Fallen Historic Tree Gets New Lease Of Life As Archtop Guitar

A 90-foot tall elm tree that was battered by a typhoon in 2004 and then destroyed by heavy rains in 2006 has found a new lease of life as an archtop guitar.  The 300-year-old tree, which was awarded '100 Giants of the Forest' status in Japan, once stood as a proud symbol for the town of Shimokawa in northern Hokkaido.

After deliberation by the town's council, it was decided that guitar luthier Naoto Odashima would be commisioned to construct a guitar out of the tree's remains.  The archtop-style guitar was completed in October 2009 and has been played by a number of local musicians in Shimokawa.

Here's a list of standards that probably shouldn't be played on this particular instrument:

Here's That Rainy Day
Gone With The Wind
September In The Rain
Stormy Weather
Stormy Monday
There Will Never Be Another You (Yew)

With a tree that large I would think they would have managed to knock out a couple of additional solidbodies at least. 

I'm sure these guys would know what to do:  http://www.scoop-creation.com/

(Pic Source: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/)