two scientists and a guitar. engineer alexander freeman his colleagues and father are more interested in the physical data from the instrument than its musical qualities they're assessing how suitable different types of wood are for making guitars and they may be on the brink of a revolution two things are crucial for guitar sound box design isn't the first to last as there are the elastic properties and especially good reflection low attenuation. of the night you also need dimensional stability so that the form is not affected by changes in humidity that. elastic yet stable both properties are essential for high end guitars. brazilian rosewood and other tropical timber varieties have those characteristics. but instrument makers are facing a problem the trees sourced from the brazilian rain forest have been listed as