Supposedly the mahogany came out of one of the packs bought by Gibson that went to Nashville. The lumberyard I use imports and exports a lot of wood.
are you using a CNC to mill the sides & tops?
No, just a chisel. I was able to get a chapter from an old Neil cost book where he touches on the checkering. It's a little time consuming at first but becomes easier and quicker after a little practice. I'm getting it down but not all there yet.