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 ...
Pat Metheny hasn't been the same since he ditched the ES-175.
>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.
Don’t the feds have anything better to do?
“Isn’t it good -
Illegal wood?”
Aren't they doing what they are supposed to be doing? Isn't shutting down every private enterprise their goal?
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.
“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.
“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
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.
Maybe it's a splinter group, deeply rooted in terrorism. That would really go against the grain in the eyes of the fed.
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.
“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?
Protected??? Sheeiii..... Just plant more! Wood is a renewable resource.
Typical belated government response. The Feds are about 60 years too late trying to stop the spread of the rock and roll virus!
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.
Illegal wood?”
:-) You win!!
Going out on a limb here - no, I'm knot!
“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 .
I toured this Gibson factory in December. I didn’t see no stinking endangered wood.
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.
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