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Federal agents search Gibson Guitar factory in Memphis
The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tennessee ^ | Posted August 24, 2011 at 1:06 p.m. | Kevin McKenzie

Posted on 08/24/2011 1:36:17 PM PDT by cc2k

Federal agents with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service shut down the Gibson Guitar factory in Downtown Memphis today to serve search warrants in an ongoing investigation, officials said.

Nicholas Chavez, special agent in charge for U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Region 2 in Albuquerque, N.M., said agents also served a search warrant on Gibson Guitar in Nashville.

In November 2009, agents for the service searched the guitar maker's manufacturing plant in Nashville, reportedly during an investigation of use of woods banned from commercial use for environmental reasons.

(Excerpt) Read more at commercialappeal.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; US: Tennessee
KEYWORDS: ecofascism; envirofascism; fishandwildlife; gibsonguitar; gibsonguitars; govtabuse; jackbootedthugs
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To: PJ-Comix
I once bought a mint condition Gibson ES-175 electric guitar at a police auction for just $80.

Pat Metheny hasn't been the same since he ditched the ES-175.

41 posted on 08/24/2011 2:18:45 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: ZirconEncrustedTweezers

>They’ve already done that. Most of their Epiphone line is already made overseas.<

I was at Guitar Center here in Hollywood 2 weeks back, and the clerk actually told me the same thing, now that you mentioned it.


42 posted on 08/24/2011 2:21:08 PM PDT by max americana (FUBO NATION 2012 FK BARAK)
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To: The Iceman Cometh

Don’t the feds have anything better to do?


43 posted on 08/24/2011 2:25:55 PM PDT by Texas resident (Hunkered Down)
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To: muawiyah

“Isn’t it good -

Illegal wood?”


44 posted on 08/24/2011 2:27:43 PM PDT by Paine in the Neck (Where's he getting these ideas? He's not smart enough to be that stupid all by himself.)
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To: Texas resident
Don’t the feds have anything better to do?

Aren't they doing what they are supposed to be doing? Isn't shutting down every private enterprise their goal?

45 posted on 08/24/2011 2:28:12 PM PDT by The Iceman Cometh (Proud Teabagging Terrorist Hobbit)
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To: max americana
I was at Guitar Center here in Hollywood 2 weeks back, and the clerk actually told me the same thing, now that you mentioned it.

With a very, very, very, very few exceptions, Epiphones haven't been made in the U.S. for more than thirty years. Gibson started building Epiphones in Japan in the early 1970s. Some manufacturing was switched to Korea in the 1980s. No doubt other Asian countries are now involved.

If Gibson builds a special "As Inspried By" Epiphone (not the ones in the <$2,000 range, but the ones with an MSRP of >$4,000, like the limited run of Lennon '65 replica Casinos, in sunburst or "Revolution"), then it builds them in the U.S. Gibson factories.

Otherwise, you pretty much need to go back to the 1960s to find a U.S. Epiphone.

46 posted on 08/24/2011 2:30:52 PM PDT by Scoutmaster (You knew the job was dangerous when you took it, Fred.)
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To: ZirconEncrustedTweezers

“Guess I’m safe, being as I play a Strat. :)”

Carvin DC-127 is my cup of tea. Can’t play it a lick however, not patient enough.


47 posted on 08/24/2011 2:32:24 PM PDT by DAC21
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To: ZirconEncrustedTweezers

“They’ve already done that. Most of their Epiphone line is already made overseas.”

and that’s why Epi’s are junk, the wood is cheap light fer’n junk


48 posted on 08/24/2011 2:32:55 PM PDT by vanilla swirl (We are the Patrick Henry we have been waiting for!)
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To: ZirconEncrustedTweezers

I’m just a simple acoustic player; but this makes me want to support Gibson.

I did have a low grade Fender acoustic/electric and I played it for a number of years. Low grade meaning not the most expensive, for sure.

Currently playing a Larivee and also an old Ibanez 12 string, finally got a 12 string after years of wanting one. Someone here on FR sold it to me, I love it.


49 posted on 08/24/2011 2:40:53 PM PDT by little jeremiah (Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. CSLewis)
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To: cc2k
Yes, but was this wood guilty of any criminal activity? Why should we enforce the law if the wood did nothing wrong?

Maybe it's a splinter group, deeply rooted in terrorism. That would really go against the grain in the eyes of the fed.

50 posted on 08/24/2011 2:47:18 PM PDT by meyer (We will not sit down and shut up.)
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To: vanilla swirl

I do recall reading somewhere that the “mahogany” used to build the Epiphone G-400 (their version of the SG) is not related to actual mahogany.


51 posted on 08/24/2011 2:49:32 PM PDT by ZirconEncrustedTweezers (Never miss an opportunity to keep your mouth shut.)
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To: meyer

“Maybe it’s a splinter group, deeply rooted in terrorism. That would really go against the grain in the eyes of the fed.”

You’re knot kidding, are you?


52 posted on 08/24/2011 2:50:39 PM PDT by ZirconEncrustedTweezers (Never miss an opportunity to keep your mouth shut.)
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To: PowderMonkey
Most likely some protected species of Central American mahogany.

Protected??? Sheeiii..... Just plant more! Wood is a renewable resource.

53 posted on 08/24/2011 2:51:51 PM PDT by meyer (We will not sit down and shut up.)
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To: cc2k; a fool in paradise; JoeProBono; Slings and Arrows; null and void; dfwgator

Typical belated government response. The Feds are about 60 years too late trying to stop the spread of the rock and roll virus!


54 posted on 08/24/2011 2:53:00 PM PDT by Revolting cat! (Let us prey!)
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To: BerryDingle
Environmental reasons?

Yeah right! One might consider that this is in Tennessee, a RED state. Of course, I would never expect this administration to "go after" a business in a state that doesn't march to Obama's tune. Like Texas, for example.

55 posted on 08/24/2011 2:55:44 PM PDT by meyer (We will not sit down and shut up.)
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To: Paine in the Neck
“Isn’t it good -

Illegal wood?”

:-) You win!!

56 posted on 08/24/2011 3:00:09 PM PDT by meyer (We will not sit down and shut up.)
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To: ZirconEncrustedTweezers
You’re knot kidding, are you?

Going out on a limb here - no, I'm knot!

57 posted on 08/24/2011 3:03:08 PM PDT by meyer (We will not sit down and shut up.)
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To: vanilla swirl

“They’ve already done that. Most of their Epiphone line is already made overseas.”

and that’s why Epi’s are junk, the wood is cheap light fer’n junk “

Hmm...Can’t be made in Japan , then . Japanese-made Gretsch are some of the best guitars in the world .


58 posted on 08/24/2011 3:06:56 PM PDT by sushiman
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To: cc2k

I toured this Gibson factory in December. I didn’t see no stinking endangered wood.


59 posted on 08/24/2011 3:07:01 PM PDT by Mike Evers
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To: cc2k

This is outrageous that the Federal Government is now trying to destroy one of the few remaining successful U.S. manufacturers. I can’t imagine how wood is now considered “endangered” when a few more trees can just be planted. Eric “Nation of Cowards” Holder should be fired for this nonsense. Gibson should be rewarded for their industriousness and deserve better than this.


60 posted on 08/24/2011 3:08:09 PM PDT by purplelobster
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