Bambusa | Bamboo Solid-Body Guitar

Used for millenia in the Far East and prized for its strength, resilience and flexibility, bamboo features prominently in Asian architecture, furniture and in its musical instruments.

And bamboo grows extremely quickly.  Under the right conditions, growth of as much as 48 inches within a 24-hour period have been recorded, making it an abundantly renewable resource. 

Now Boston-based instrument company First Act has created the Bambusa, an eco-friendly guitar made entirely out of bamboo.  Although not a completely new idea -- Yamaha came up with the FGBM-1 bamboo acoustic guitar in 2000 -- this is the first time that a solidbody bamboo instrument is being manufactured. 

Like the Yamaha, the only non-bamboo part of the instrument is the rosewood fretboard.

And according to First Act, bamboo that is cut into strips and glued together to form a laminate, is stronger than maple and is a viable substitute for more common tonewoods.

At a MSRP of $399, the Bambusa could make an interesting conversation piece at that next blues gig. Ok, now I'm thinking out loud.

(Pic Source: www.firstact.com)