# Gibson Guitars raided by FBI



## bobb (Jan 4, 2007)

http://www.nashvillepost.com/news/2009/11/17/gibson_guitars_raided_by_fbi

Feds raid Gibson offices

Iconic company investigated for illegal importation of Madagascar wood

Print By J.R. Lind

11-17-2009 4:06 PM —

UPDATED: To clarify that charges have yet to be filed and identify the federal agency involved in the office search; adds statement from Gibson


As originally reported:

Federal agents from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and local police today seized wood, guitars, computers and boxes of files from Gibson Guitar's Massman Road manufacturing facility.

Sources say the Nashville-based guitar manufacturer is being investigated for violating the Lacey Act, a key piece of environmental law, for importing endangered species of rosewood from Madagascar.

Rosewood is widely used in the construction of guitars and sells for $5,000 per cubic meter, more than double the price of mahogany. The island nation off Africa's east coast is a key producer of the hardwood, the export of which has links to international criminal activity.

A statement from Gibson released late Tuesday afternoon says the company is "fully co-operating" with the investigation.

"Gibson Guitar is fully cooperating with agents of the United States Fish & Wildlife Service as it pertains to an issue with harvested wood. Gibson is a chain of custody certified buyer who purchases wood from legal suppliers who are to follow all standards. Gibson Guitar Chairman and CEO [Henry Juszkiewicz] sits on the board of the Rainforest Alliance and takes the issue of certification very seriously. The company will continue to cooperate fully and assist our federal government with all inquiries and information," the company's statement said.

Madagascar has struggled financially since a January coup and new President Andry Rajoelina issued an executive order in September legalizing the export of rosewood and ebony. The move was decried by environmental groups and political leaders worldwide, as hardwood forests are key to Madagascar's unique ecology and serve as a habitat for a dwindling lemur population.

Sources tell NashvillePost.com Gibson was involved in a scheme that shipped the wood from Madagascar to Germany and then to the United States.


Another view:

http://blogs.nashvillescene.com/nashvillecream/2009/11/gibson_guitars_raided_by_fbi_f.php

Gibson Guitars Raided by FBI for Illegal Importation of Rosewood
By Steve Haruch in Hot Goss
Tue., Nov. 17 2009 @ 1:54PM


​The next time you rip a sweet, sweet pentatonic riff on the fretboard of your totally awesome Gibson guitar, think about the lemurs. Nashville-based Gibson Guitars was raided by the FBI today, according to SouthComm's resident bow-tie-wearing emo apologist, J.R. Lind, who writes over at the Nashville Post:

Sources say the Nashville-based guitar manufacturer is charged with violating the Lacey Act, a key piece of environmental law, for importing endangered species of rosewood from Madagascar. Rosewood is widely used in the construction of guitars and sells for $5,000 per cubic meter.

The island nation off Africa's east coast is a key producer of the [hardwood], the export of which has links to international criminal activity. Madagascar has struggled financially since a January coup and new president Andry Rajoelina issued an executive order in September legalizing the export of rosewood and ebony. The move was decried by environmental groups and political leaders worldwide, as hardwood forests are key to Madagascar's unique ecology and serve as a habitat for a dwindling lemur population. 

Full disclosure: I own two Gibson guitars, manufactured in 1966 and 1975, respectively--in other words, back when we didn't care what no lemurs in Africa was doin' long as we could have us some nice geetars. Lind promises to update the story as more information becomes available. It all begs the question: Could Lenny be a mole?


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Interesting. What I'm curious to know is how on earth it was discovered. I can't imagine that someone was browsing through the Gibson Showcase store near the Grand Ol' Opry and went "Hey, wait a second! That's *Madagascar* rosewood!"


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## John Bartley (Jul 23, 2009)

*Gibson in the news*

Already posted .... (beat me by 10 minutes....)

http://www.guitarscanada.com/Board/showthread.php?t=28674

cheers


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Inside job? Henry's not the most popular guy in the industry.

Peace, Mooh.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Probably a problem of interpretation of law, with no intent to circumvent. I'm no defender of Gibson's practises, I just can't imagine them knowingly violating this particular legislation, again given Henry's involvement in the standards creator.


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## jimihendrix (Jun 27, 2009)

what happens to the confiscated wood...???...does it get incinerated like all the pot plants that get nabbed during drug sweeps...???...

...or does it go up for auction so that paul reed smith can grab it all for his guitars...???...just wonderin'...


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

jimihendrix said:


> what happens to the confiscated wood...???...does it get incinerated like all the pot plants that get nabbed during drug sweeps...???...
> 
> ...or does it go up for auction so that paul reed smith can grab it all for his guitars...???...just wonderin'...


It should be moved up here and stored to kill the bugs.... 

It is sad though.


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

I have a VERY old stash of MAdagascar RW veneers (no solids) I bought at auction about 17 years ago.

Its over 30 or 40 yrs old. Beautifull stuff, VERY dark, deep colour.

AJC


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## Ship of fools (Nov 17, 2007)

*Gibson gets Raided*

kqoctWow who is next on the FBI's most wanted list.
http://www.nashvillepost.com/news/2009/11/17/gibson_guitars_raided_by_fbi
And the Fish and Wildlife gets involved.
http://nashville.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2009/11/16/daily16.html
Stay tuned for some shocking more news I am sure some of us must have a guitar or two that might now be considered illegal, so do be careful what you list as for woods on your girls.Ship.................this could rebound to Canada also.


