[Dixielandjazz] Gibson - Rare Wood - Guitar Frets - Traveling to USA with your Guitar

[Stephen G Barbone]

I think the WSJ is rabble rousing Gibson vs. Environmentalists.  
Perhaps in an attempt to politicize the rare woods issue and the EPA.   
The bit about traveling into the USA with a guitar and possibly having  
it confiscated because it has some rare wood parts is also quite  
overblown.

The Justice Department visit to Gibson a few days ago was not about  
their importing illegally harvested wood, but rather the manner in  
which it was imported. On July 27, agents in Dallas seized a shipment  
of Indian Ebony wood Logs bound for Gibson. The Feds say Indian Law  
prohibits wood IN THIS FORM from being exported and the Lacey Act  
requires American importers to obey foreign laws when importing wood.  
That plus the fact that various shipping documents misrepresented the  
shipment contents. One listing them incorrectly as veneer sheets for  
fretboards and another listing them as finished products of musical  
instruments.


The Lacey Act originally covered endangered non native animal species  
and rare plants and was the first conservation law passed by the  
Congress. BEFORE all of us were born when McKinley was president. It  
became effective in 1900, and was Introduced by Representative John  
Lacey of Iowa, a staunch Republican. The Lacey Act was amended in 2008  
to include rare woods. George W. Bush signed it.

I do not believe that a musician's guitar, manufactured before the  
amendment took effect (May 22, 2008) is at risk coming into the USA  
from elsewhere. I think all the muso need do is state in box 10 of the  
declaration form, "Musical Instrument to be used in  performance" OR  
"Musical instrument returning from performance." And it wouldn't hurt  
to add, "musical instrument manufactured prior to 2008" if one is  
playing an antique. And I would guess that a guitar made after 2009  
would not be subject to seizure if box 10 is filled out regarding it  
being an instrument used in performance. The Lacey Act is not aimed at  
musicians who travel with their guitars or other wooden instruments.

So lets not get all worked up about some conjecture by the WSJ (that  
has no basis in fact), or some other story that a guitarist had his  
rarewood antique guitar confiscated by the US customs service upon  
entry into the USA. I sincerely doubt anything like that ever actually  
happened, or ever will happen, but will readily admit to being wrong  
is someone can supply credible verification to the contrary. My  
opinion is that some media folks are trying to scare musicians, which  
makes for good innocent victim copy, for political purposes.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone