Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Funny that just end of last week we announced that we'd stop producing guitars with ebony fingerboards!

Don't get me started on FSC...

PRESS RELEASE FROM GIBSON GUITAR CORP. ----- August 25, 2011

Gov’t says wood is illegal if U.S. workers produce it

The Justice department bullies Gibson without filing charges

The Federal Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. has suggested that the use of wood from India that is not finished by Indian workers is illegal, not because of U.S. law, but because it is the Justice Department’s interpretation of a law in India. (If the same wood from the same tree was finished by Indian workers, the material would be legal.) This action was taken without the support and consent of the government in India.

On August 24, 2011, around 8:45 a.m. CDT, agents for the federal government executed four search warrants on Gibson’s facilities in Nashville and Memphis and seized several pallets of wood, electronic files and guitars. Gibson had to cease its manufacturing operations and send workers home for the day, while armed agents executed the search warrants. Gibson has fully cooperated with the execution of the search warrants.


Raid shut down Gibson factories and cost company money
This is the second time that federal agents have raided Gibson facilities and disrupted production – this time causing lost productivity and sales.


Wood seized was Forest Stewardship Council Controlled
The wood the Government seized on August 24 is from a Forest Stewardship Council certified supplier and is FSC Controlled, meaning that the wood complies with the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council, which is an industry-recognized and independent, not-for-profit organization established to promote responsible management of the world’s forests. FSC Controlled Wood standards require, among other things, that the wood not be illegally harvested and not be harvested in violation of traditional and civil rights. See http://www.fsc.org for more information. Gibson has a long history of supporting sustainable and responsible sources of wood and has worked diligently with entities such as the Rainforest Alliance and Greenpeace to secure FSC certified supplies. The wood seized on August 24 satisfied FSC standards.


Nearly two years later, no charges have been filed
In 2009, more than a dozen agents with automatic weapons invaded the Gibson factory in Nashville. The Government seized guitars and a substantial amount of ebony fingerboard blanks from Madagascar. To date, 1 year and 9 months later, criminal charges have NOT been filed, yet the Government still holds Gibson’s property. Gibson has obtained sworn statements and documents from the Madagascar government and these materials, which have been filed in federal court, show that the wood seized in 2009 was legally exported under Madagascar law and that no law has been violated. Gibson is attempting to have its property returned in a civil proceeding that is pending in federal court.

The Justice Department has asked the judge to stop the court case indefinitely.

Information sought in raid was already made available
Since 2009, Gibson has fully cooperated with the Government’s investigation of wood and has provided substantial documentation regarding Gibson’s wood-buying activities over the years. Yet, the Federal Government raided Gibson’s facilities on August 24, 2011, without warning or communication of any kind. Had the Government simply communicated with Gibson, Gibson would have cooperated without having to stop its production and send workers home.


Not about illegal logging, not about conservation, not about the environment
The U.S. Lacey Act does not directly address conservation issues but is about obeying all laws of the countries from which wood products are procured. This law reads that you are guilty if you did not observe a law even though you had no knowledge of that law in a foreign country. The U.S. Lacey Act is only applicable when a foreign law has been violated.



Gibson is innocent and will fight to protect its rights
Gibson has complied with foreign laws and believes it is innocent of ANY wrong doing. We will fight aggressively to prove our innocence.

For more information, please contact:


Henry E. Juszkiewicz

c/o Gibson Guitar Corp.

309 Plus Park Blvd.

Nashville, TN 37217


(615)871-4500 Extension 2405

http://www.gibson.com

About Gibson Guitar:

Gibson is known worldwide for producing classic models in every major style of fretted instrument, including acoustic and electric guitars, mandolins, and banjos. The Gibson Les Paul guitar is the best-selling guitar of all time and bears the name of the late, great Les Paul. Gibson’s line of Robot guitars, including the revolutionary new Firebird X, represents the biggest advances in electric guitar design in over 70 years. The Gibson Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Gibson Guitar Corp., and dedicates its time and services to making the place a better world for children through its support of music, education, health and human services. Founded in 1894 in Kalamazoo, Michigan and headquartered in Nashville since 1984, Gibson Guitar Corp.’s family of brands now includes Epiphone, Dobro, Kramer, Steinberger, Tobias, Echoplex, Electar, Flatiron, Slingerland, Valley Arts, Maestro, Oberheim, Baldwin, Sunshine Piano, Take Anywhere Technology, J&C Fischer, Chickering, Hamilton, and Wurlitzer.

Visit Gibson’s website at http://www.gibson.com.

For breaking Gibson News: Press RSS Feed.

Follow Gibson on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/gibsonguitar and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/gibsonguitar.

