Taylor Guitars Conservation Partnership Reveals Critical Link Between African Forest Elephants and Guitars

Groundbreaking research published in Science Advances shows African ebony trees rely on elephants for survival—and the future of guitar fingerboards may depend on elephant conservation

EL CAJON, Calif. , Aug. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- After nearly a decade of community-driven conservation work in Cameroon, Taylor Guitars , the leading global builder of premium acoustic guitars, is pleased to share groundbreaking peer-reviewed research published in Science Advances that reveals the critical dependence of African ebony trees on African forest elephants for reproduction and survival. The unexpected scientific discovery emerged from The Ebony Project , a conservation initiative started by Taylor co-founder Bob Taylor and operated through the Congo Basin Institute