How to Turn Guitarists Into Tea Partiers: Take Their Gibsons Away

brazmonki

Found this rather interesting topic on the "Gibson Les Paul" Facebook page.

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/business/2011/08/how-turn-guitarists-tea-partiers-take-their-gibsons-away/41787/

I love it when Americans vent... ? ?

vic

Just shows how ridiculously confusing legislation can become........Obama's "woods of mass destruction"....brilliant ?

Bob-Dubery

One point, the amendments to the Lacey Act that are mentioned here were actually enacted by George W. Bush in May 2008. Obama was sworn in January 2009. Governments often inherit situations from previous governments.

This has been going on for a while. Circa 2007 I was thinking quite hard about importing a Lowden. They sometimes have Brazilian rosewood on them, usually old wood that has been reworked, which they can prove from their records. The good, professional dealers know about this and make sure that all the paperwork is assembled and all the necessary permits obtained before they ship the guitar.

So the laws have been around for a while, it's just that a big name company has become a suspect and suddenly everybody's discovered the Lacey Act like it was passed yesterday (actually it was passed in 1900 and significantly amended in 2008).

I do wonder what is going on at Gibson though. They're not the only guitar company in the USA using Indian rosewood - why are they getting nailed?

PeteM

X-rated Bob wrote: I do wonder what is going on at Gibson though. They're not the only guitar company in the USA using Indian rosewood - why are they getting nailed?

Disgruntled ex-employees reporting them to the authorities? Just a thought.