Sustainability at Turnstone

Thoughtful Wood Selection

Our timber sourcing reflects our dedication to environmental responsibility:

• E-Series: Built exclusively with English-grown timber, these instruments celebrate our local woodlands' diversity whilst minimising transport emissions and ensuring transparent sourcing.
• Select Series: Our limited-run guitars feature FSC-certified woods where possible, sourced from forests managed to deliver environmental, social and economic advantages.
• No Brazilian Rosewood: We've made a conscious choice to exclude Brazilian Rosewood from our builds, regardless of legal availability or reclaimed status. Though respected makers still use this revered tonewood, we believe avoiding it better aligns with our sustainability values and future vision.
• Expanding the Palate: While we continue working with select tropical tonewoods like Cocobolo, we remain conscious of their environmental impact. We actively research and champion alternative species, including temperate-grown and underutilised woods, aiming to broaden sustainable choices in guitar making.

Low Impact Finishing

Our modern water-based lacquer system significantly reduces harmful solvents and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), creating a safer workshop environment and minimising our ecological footprint.

Built to Last

We craft instruments designed for lifelong use and beyond. A guitar built with integrity and meant to endure inherently supports sustainability by reducing replacement needs and conserving resources for future generations.

Day-to-Day Decisions Matter

Sustainability extends beyond major choices. Our workshop practices include comprehensive recycling of materials, from plastic to cardboard, packaging and consumables, to avoid landfill wherever possible. We use energy-efficient lighting, minimise single-use plastics, and prioritise paper-based and recyclable materials for guitar packaging and shipping. For our own company travel and local deliveries we use electric vehicles, and where couriers offer sustainable delivery options we choose them, helping to reduce the overall impact of transporting our guitars.

Continuous Improvement

We constantly seek ways to enhance our environmental performance - whether through improved material choices, refined finishing processes, or sharing knowledge to help customers maintain their instruments for years to come.