Gibson News

[mattsmusiccenter]

Gibson Offices Raided
While no charges have yet been filed, NashvillePost.com is reporting that earlier today, Federal agents and local police seized wood, guitars, computers and files from Gibson Guitar's Massman Road manufacturing facility in Nashville.

NashvillePost.com reports, "Sources say the guitar manufacturer is being investigated for violating the Lacey Act, a key piece of environmental law, for importing endangered species of rosewood from Madagascar.

Rosewood is widely used in the construction of guitars and sells for $5,000 per cubic meter, more than double the price of mahogany. The island nation off Africa's east coast is a key producer of the hardwood, the export of which has links to international criminal activity.

Madagascar has struggled financially since a January coup and new President Andry Rajoelina issued an executive order in September legalizing the export of rosewood and ebony. The move was decried by environmental groups and political leaders worldwide, as hardwood forests are key to Madagascar's unique ecology and serve as a habitat for a dwindling lemur population."

Sources have told NashvillePost.com that Gibson was involved in a scheme that shipped the wood from Madagascar to Germany and then to the United States.

[DonP]

Interesting. I am in Nashville working 5 days a week. I'll watch the news to see if this is mentioned.

[Newc]

That's truly sad when Evironmentalists can have that level of influence. It's Madagascar's wood, not Greenpeace's. If they want to kill off the Lemurs and have no exportable wood, it's on them.

If the sales fund terrorism and/or drugs, it's not Gibson's doing, it's the government of Madagascar.

[Endrik]

The problem is that poachers are illegally harvesting wood in national parks which is a national treasure and belongs to the people and not to the criminals and the claim is that Gibson is purchasing their wood from the poachers. Don't know if it's true or not but it's like taking stones out of the White House and selling them as a building material.

[atdguitars]

Somehow this doesn't suprise me in the least. Gibson has an array of problems on their hands and if means getting things at a lower cost they will do it.
It sounds like the normal skirting of international laws and treaties that happens daily.
I agree that the tree huggers shouldn't have that much influence in the system but thats just the norm now days.

[atomic charvel guy]

If the new President gave the o.k. to export the stuff, then how could there be grounds against Gibson for any imports after this law was ok'ed? Before, understandable, but after I don't see it. If the poachers are illegal as Endy says, maybe they were posing as a legit company to Gibson, who knows, I'm sure we'll all hear about it soon.

[Axewielder]

Great, now we'll have to look at "Pre-Lacey Act Les Paul" auctions on eBay now.

[Cygnus X1]

Innocent until proven guilty.

You people would not believe what is in the works
on OSHA regulations and compliance methods.
Word is it's "gloves off, punitive attitude" towards industry...especially if it is non union.

Not sure if Gibson is union or not, but the attitude is related.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Great, now we'll have to look at "Pre-Lacey Act Les Paul" auctions on eBay now.

The crazy part is, I would not be surprised if this really happened.

[atomic charvel guy]

of course it's going to happen, and to all extremes becasue of the more collecting non playing headache sector out there.

example auction we'll see soon on ebay-
1959 "Madagascar Syndicate" Mint Condition Triple Super Reverse Re-Re-Reissue
Marilyn Chambered Flametop Burst Premium Exotic Top Super Plus Extra Custom Plus Deluxe Standard with FBI seized rosewood fretboard
(guitar is signed by and fretboard has fingerprints and DNA of Madagascar Crime Lord "Slippery Fingers Woodson" picture and letter of authenticity in case)
(only 50,000 made last week) Buy it now- $179,000.00 or offer.............
'

[Axewielder]

of course it's going to happen, and to all extremes becasue of the more collecting non playing headache sector out there.

example auction we'll see soon on ebay-
1959 "Madagascar Syndicate" Mint Condition Triple Super Reverse Re-Re-Reissue
Marilyn Chambered Flametop Burst Premium Exotic Top Super Plus Extra Custom Plus Deluxe Standard with FBI seized rosewood fretboard
(guitar is signed by and fretboard has fingerprints and DNA of Madagascar Crime Lord "Slippery Fingers Woodson" picture and letter of authenticity in case)
(only 50,000 made last week) Buy it now- $179,000.00 or offer.............
'

Oh god! :ROTF:

[Newc]

The problem is that poachers are illegally harvesting wood in national parks which is a national treasure and belongs to the people and not to the criminals and the claim is that Gibson is purchasing their wood from the poachers. Don't know if it's true or not but it's like taking stones out of the White House and selling them as a building material.

Now now, let's not give Obammy any ideas

[skorb]

this is total horseshit.

like the government has nothing better to do than waste scarce resources on idiotic garbage like this.

jackasses all of them.

[mattsmusiccenter]

Here's an interesting update to this story from "Music and Sound Retailer" magazine...

Gibson Guitar CEO Henry Juszkiewicz has taken a leave of absence from the Rainforest Alliance in the aftermath of a federal raid on Tuesday. He won’t return until after a federal investigation has concluded, the alliance said in a statement.

Feds stormed Gibson’s Nashville plant, and seized documents and instruments in an effort to find out if the company was importing an endangered species of wood from Madagascar, which violates a law known as the Lacey Act.
Feds did not make any arrests on Tuesday. However, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has sought an affidavit to unseal court documents on the matter.

Juszkiewicz served on the Rainforest Alliance for more than 15 years and urged the industry to use more sustainable woods.
“It's very difficult to know what’s happening at this point,” Tensie Whelan, president of the Rainforest Alliance told The Tennessean newspaper. “Our hope indeed is there will be no violations of the Lacey Act.”

[atomic charvel guy]

Ironic ain't it? They probably grinded up 6,000 trees to generate the paperwork
to raid the joint in the first place.