Bob,

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I'm definitely on the side of preserving American jobs and all that but what are you guys suggesting here? That the feds look the other way because it's Gibson?



What I’m suggesting is that the Feds are out of control and they’re going after people they shouldn’t be bothering. By logical extension, (as stated in the article I posted earlier today), they can use the same “laws” they’re using to go after Gibson to go after people who own vintage instruments. After all, how many people who own these instruments can provide documentation to show that the woods used in these instruments were obtained legally?

Do the Feds have to “prove” the woods are illegal before confiscating your instrument and pressing charges against you and arresting you? …………… Nope. The onus (and legal fees) is then placed on the accused to prove their innocence.

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What about another boutique guitar maker up the street that competes with Gibson who is stuck using legal hardwoods that are not as nice as that killer illegal Brazilian Rosewood, or Indonesian Ebony or whatever it is? Those guys can't compete and wind up going out of business because the Gibsons are nicer with better wood. What about those jobs?



Good question, especially since Gibson has never been known for great woods, just great guitars. Let’s say you do want that guitar with “killer Brazilian Rosewood”, (or just about any other exotic wood), all it takes is a google search to find an exotic wood supplier complete with links to a luthier to build that geetar for you. Is Gibson or Martin that luthier? Nope. ……................. It's the "boutique guitar maker up the street". The wood is supposedly from stumps of Brazilian Rosewood that were illegally cut, but the stumps can be legally harvested. So the boutique guitar maker ain’t going anywhere, (yet).

Shucks, Gibson doesn’t even offer a “carved top” archtop anymore. Who does? ……….. Well you guessed it, …………. the boutique guitar maker.

Back to my original question. Don’t the Feds have anything better to do ???????????

Bob
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