jan Lievers (Netherlands) and Wu Dongming (China) from Dejawu Guitars. Together they decided to use the wood for a unique series of exclusive guitars. A rare find, a special friendship and a beautiful story.
Derk Jan: "It is a lottery ticket! The age of the wood is very exceptional. We sent a piece to a university in Germany that determined with carbon dating (C14) that the tree died between 5474 and 5316 BC. A prehistoric tree that grew in the Neolithic Age! Wood of this age with such characteristics is not for sale anywhere in the world just like this. We will never experience this again." That the log was also found by a craftsman with the right knowledge and skills to dry and process it properly is a stroke of luck.
The quality of the prehistoric wood is very good. The wood grain is extremely dense and consistent, which improves its acoustic properties and makes it extremely suitable for guitar making. Derk Jan: "The color also came about completely naturally. Over time, the wood fibers have absorbed minerals and acids from the soil, so the wood is now very dark brown to almost black. That's very rare for maple and it looks stunning."
Dongming "We build high-quality semi-acoustic guitars that are completely hand-carved from solid tone wood. Both the tops and backs as well as the sides and necks. We were very lucky that it is maple wood because most woods are not suitable for this type of guitar building. The log is large enough for a limited number of guitars."
The guitar can be admired in real life at the Guitar Summit in Mannheim, Germany from Sept. 22-24. More show dates to follow.
Note to editors: for more information, contact Derk Jan Lievers.
E-mail: derkjanlievers@dejawuguitars.com
