Guitars, illegal wood import and the Lacey Act

[Guitarholic]

Hey fellas,

I was just reading up on the topic of illegal wood imports in the US. Found a few interesting articles in English and German:

Customs Law: Gibson Guitars Raided Under Lacey Act

Illegaler Holzhandel: Raubbau am Regenwald - Ökologie - GEO.de

I am sure that all the guitar manufacturers are aware of the issue. There are just a lot of disturbing facts like
- out of the 103 types of ebony wood only two are not endangered
- rosewood in general is endangered
etc.


Does anybody know more about this topic?

 

[Customisbetter]

Maple fretboards ftw.

that is all.

 

[raximkoron]

Brazilian Rosewood is pretty damned endangered from what I've heard. Many knife manufacturers have had to change handle materials since it's illegal to import to the US at all these days (Forschner first and foremost comes to mind). It's really too bad, because it looks and feels fantastic.

Mahogany is also a touchy subject as there's even regulations on using it for products if it was grown here in the states. I used to work the stockroom for a furniture manufacturer that made some Mahogany pieces (beds 'n stuff). For them to be able to sell that stuff, they had to actually own and run the... Orchard I guess would be the correct term, and there were limitations on how many pieces they could sell in a year. Things have changed a bit since then to my understanding, but it's pretty crazy.

Ebony is pretty well fucked too it seems. A good portion of that is due to piano manufacturers over the last couple centuries I'm guessing.

 

[BlindingLight7]

Better start thinkin' of something black to use besides ebony I suppose, like graphite

 

[Necris]

Provided the would is receptive to dye I'm sure you could always dye a maple fretboard black.

Ebony is pretty well fucked too it seems. A good portion of that is due to piano manufacturers over the last couple centuries I'm guessing.

Orchestral Instrument manufacturers as well. For cellos and string basses I'm pretty sure those high quality ebony fingerboards could cost nearly as much as the rest of the raw materials for the instruments themselves.

 

[xshreditupx]

if a couple of guitar companies got together and funded a tree planting it would help solve the problem. its simply the idea that they are being cut down and not growing back. i mean shit if they can bring back a species of animals why cant they do it with some trees. obviously it would take a long time to grow and regenerate anything on a large scale but if they do it right they can have anything they want for the future.

 

[pink freud]

I've heard from a few little birdies that if Warmoth was ever raided, they would be in some big trouble too.

 

[ivancic1al]

^ For sure, considering all the exotic woods that they deal. It's nuts...

 

[MacTown09]

Better start thinkin' of something black to use besides ebony I suppose, like graphite

Woah. That is seriously a good idea. I mean its a workable woodlike substance that is easy to get and can even be synthetically made. ANDDDDD its exceptionally hard and dense in most cases. Andddd it wont wear out. Dear job someone tell me this info is correct!

 

[Customisbetter]

^Have you heard of Parker?

 

[BlindingLight7]

Woah. That is seriously a good idea. I mean its a workable woodlike substance that is easy to get and can even be synthetically made. ANDDDDD its exceptionally hard and dense in most cases. Andddd it wont wear out. Dear job someone tell me this info is correct!

Yeah, they use it on chapman sticks.

 

[BlindingLight7]

^Have you heard of Parker?

Parkers aren't 100% graphite it's some type of carbon/graphite mixture, "phenolic" or something

 

[Customisbetter]

No Parkers are CArbon epoxy graphite Black magic.

cheap Washburns use phenolic, which is a ceramic.

 

[FWB]

I prefer necks made of solid elephant ivory, and bodies from the bones of Californian condors. Panda tooth inlays. As well as Floyd Roses made from spotted owls.

 

[Gameboypdc]

Maple fretboards ftw.

that is all.

Agreed!

 

[sentagoda]

CArbon epoxy graphite !

 

[metalmachine]

I prefer necks made of solid elephant ivory, and bodies from the bones of Californian condors. Panda tooth inlays. As well as Floyd Roses made from spotted owls.

i want my tuning keys to be made of the talons of a bald eagle

 

[Andromalia]

Provided the would is receptive to dye I'm sure you could always dye a maple fretboard black.


Orchestral Instrument manufacturers as well. For cellos and string basses I'm pretty sure those high quality ebony fingerboards could cost nearly as much as the rest of the raw materials for the instruments themselves.

For violins and such, the ebony boards are actually changed from time to time, the instruments being fretless, you have no fret wear (doh) but boardwear. Ebony being very hard you don't change them that often, but it's not just the new instruments that need them.

obviously it would take a long time to grow and regenerate anything on a large scale but if they do it right they can have anything they want for the future.

I'm pretty sure company execs don't care about the profits that will be made after they are dead. As a side note, the forests(mostly oaks) planted in the 1700s in France to help build a navy without relying on importation matured...50 years ago, at a time where obviously wooden boats had become a rarity already. Which exec will slash today's profits (and likely his share of it) for tomorrow ones when he's dead ? One can regret that state of mind, but it's human behaviour.

 

[Esp Griffyn]

No Parkers are CArbon epoxy graphite Black magic.

cheap Washburns use phenolic, which is a ceramic.

Expensive Modulus basses use phenolic fretboards. What's your point? It's not a cheap or low grade material by any means.

 

[7deadlysins666]

Maple fretboards ftw.

that is all.