I’m one of only a few luthiers that I know of which use Gulf Coast Bald Cypress as a primary tonewood. I’m fortunate to live in an area where it is accessible. Most of the cypress in this region goes into building construction or outdoor furnishings. It is harvested in two ways; Salvaged Barn wood, and Recovered Dead fall. It grows in environmentally protected wetlands, so harvesting live trees is not permitted. The supply therefore is quite limited.
My supply comes primarily from recovered logs that were dragged up out of the Green Swamp. It is wood that is considered “Old Growth”, meaning the trees grew naturally slow and thus the grain is very tight. They have also been naturally seasoning and air drying for decades! Because they spent some considerable time submerged in high tannin swamp water, the chemistry of the wood has changed. It is more varied and distinct in coloration. In my humble opinion, my cypress has all the desired characteristics of premium exotic tonewood.
On the topic of “Hand Crafted”, I am also one of those rare instrument makers that does in fact start with a wood log, and work it through the entire process.
G.S.Monroe 
would love to get in on the Gulf coast bald cypress really interested in okefenokee swamp sink?
That is very hard to find wood. It is only available when the State grants permits to harvest deadhead logs from the estuary. That hasn’t happened for a few years now. you have to check with the smal mom 7 pop sawmills in that area, and find living edge sawplanks that are not eaten up with “Pecky” rot. Those that have it want a lot of money for it. I got my supply about 20 years ago, and I’m waiting myself to see if I can find more. Most of the clean Bald Cypress is coming out of Louisianna.