Happy Earth Day! Hard to believe it was a year ago I was on the World Forestry Tour with my mentor, Bob Taylor.

Press here to watch the all the videos!

One of my favorite videos from 2017!!!

Forty years ago I walked into a dusty woodshop in Lemon Grove, California where Bob Taylor hired me the day I graduated from high school. The next two years I got to watch one of the greatest innovators of all time transform the musical instrument industry. That experience molded me and change me forever and made me a fearless innovator. Just like Bob I stopped caring about what other people thought about me and pursued excellence and innovation at every turn. How could I be so lucky to witness this at such a young age?

Six weeks ago I received a text message from Bob asking if I could travel with him around the world and document the Taylor Guitars World Forestry Tour. What? Why me? Could this really be happening?

Two days ago Bob presented me with the most beautiful guitar I’ve ever seen in my life…custom made to his specifications. I was totally undeserving, humbled and in tears. It is one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received!

Three times in a lifetime!

~Paul Akers

Paul Akers takes us along as he documents Bob Taylor, of Taylor Guitars, on his World Forestry Tour where a small team journeyed around the world to increase awareness of sustainable forestry practices.

In this video, Bob Taylor presents Paul Akers with a beautiful, custom made Taylor Guitar.

“Once in a lifetime…but for me it was three times.

Forty years ago I walked into a dusty woodshop in Lemon Grove, California where Bob Taylor hired me the day I graduated from high school. The next two years I got to watch one of the greatest innovators of all time transform the musical instrument industry. That experience molded me and change me forever and made me a fearless innovator. Just like Bob I stopped caring about what other people thought about me and pursued excellence and innovation at every turn. How could I be so lucky to witness this at such a young age?

Six weeks ago I received a text message from Bob asking if I could travel with him around the world and document the Taylor Guitars World Forestry Tour. What? Why me? Could this really be happening?

Two days ago Bob presented me with the most beautiful guitar I’ve ever seen in my life…custom made to his specifications. I was totally undeserving, humbled and in tears. It is one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received!

Three times in a lifetime!”
~Paul

Paul Akers takes us along as he documents Bob Taylor, of Taylor Guitars, on his World Forestry Tour where a small team journeyed around the world to increase awareness of sustainable forestry practices.

In this video, Nick Koch shows the team the work being done on the big island of Hawaii.

Paul Akers takes us along as he documents Bob Taylor, of Taylor Guitars, on his World Forestry Tour where a small team journeyed around the world to increase awareness of sustainable forestry practices.

In this video, Paul records an amazing singer/songwriter in Fiji named Knox.

Paul Akers takes us along as he documents Bob Taylor, of Taylor Guitars, on his World Forestry Tour where a small team journeyed around the world to increase awareness of sustainable forestry practices.

In this video they learn about Fijian Mahogany.

Paul Akers takes us along as he documents Bob Taylor, of Taylor Guitars, on his World Forestry Tour where a small team journeyed around the world to increase awareness of sustainable forestry practices.

In this video they visit Forest Solutions in Malaysia.

Paul Akers takes us along as he documents Bob Taylor, of Taylor Guitars, on his World Forestry Tour where a small team journeyed around the world to increase awareness of sustainable forestry practices.

In this video they visit factories and lumber mills in Vietnam.

Paul Akers takes us along as he documents Bob Taylor, of Taylor Guitars, on his World Forestry Tour where a small team journeyed around the world to increase awareness of sustainable forestry practices.

In this video Bob Taylor and Scott Paul discuss what they learned during their visit to the Congo Basin Institute.

Paul Akers takes us along as he documents Bob Taylor, of Taylor Guitars, on his World Forestry Tour where a small team journeyed around the world to increase awareness of sustainable forestry practices.

In this video they visit the Congo Basin Institute where they learn about how ebony trees are being propagating.