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 ...
Most likely some protected species of Central American mahogany. Too bad. Makes great sound boards for musical instruments, and beautiful furniture.
Some woods are endangered. The most famous in terms of making guitars is Brazilian Rosewood. It's been illegal to trade under CITES since 1992 unless you can document that the wood was cut before 1992.
As for moving production from Memphis or Nashville, if I were looking for a quality Gibson acoustic guitar, I'd be looking for that Bozeman, Montana label anyway - from the old Flatiron mandolin plant.
Gibson is still struggling financially from the Nashville flooding of a couple of years ago.
“Rosewood from Madagascar”
If only the feds showed such concern about the influx of illegal immigrants from Mexico...
there is an underground industry in old growth cedar from the Olympic Nat Forest in WA, used for instruments (particularly the burl).
I don't know about the fish, but a lot of guitar players lead pretty wild lives.
FReepers can probably name a lot of guitar players who died thanks to their wild lives. But I think Glen Campbell is still alive.
Like millions of acres of rosewood is being slaughtered to make guitars.
Ah. Others post as I type. Madagascar rosewood is considered the “new” Brazilian rosewood, as it’s available and considered closest to Brazilian in color and tone.
puh-leeze.
Anyone who prostrates before the idol of political correctness deserves what he gets.
Pity he has to drag the Gibson name down into his muddy little pond, but American music history is fraught with nasty little sub-plots. All of American history, I suppose. Look what's become of Moody's Investor Service, which was started by the good man John Moody.
Got Wood? Not anymore.
“Makes me want to buy a Gibson.”
I’ll stick with Fender guitars myself. Although if someone gifted me a ‘58 cherryburst LP Standard, I certainly would not turn it down.
WTF do guitars have to do with fish and wildlife?
You can tune a guitar but you can't (well, you know)
“I don’t know about the fish”
Only thing I can come up with involving fish is the “mud shark incident”...
WTF do guitars have to do with . . . wildlife?Obviously, you haven't seen too many rock and roll players lately . . . ;)
Environmental reasons? What kind of an excuse is that? Since this is BS to begin with, they certainly won’t find anything they are looking for, since they’re not looking for anything except to hinder productivity.
It’s like Rush Limbaugh says, “The most beautiful thing about a tree is what you do with it after you cut it down.”
I once bought a mint condition Gibson ES-175 electric guitar at a police auction for just $80. By coincidence, that night I saw an Elvis movie from the late 60s where he was playing that same guitar so I knew I had a winner. I later sold it for a nice profit.
ILLEGAL wood - building guitars legal wood won’t build.
15 extra million Mexicans apparently have no impact on our environment and is not creating a shortage of Mexicans in Mexico.
It’s like Rush Limbaugh says, “The most beautiful thing about a tree is what you do with it after you cut it down.”Just call me a tree-hugger, then . . .
Can you think of any more noble mission for a tree than to become a) a baseball bat; or, b) a Les Paul?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.