Can you believe that some US Federal Institute raided Gibson Guitar’s main manufacturing plants in Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee because of wood that they use in creating the worlds most valuable guitar?
It seems that the Feds believe the wood obtained from India is illegal because Indian law states that wood exported from it’s country must be completely finished before being exported for another countries use. So I guess the wood being exported to Gibson factories was raw wood product or at least that’s what the Feds must think.
Gibson CEO said last week that they will continue their fight against the US Government’s raid, for the second time one in 2 years, in similar charges. The first time the wood in question was imported from Madagascar.
After the raid, the US agents obtained the illegal wood from India and sent all the workers home. What a way to get out of the shop.
While the Justice agents are still contemplating the charges against Gibson Guitars, Gibson is in the process of suing them to retrieve it’s product back so that the plants can resume production.
“Gibson has complied with foreign laws and believes it is innocent of any wrong doing,” Chief Executive Officer Henry Juszkiewicz said in a statement. “We will fight aggressively to prove our innocence.”
Juszkiewicz has stated the company, has and will work in close concert with groups like the Rainforest Alliance to help certify that the wood Gibson uses in it’s highly prized guitar come from ensure its wood imports are from sustainable authorities.
In an affidavit, agent John Rayfield of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said U.S. Customs agents in June detained a shipment of sawn ebony logs from India.
The paperwork accompanying the shipment identified it fraudulently as Indian ebony fingerboards for guitars and it did not say it was going to Gibson, the affidavit said.
In July, agents observed Indian ebony and rosewood delivered to a storage facility for Gibson, according to the affidavit, which asked permission to seize Gibson’s business computers.
Gibson plants also were raided in 2009, when agents confiscated ebony imported from Madagascar.
If your a big lover of Gibson guitars and own one then this long video is something that you might find interesting. Enjoy
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5No0Sk9NIo
Shame shame , Gibson. Just another reason to go with a small brand.
Gibson in my mind is #1 in guitar builders world wide. I’ve seen them introduce some new models priced on the low end.