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To: Second Amendment First
On quick other tidbit while the Gibson raids are still on my mind.

In 1960 or 1961, Gibson sought a U.S. customs court ruling that the East Indian Ebony and Rosewood fretboards it was importing from India were unfinished parts of a musical instrument and not finished parts of a musical instrument, because Gibson didn't want to pay a tariff on the fretboards. This made sense, because the 'fretboards' varied in length, width, and thickness, and each requiring shaping and fitting by Gibson before being fretted.

Jump ahead to the second government raid and the confiscation of Indian rosewood and Indian ebony fretboards. Gibson now argued the 'fretboards' of the same varied width, length, and thickness were finished fretboards (contrary to its own 60/61 Customs Court ruling), because Indian export law now allowed the export of finished fretboards, but not unfinished ones.

The same raw material is unfinished when Gibson wants to avoid paying a tariff, and finished when Gibson wants to avoid seizure.

I'll bet you never heard that from Henry Juskiewicz.

39 posted on 02/01/2014 1:38:23 PM PST by Scoutmaster (I'd rather be at Philmont)
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To: Scoutmaster

Let’s see what high profile musicians have the balls to publicly use the Government Les Paul.


41 posted on 02/01/2014 1:51:09 PM PST by RBW in PA
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To: Scoutmaster
Just a quick note to thank you for sharing what you learned in following the case. I posted a link to this thread on another "Gibson rosewood" thread, in an effort to spread your work a little bit farther.
48 posted on 02/02/2014 4:09:37 AM PST by Cboldt
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