Gibson, 1-800-4GIBSON (1-800-444-2766) or http://www.gibson.com

Gibson Media Contacts:

Jeremy Singer / Gibson UK, 020 7167 2144 / Jeremy.Singer@Gibson.com

Chris O’Hearn / Gibson Australia 61 2 9929 2257 / ThrillHillEnt@BigPond.com

I find the treatment of Gibson infuriating. I don't even like Gibson that much. I don't even own one.

I had a brief chat with a friend at F&W (our agencies work closely in some cases) regarding this, she was quite stoked about the investigation. Can't say I remember what she had to say, sorry.

paologregorio wrote:I find the treatment of Gibson infuriating. I don't even like Gibson that much. I don't even own one.

I own a number of Gibson products.........both vintage and some with fairly recent manufacture dates. I love having all manner of different guitars available to play. Gibson has made some very fine guitars over the years.

For the life of me, I cannot understand why they have been targeted in such a manner. Rest assured there is far more to this situation than we currently know.

I don't know anything more about this than what the media reports, but this seems to give more insight as to what's going on:

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news ... earch.html

I'm just guessing but it sounds like raw, rough wood was imported but described at import as "fingerboards". India has laws similar to those in Brazil, that require certain species of wood be made into finished parts or assemblies in-country, prior to export. Obviously the intent is to provide work to local residents based on their local natural resources being exploited.

Whether the U.S. should be enforcing regulations imposed within other countries is a whole 'nother question, but I do understand the intent of such legislation.

Here's another story on the Gibson raid:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 23268.html

Ebony and Rosewood fretboards are in the news on TV and radio ?? I couldn't believe I was hearing this story on NPR this morning !

Nothing quite like Environmentalist fueled media-hype and government "raids" to try and distract attention from more pressing economic issues.

Its a shame to see any business get singled out like this.

Oh that they worked this hard on illegal drug raids or god forbid Congress was this "dilligent". But then I guess they are operating at about the same logically.

Yeah, lets hassle the music-makers and let those breaking everyday laws get a bye.

johnallg wrote:Oh that they worked this hard on illegal drug raids or god forbid Congress was this "dilligent". But then I guess they are operating at about the same logically.

Yeah, lets hassle the music-makers and let those breaking everyday laws get a bye.

John, I guess we have the startings of an Anti Fretboard Raid tea party contingent !

8mileshigher wrote:

johnallg wrote:Oh that they worked this hard on illegal drug raids or god forbid Congress was this "dilligent". But then I guess they are operating at about the same logically.

Yeah, lets hassle the music-makers and let those breaking everyday laws get a bye.

John, I guess we have the startings of an Anti Fretboard Raid tea party contingent !

Earl Grey, hot, please!

johnhall wrote:I don't know anything more about this than what the media reports, but this seems to give more insight as to what's going on:

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news ... earch.html

I'm just guessing but it sounds like raw, rough wood was imported but described at import as "fingerboards". India has laws similar to those in Brazil, that require certain species of wood be made into finished parts or assemblies in-country, prior to export. Obviously the intent is to provide work to local residents based on their local natural resources being exploited.

Whether the U.S. should be enforcing regulations imposed within other countries is a whole 'nother question, but I do understand the intent of such legislation.

This link does help clarify things. I see two major issues:

1. The alleged falsification of the paperwork.
2. It also appears that the raw wood was being stored at another location until it was to be used. If things were on the level, why would that be needed?

rickboy88 wrote:This link does help clarify things. I see two major issues:

1. The alleged falsification of the paperwork.
2. It also appears that the raw wood was being stored at another location until it was to be used. If things were on the level, why would that be needed?

That does seem to be what it's all about. I don't see any real issues at all, except a possible error in answering federal questionnaires full of traps.

Falsification? Error in filling out paperwork. So the material's not yet made into fingerboard when the papers said it's fingerboard - what constitutes fingerboard? Just the material, or adding frets and inlays, which not all fingerbaords have anyway...
Why should one store wood at the factory? There's wood coming in and going out as finished product all the time. A lot of the wood is already graded when it arrives at the factory - Gibson produces guitars, they're not a storage facility for wood. Just the basic needed for an x amount of time is on site.

If one has to store the wood where the factory is then Paul W needs to start paying attention, as I think he wrote he stores wood somewhere else

The plot thickens?


http://landmarkreport.com/andrew/2011/0 ... can-donor/

Why didn't they raid the Bozeman, MT facility where Gibson produces the acoustics then? Wait, double ploy, like in a movie, where not raiding it will make sure nobody thinks of an acoustic competitor