Q: I inherited a chest from a neighbor when he moved, and I would like to restore it. It doesn’t have to look like new, but ...

The widespread destruction of old growth trees for ranching and farming is making it harder to get the wood traditionally used to make guitars, including mahogany and Brazilian rosewood.

Instead, the L.A. homebuilding industry, like that of most of the United States, was reliant mainly on the wood-frame dwelling ... type is more enduring than if carved intact from solid stone ...