Buy responsibly... guitars that is

On Tuesday this week this article came to my attention, http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110904/BUSINESS/309030089/Gibson-goes-offensive.

At the time it made me concerned for the US guitar making industry. That’s Martin, Fender, PRS, Guild, Larrivee, Collings, the list goes… If Gibson, an industry leader has been taken down by the Federal government what’s stopping one of the others been taken down?

And that’s the question. I can’t comment on the legality of Gibson’s practice but I turned to Andrew at Lyn Mac (the importers of Martin guitars for NZ) because what they don’t know about importing US made guitars isn’t worth knowing.

Apparently it all comes back to a 100 year old piece of legislation called the Lacey Act. In a nutshell, an Act to stop illegal transportation of endangered animals, plants and wood products. What this means today is practically every guitar that comes out of a US factory needs to have paperwork showing where every piece of wood came from, who and where that wood was processed by etc.

Martin don’t cut corners, and I would assume the same could be said about the other brands listed above. Two quick examples of this:

• Around a year ago we ordered in a very special Martin for a customer. It had a rare veneer on the headstock, and rare material for the nut and saddle. It took 3 months longer than expected and cost around 3 times more than usual to bring out that single guitar while all the paper work was checked.
• Guitar manufacturers found a source of Rosewood in Madagascar that came close to the Holy Grail, Brazilian Rosewood. Martin created an artist model with Rosanne Cash (Johnny’s daughter) that used Madagascan Rosewood. This was going to be limited to 100 guitars only. Part way through production of this model a coup broke out in Madagascar and wood supply was sold illegally and irresponsibility to fund the fighting. Martin stopped production of all models that used Madagascan Rosewood straight away. Only 44 Rosanne Cash models were made.

Just some food for thought, but as with everything these days… Buy responsibly.