I had a great mentor as well as some financial help when I started to get serious about making guitars. I was encouraged to buy wood for the future and so as often as I could I travelled to Valencia for tops, backs, sides, necks and everything else that goes into a guitar. As time passed I was able to buy more wood on each trip and in 2002 and 2003 a made some very large purchases. I know that some of you are struggling to get the wood you need for the next guitar but if at all possible do buy as much as you can manage at least to the point where you can someday work with 10-year old wood. Having the wood season in your shop is the very best thing you can do for the sound and the stability of your guitars. The photo shows what might be the very last set of Indian rosewood that is marked with the year 2002.