Richard Dress - Posted - 08/26/2011:  09:11:36

As long has you have the appropriate federal forms filled out and notarized on all your instruments, proving there are no illegal components (like Brazilian Rosewood or ivory or such), then you have nothing to worry about.  Stop with all these anti-government innuendos.

SWCooper - Posted - 08/26/2011:  09:22:43

Innuendo, my ear. Did you read the article? Or the Gibson press release? $17,500 and three years probation for a piano importer who sought help up front getting his paperwork straight and a second armed raid of an instrument maker who was already in litigation after the first armed raid? If that's not government overreach, I don't know what is.

From Greylock to Bean Blossom - Posted - 08/26/2011:  09:22:55

quote:

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Originally posted by Richard Dress

As long has you have the appropriate federal forms filled out and notarized on all your instruments, proving there are no illegal components (like Brazilian Rosewood or ivory or such), then you have nothing to worry about.  Stop with all these anti-government innuendos.

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Right Governor!

Ken

AndyM - Posted - 08/26/2011:  09:26:10

Good Grief!  What is this country coming to?  Fed's raiding the Gibson guitar factories with automatic weapons looking for illegal wood?  Terrorists using illegal guitars?  I can imagine 50 years from now instrument investors and collectors will argue whether a certain Gibson guitar has illegal Madagascar rosewood and if it survived the big raid.  It would certainly bring a premium if it had bullet holes in it. 

SWCooper - Posted - 08/26/2011:  09:29:57

Well, from the pictures, I think it's just semi-automatic sidearms. It doesn't look like they went in with full auto machine guns, just pistoles. Still, I'm not aware that luthiers are prone to resisting arrest violently and I don't know why the Fish and Game people feel compelled to go around urban business armed.

SWCooper - Posted - 08/26/2011:  09:57:43

Waaaait a second, Richard Dress. Did you just try using subtlety on a banjo player?

Richard Dress - Posted - 08/26/2011:  11:00:12

Anti-government opinions are not well received.  From now on I am totally in favor of government.  No matter how oppressive or tyrannical it becomes.  This is a dangerous world and we don't want our federal police to endanger themselves chasing criminals or other people who could possibly injure them.  Small businesses and individual law-abiding citizens are much easier to oppress and suppress than actual threats to our society.

bargrasspicker - Posted - 08/26/2011:  11:10:54

read the thread, and dont see a thread of evidence to support why there was a raid. Allot of assumptions, couldnt this be a tax issue? Maybe they had illegal workers? Could be an ftc issue, for all the evidence I see here, gibson could have been running a meth lab. Its over the top to say they were using illegal woods. Even if they were, why not enforce in the law? The law is in place, if you don't like it, do something to change it, don't b**** about it on a banjo site. Im sure there are legal alternatives that are just as good, they might cost more, but really, whats the difference between paying 4 grand or 4200 for a new gibson?

Darcy - Posted - 08/26/2011:  11:23:38

If it was a tax issue, they wouldn't have Fish and Wildlife there. This is completely about wood. And the issue is the law is not completely clear. No one is sure what the legal alternatives are. It also appears you are guilty until proven innocent.



Do you have the background on every piece of wood used on your banjo or guitar?



online.wsj.com/article/SB10001...3268.html

Edited by - Darcy on 08/26/2011 11:24:13

Earls 5 - Posted - 08/26/2011:  11:25:22

about 200.00 it looks like bargrasspicker. There is more to this than meets the eye, freedom on some level is at stake the way I see it.

SWCooper - Posted - 08/26/2011:  11:32:40

Wall Street Journal called it a raid. Gibson called it a raid. Armed men confiscated property -- what do you call that?

Richard Dress - Posted - 08/26/2011:  11:55:14

Millions of dollars were spent on a multiyear undercover operation against dangerous Amish milk bootleggers, and they spent millions and years investigating and raiding Gibson for environmental crimes, they are putting people in jail for having junk cars in their backyard and not being able to follow EPA disposal regs, the list goes on and on.  Law enforcement is becoming totally engaged in these often overlooked areas of antisocial and dangerous behavior.  This also minimizes the risk that our enforcement personnel will face and thereby lower the medical expenses which normally characterize an active law enforcement agency.  

But not to worry because they will never bother us musicians.

Darcy - Posted - 08/26/2011:  13:48:22

Anyone make a carbon-fibre rim? That may be the future of guitars and banjo. Also, how do you make carbon fibre look like a sunburst?

Edited by - Darcy on 08/26/2011 13:49:07

Oldtwanger - Posted - 08/26/2011:  14:25:20

quote:

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Originally posted by Darcy

Anyone make a carbon-fibre rim? That may be the future of guitars and banjo. Also, how do you make carbon fibre look like a sunburst?

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Yellow, red, brown, and black paint --- water-based latex, of course.