Guitar Frets: Environmental Enforcement Leaves Musicians in Fear

[me]

Federal agents swooped in on Gibson Guitar Wednesday, raiding factories and offices in Memphis and Nashville, seizing several pallets of wood, electronic files and guitars. The Feds are keeping mum, but in a statement yesterday Gibson's chairman and CEO, Henry Juszkiewicz, defended his company's manufacturing policies, accusing the Justice Department of bullying the company. "The wood the government seized Wednesday is from a Forest Stewardship Council certified supplier," he said, suggesting the Feds are using the aggressive enforcement of overly broad laws to make the company cry uncle.

It isn't the first time that agents of the Fish and Wildlife Service have come knocking at the storied maker of such iconic instruments as the Les Paul electric guitar, the J-160E acoustic-electric John Lennon played, and essential jazz-boxes such as Charlie Christian's ES-150. In 2009 the Feds seized several guitars and pallets of wood from a Gibson factory, and both sides have been wrangling over the goods in a case with the delightful name "United States of America v. Ebony Wood in Various Forms."

The question in the first raid seemed to be whether Gibson had been buying illegally harvested hardwoods from protected forests, such as the Madagascar ebony that makes for such lovely fretboards. And if Gibson did knowingly import illegally harvested ebony from Madagascar, that wouldn't be a negligible offense. Peter Lowry, ebony and rosewood expert at the Missouri Botanical Garden, calls the Madagascar wood trade the "equivalent of Africa's blood diamonds." But with the new raid, the government seems to be questioning whether some wood sourced from India met every regulatory jot and tittle.

It isn't just Gibson that is sweating. Musicians who play vintage guitars and other instruments made of environmentally protected materials are worried the authorities may be coming for them next.

If you are the lucky owner of a 1920s Martin guitar, it may well be made, in part, of Brazilian rosewood. Cross an international border with an instrument made of that now-restricted wood, and you better have correct and complete documentation proving the age of the instrument. Otherwise, you could lose it to a zealous customs agent—not to mention face fines and prosecution.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904787404576530520471223268.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

[The Troll]

  If they did it, they deserve if.  But it's easy to prove whether it's true what the government is saying or not.  About coming after already built and sold guitars, forget it.  It won't happen.  they will just fine them for each guitars they sold.  It's easier.

  The scientists now can check where the tree came from through DNA testing.  It's 100% accurate.  Wait and see, we will find out for sure.  Don't get your panties bunched up and choke you.  Chunker.

[Exterminator]

I was just researching this yesterday and the Justice Department is way out of line here.  And yes, Troll, they will sieze an already built and sold guitar unless the owner can document when the guitar was made and where the wood originates.  Most artists won't cross borders with their most valuable instruments anymore for this reason.  They did this same thing to Gibson two years ago and never filed any charges and Gibson is still fighting in court to get their wood back.

The Lacey act is a joke...it allows the government to sieze anything crossing the border into the U.S. unless the owner can prove that the materials used did not violate the laws of the country in which they originate at the time that material was exported.  Theoretically, they could seize a Bentley if you couldn't prove where the wood in the dash came from.  Leather, textiles, etc. are also suspect...just about anything.

[me]

I was just researching this yesterday and the Justice Department is way out of line here.  And yes, Troll, they will sieze an already built and sold guitar unless the owner can document when the guitar was made and where the wood originates.  Most artists won't cross borders with their most valuable instruments anymore for this reason.  They did this same thing to Gibson two years ago and never filed any charges and Gibson is still fighting in court to get their wood back.

The Lacey act is a joke...it allows the government to sieze anything crossing the border into the U.S. unless the owner can prove that the materials used did not violate the laws of the country in which they originate at the time that material was exported.  Theoretically, they could seize a Bentley if you couldn't prove where the wood in the dash came from.  Leather, textiles, etc. are also suspect...just about anything.

That really sucks.  I'd probably better let a friend of mine in on this in case he doesn't already know.  He makes things out of wood he has to have a permit to getm including ebony, and sells them on Ebay and different places.  Some are pens which cost over $100 per pen and a lot of Doctors and professionals, who may possibly travel overseas, buy them.  Wonder if it would cover something like that.   

*Wouldn't that be seize? 

[Exterminator]

You got me, me; I wasn't sure of the spelling so I used the spell checker and it didn't change the two out of 3 that I misspelled...wtf?  So much for i before e except after c...

I'm guessing you can get a pen through customs if you simply don't declare it.  If you do, they could take it.

[The Troll]

I was just researching this yesterday and the Justice Department is way out of line here.  And yes, Troll, they will sieze an already built and sold guitar unless the owner can document when the guitar was made and where the wood originates.  Most artists won't cross borders with their most valuable instruments anymore for this reason.  They did this same thing to Gibson two years ago and never filed any charges and Gibson is still fighting in court to get their wood back.

The Lacey act is a joke...it allows the government to sieze anything crossing the border into the U.S. unless the owner can prove that the materials used did not violate the laws of the country in which they originate at the time that material was exported.  Theoretically, they could seize a Bentley if you couldn't prove where the wood in the dash came from.  Leather, textiles, etc. are also suspect...just about anything.

  let me say this, the ass holes have to find it first.  It was stolen.  By who, I don't know.   

[Palehorse]

This is a symptom of the declining revenue streams. I have an early model year 92 Alvarez made of exotic wood and en ebony fret board. . . The strat I just bought also has a rosewood fretboard.

[me]

You got me, me; I wasn't sure of the spelling so I used the spell checker and it didn't change the two out of 3 that I misspelled...wtf?  So much for i before e except after c...

I'm guessing you can get a pen through customs if you simply don't declare it.  If you do, they could take it.

I was thinking about someone having it in a shirt pocket where it would be visible. Oh well, I'm sure he probably knows about it  'cause he hangs out on the net in places where they would discuss it when he ain't in the shop.

*Don't forget or sounded like "A" as in neighbor or weigh.  There are some words that don't know the rule I guess huh?   

[me]

This is a symptom of the declining revenue streams. I have an early model year 92 Alvarez made of exotic wood and en ebony fret board. . . The strat I just bought also has a rosewood fretboard.

I sure hope they don't start going after musicians who are seen playing them onstage or famous ones they know have them.  That would really bite.

[Exterminator]

I sure hope they don't start going after musicians who are seen playing them onstage or famous ones they know have them.  That would really bite.

It's only an issue crossing the border into the U.S.

[me]

It's only an issue crossing the border into the U.S.

I know but, like PH said, shortage of money and all that stuff.  In reality I think something like that would be more of a hassle than it would be worth in the long run. 

[Sandy Eggo]

I'm not a musician, I just date them so I haven't' read through this thread. Pardon me if this was already posted. I saw it and thought of this conversation.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2011/08/31/140090116/why-gibson-guitar-was-raided-by-the-justice-department?sc=fb&cc=fp

[me]

I'm not a musician, I just date them so I haven't' read through this thread. Pardon me if this was already posted. I saw it and thought of this conversation.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2011/08/31/140090116/why-gibson-guitar-was-raided-by-the-justice-department?sc=fb&cc=fp

Yep, that's what we were discussing.   

[The Troll]

  It is going to be easy to prove if the wood is illegal or not.  If it is illegal wood and Gibson has been warned in the past that's between Gibson and the government.

   I just think there are more pressing issues in the country than Gibson Guitar.   

[Exterminator]

I just think there are more pressing issues in the country than Gibson Guitar.   

But hey, let's target one of the last companies in the country that actually makes anything here!