Hah!!!  Yes that wood would have had to have slipped by now wouldn't it!
 
Given the past and present discussions of wood types and their propensity for absorbing and not absorbing different frequencies, there may actually be a preferred wood for this particular application.  But that may be taking things a bit too far.

a question, does the F-1X FX loop run pre or post the onboard EQ??

In a prior thread, David Fung stated that in the F-1X, the effects loop is before the tone controls.

On the F-1X web page description, the circuit topology is described pretty directly.  There's an input buffering stage, then the effects loop, then the EQ, then the full-range out and active crossover.  The direct out is switch-selectable to be pre- or post-EQ.

David; before posting, I read that page.  But I wasn't convinced that I really understood what I was reading.  So I quoted you instead!  I have found that you have a much higher grasp of things electronic than I ever will.