read the comment section..amusing at times.and sadly spot on
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Gibson raided by Feds, big story, comments and thoughts here..
Hmmm. My first reaction is to question whether Gibson or any other major instrument manufacturer is dangerous enough to warrant a federal raid and seizure. I have some suggestions for companies worthy of being raided if the feds are interested, though.
Sustainability of wood is certainly important, but it seems to me many of the major instrument makers are very responsible ecologically, and actively involved in migrations to sustainable woods and alternate materials. The guys I would be terrified for are the Ed Claxtons, the Jim Olsons, and all the other custom builders who may be in possession of some very old supplies of protected woods, meaning they have no tracability certifications to prove their legality, and therefore can't certify it in a new instrument. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. I feel bad for Gibson, though. Business is tough enough right now without the feds implying they are a public enemy
Sustainability of wood is certainly important, but it seems to me many of the major instrument makers are very responsible ecologically, and actively involved in migrations to sustainable woods and alternate materials. The guys I would be terrified for are the Ed Claxtons, the Jim Olsons, and all the other custom builders who may be in possession of some very old supplies of protected woods, meaning they have no tracability certifications to prove their legality, and therefore can't certify it in a new instrument. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. I feel bad for Gibson, though. Business is tough enough right now without the feds implying they are a public enemy
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millponddave
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It seems to me, ( a hard core tree hugger) that in the USA one is considered innocent until proven guilty. Therefore, it should be up to the feds to prove that the items in question are illegal. That said, guitar makers should be sure that the woods that they use are indeed sustainable. I believe that most, if not all, makers are responsible. There are always new woods being introduced and makers seem to be moving away from the old woods. It is up to us,the consumer, to embrace these newer and more sustainable materials. Change is always hard but I think that the newer woods will in time replace the older and increasingly rare tone-woods
Dave
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Dave
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I do not understand "sustainable wood". What wood is not sustainable, i.e. what tree will not grow somewhere on Earth if planted and cared for? Even the Giant Redwoods, of which I am fond, are sprouting anew. Same with the Sequoias. OK, we need to wait a couple of thousand years...
The real question is who at Gibson has contributed to whom for the 2008/2012 Presidential race? Who supports whom?
By the way, I'm all for wind power but the blades are killing golden eagles at the rate of about 70+ per year. Not a peep from the current crew. (Don't pick up the feathers or you'll go to jail!)
It's not guitars; it's not eagles--it's on which side of the politically correct spectrum you fall.
Samster
The real question is who at Gibson has contributed to whom for the 2008/2012 Presidential race? Who supports whom?
By the way, I'm all for wind power but the blades are killing golden eagles at the rate of about 70+ per year. Not a peep from the current crew. (Don't pick up the feathers or you'll go to jail!)
It's not guitars; it's not eagles--it's on which side of the politically correct spectrum you fall.
Samster
Anyone own a Lexus? A Jag? Infinity? Hey, even a Buick has some truly nice wood in the cockpit. Wonder where it came from? My wife and I own a rather nice Lexus. Hope I don't have to prove where that wood came from.
I have a friend with a wooden leg...........
OK, thanks! I'm nuts again!
:blink:
I have a friend with a wooden leg...........
OK, thanks! I'm nuts again!
:blink:
Seems like gross over-kill to me. The documentation for exotic woods has always been a nightmare. If Gibson knowlingly sold guitars with illegal woods they should face the music, so to speak. That should be easy to do. But what goes out the front door of a guitar shop is not what goes out the back. And musicians always want "something special" so it's certainly conceiveable that exotic wood guitars went out the back door in the middle of the night!
I know a local luthier who has about 25 sets of Brazilian Rosewood in his shops. It is all pre-ban but I hope he has the paperwork.
The US does not have the ability to stop the harvesting and sale of exotic hardwoods or the devastation of the forest they come from. So I guess they are doing the next best thing; cracking down on end users. Kinda sounds like our failed illegal drug policy?
I know a local luthier who has about 25 sets of Brazilian Rosewood in his shops. It is all pre-ban but I hope he has the paperwork.
The US does not have the ability to stop the harvesting and sale of exotic hardwoods or the devastation of the forest they come from. So I guess they are doing the next best thing; cracking down on end users. Kinda sounds like our failed illegal drug policy?
BigBear wrote:
I just read some updates on this and Gibson is pretty mad as they proclaim their innocence. The issue apparently is caused by ebony sourced in India, and its stautus as completed parts. It is illegal to import raw ebony from India, but it is legal to import finished ebony parts. Well, you obviously can't glue a fingerboard to neck without some further work, so it looks to me like some really bad semantics here. Gibson says their paperwork is in order, but I can see the obvious problem of claiming fingerboards are finished before attaching to necks.
I'm still not sure this needs to top the FBI's most dangerous issue list.
Hence my concern for custom builders, Rick. When this stuff was pre-ban, there was no need for paperwork, so how do you produce a chain of custody for material of untraceable history? It seems similar to prohibition-era alcohol. The best stuff is illegal. Maybe we'll be listening to some great guitars in speakeasies in the near future.I know a local luthier who has about 25 sets of Brazilian Rosewood in his shops. It is all pre-ban but I hope he has the paperwork.
I just read some updates on this and Gibson is pretty mad as they proclaim their innocence. The issue apparently is caused by ebony sourced in India, and its stautus as completed parts. It is illegal to import raw ebony from India, but it is legal to import finished ebony parts. Well, you obviously can't glue a fingerboard to neck without some further work, so it looks to me like some really bad semantics here. Gibson says their paperwork is in order, but I can see the obvious problem of claiming fingerboards are finished before attaching to necks.
I'm still not sure this needs to top the FBI's most dangerous issue list.