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Thread: Musical Instruments To Be Exempt From Restrictions

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    Administrator Mandolin Cafe's Avatar
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    Default Musical Instruments To Be Exempt From Restrictions

    ... An international endangered species convention meeting in Geneva is close to exempting musical instruments from trade restrictions on rosewood.

    Musical Instruments To Be Exempt From Restrictions On Heavily Trafficked Rosewood

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    Bob Remington bobrem's Avatar
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    Default Re: Musical Instruments To Be Exempt From Restrictions

    Great news, but the devil is in the details. Scouring the CITES site now for more info.

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    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Musical Instruments To Be Exempt From Restrictions

    From NPR...

    "We remain concerned this could set a bad precedent," said Lisa Handy (Director of Forest Campaigns at the Environmental Investigation Agency). "It will be even more imperative that the sourcing and manufacturing processes are well-controlled to ensure that rosewood-producing countries, which are struggling to control illegal loggers and trafficking...receive the international support they need to implement the convention."

    ....
    "Scott Paul, Director of Natural Resource Sustainability at Taylor, said the rosewood regulation was hastily drafted, causing bureaucracies around the world to issue "an obscene amount of permits."

    As said, the devil is in the details. Wood can move from one product stream to another.
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    Registered User foldedpath's Avatar
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    Default Re: Musical Instruments To Be Exempt From Restrictions

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill McCall View Post
    As said, the devil is in the details. Wood can move from one product stream to another.
    Indeed. I foresee the formation of many new companies specializing in Guitars and Hardwood Flooring with little to no actual musical instruments leaving the shop.

    Assuming it passes, it's still very good news in the short term for instrument builders and those of us who want to sell our instruments privately and ship overseas. But I think it might be just a 10 or 15 year temporary reprieve, because the forests will remain under pressure as long as the wood has economic value.

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    Default Re: Musical Instruments To Be Exempt From Restrictions

    I can still see this being an issue, if Brazilian rosewood is still on the nono list.

    I would imaging that many a Indian rosewood instrument will get confused for Brazilian, and vice versa, by those not so in the know working in customs departments. Could be a nightmare.

  7. #6

    Default Re: Musical Instruments To Be Exempt From Restrictions

    What about Brazilian? Lacking specific information, I’m doubting it is included in the rollback.

    Which would mean this is essentially reverting to pre-2017 regulations, which seemed not terribly onerous from the 2019 vantagepoint—and means that yes, shippers and regulators will have to distinguish between BRW and other dalbergia, which has been the case since the original CITES treaty of 1991.

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    Registered User foldedpath's Avatar
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    Default Re: Musical Instruments To Be Exempt From Restrictions

    Quote Originally Posted by Aldwyn View Post
    I can still see this being an issue, if Brazilian rosewood is still on the nono list.

    I would imaging that many a Indian rosewood instrument will get confused for Brazilian, and vice versa, by those not so in the know working in customs departments. Could be a nightmare.
    It wouldn't be any worse than the situation we had before the recent CITES restriction on other Dalbergia species. That caused a major headache for anyone shipping instruments (hand carry was still legal, for anything other than BRW).

    It's a return to the status quo ante. There is always a slight risk of mis-identifying Indian Rosewood, but at least you don't need paperwork on both ends to ship it now (assuming this goes into effect).

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    Default Re: Musical Instruments To Be Exempt From Restrictions

    Easy, folks. Although the amendment has been passed in committee, it has not yet been passed by the CITES convention at large. Although I am guardedly hopeful, nothing changes unless they do indeed pass it.

    Whatever happens, the problems for lovers of string instruments are not going away. Ebonies, rosewoods, and mahoganies are all being used up. The manufacture of many traditional finishing supplies is being severely restricted because of health and environmental concerns. It is now necessary to pay a stiff hazardous materials surcharge to ship raw celluloid products. The list of traditional materials that will eventually become unavailable is growing.

    A time will come when we will no longer be able to build instruments out of our favorite materials. We must find alternatives. The most positive note is that there is still plenty of maple and conifers for mandolins and violins. But don't count on the availability of ebony for fingerboards 20 years from now.
    Last edited by rcc56; Aug-27-2019 at 6:25pm.

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    Default Re: Musical Instruments To Be Exempt From Restrictions

    Wonder what bamboo sounds like as a tone wood for stringed instruments? :D

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    Barn Cat Mandolins Bob Clark's Avatar
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    Default Re: Musical Instruments To Be Exempt From Restrictions

    Quote Originally Posted by Aldwyn View Post
    Wonder what bamboo sounds like as a tone wood for stringed instruments? :D
    Maybe not for tone wood, but how about for fretboards? It is good and hard, based on its use in flooring. And it seems pretty stable.
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    Registered User Louise NM's Avatar
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    Default Re: Musical Instruments To Be Exempt From Restrictions


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    Default Re: Musical Instruments To Be Exempt From Restrictions

    What about Brazilian? Lacking specific information, I’m doubting it is included in the rollback.
    Nope, it is not included.
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    Registered User foldedpath's Avatar
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    Default Re: Musical Instruments To Be Exempt From Restrictions

    Quote Originally Posted by Aldwyn View Post
    Wonder what bamboo sounds like as a tone wood for stringed instruments? :D
    It's been used for solidbody electric guitars as an alternative tonewood. Do a Google search and you'll see examples, but almost anything can be used for a solidbody guitar.

    It hasn't been used successfully for acoustic guitars as far as I know, because it has to be a laminate build-up for a flat soundboard. Laminates are not the preferred way to go for acoustic soundboards, compared to solid wood.

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    Lurkist dhergert's Avatar
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    Default Re: Musical Instruments To Be Exempt From Restrictions

    -- Don

    "Music: A minor auditory irritation occasionally characterized as pleasant."
    "It is a lot more fun to make music than it is to argue about it."


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    Registered User slimt's Avatar
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    Default Re: Musical Instruments To Be Exempt From Restrictions

    about time.. been waiting to unload a few dozen Martins and Gibsons.. get rid of all the Rosewoods before they change there minds again.

  17. #16

    Default Re: Musical Instruments To Be Exempt From Restrictions

    Sonowood is an interesting alternative. It's not torrefied, it's maple or spruce crushed under huge pressures and temperature treated to get the desired color. Kind of torrefied, but also densified... need to get some and try it out.

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