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## bobb (Jan 4, 2007)

I wouldn't worry too much in this forum. Henry J's insanity seems to be focused more on the electric market. Not counting the Orville Gibson mandolin and the short lived "Inspired by Jimi Hendrix" Baldwin grand piano, of course.


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

Political aspects aside, I do not understand making a valuable resource worthless. The same thing has happened before, banning wood from places like the rainforest. This makes the tree worth nothing to anyone. So what happens? They burn down all those worthless trees and grow potatoes for McD's french fries, they can get money for that. IMHO they ought to teach the management of the valuable resource, so it becomes practical to have it grow, and be harvested with respect to the species so it may thrive.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Jim DaddyO said:


> Political aspects aside, I do not understand making a valuable resource worthless. The same thing has happened before, banning wood from places like the rainforest. This makes the tree worth nothing to anyone. So what happens? They burn down all those worthless trees and grow potatoes for McD's french fries, they can get money for that. IMHO they ought to teach the management of the valuable resource, so it becomes practical to have it grow, and be harvested with respect to the species so it may thrive.


Over on TGP, there are polar opinions, Let them do what they want with their wood - make good geetars, yeehaa, sho'nuff. And Lemurs uber alles. This is the first sensible recommendation I've heard.


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

Jim DaddyO said:


> Political aspects aside, I do not understand making a valuable resource worthless. The same thing has happened before, banning wood from places like the rainforest. This makes the tree worth nothing to anyone. So what happens? They burn down all those worthless trees and grow potatoes for McD's french fries, they can get money for that. IMHO they ought to teach the management of the valuable resource, so it becomes practical to have it grow, and be harvested with respect to the species so it may thrive.





Robert1950 said:


> Over on TGP, there are polar opinions, Let them do what they want with their wood - make good geetars, yeehaa, sho'nuff. And Lemurs uber alles. This is the first sensible recommendation I've heard.


Prior to the military coup, it was being done. Actually full environmental management. This is the program and certification that is so important that is also mentioned in the article. It was doing for nations like Madagascar what Fair Trade has done for coffee growers.

The wood there was not being slaughtered, it was being an absolute no harvest zone, same as any national park, and it was being backed by international laws and efforts. The Lemur was simply the cute one, but there was a risk to every single species on Madagascar at one point, and it had been heading to the first nation to ever extinct its entire native population of everything.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIroCO5sJVk]KIroCO5sJVk[/youtube]


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## Rick31797 (Apr 20, 2007)

*wow*

Its just seems all so silly too me.. i know laws are laws.. but using illegal wood..just doesn't seem that important , as too illegal drugs, or car thiefs stripping cars and selling parts.
. If i was in jail for importing illegal wood, i think some of the harden criminals would get a good laugh. Go focus all the energy on finding Bin laden.
Rick


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## xuthal (May 15, 2007)

Such a waste of wood if it was used on a gibson acoustic


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## Andy (Sep 23, 2007)

xuthal said:


> Such a waste of wood if it was used on a zoot suit SG


Fixed it for ya. :smilie_flagge17:


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## faracaster (Mar 9, 2006)

*GIBSON OFFICES RAIDED !!!!!!.........Lucy ! you got some 'splainin' to do !*

Has this been posted here yet?
Got this from pal in a email the other day. Looks like Henry J will actually have to use that lawyer's degree he has for law instead of ego.

/www.mmrmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=36EF4CB2A5104D8FA24CBF2BA7B908CC&nm=Hot+News&type=news&mod=News&mid=9A02E3B96F2A415ABC72CB5F516B4C10&tier=3&nid=E46268AC30FA41B5BDA74609F0FFA761

http://social.memberemail.com/Share.aspx?i=b83b2883b284ecd58a4eb4b67d6256b11c4d8d6ae4ee8359

*Gibson Offices Raided



(11/17/2009)

While no charges have yet been filed, NashvillePost.com is reporting that earlier today, Federal agents and local police seized wood, guitars, computers and files from Gibson Guitar's Massman Road manufacturing facility in Nashville.

Sources say the guitar manufacturer is being investigated for violating the Lacey Act, a key piece of environmental law, for importing endangered species of rosewood from Madagascar.

Rosewood is widely used in the construction of guitars and sells for $5,000 per cubic meter, more than double the price of mahogany. The island nation off Africa's east coast is a key producer of the hardwood, the export of which has links to international criminal activity.

Madagascar has struggled financially since a January coup and new President Andry Rajoelina issued an executive order in September legalizing the export of rosewood and ebony. The move was decried by environmental groups and political leaders worldwide, as hardwood forests are key to Madagascar's unique ecology and serve as a habitat for a dwindling lemur population.

Sources have told NashvillePost.com that Gibson was involved in a scheme that shipped the wood from Madagascar to Germany and then to the United States.

*


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

faracaster said:


> Has this been posted here yet?
> Got this from pal in a email the other day. Looks like Henry J will actually have to use that lawyer's degree he has for law instead of ego.
> 
> http://social.memberemail.com/Share.aspx?i=b83b2883b284ecd58a4eb4b67d6256b11c4d8d6ae4ee8359


we've been discussing it for a few days Pete...where've you been!...)


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## faracaster (Mar 9, 2006)

al3d said:


> we've been discussing it for a few days Pete...where've you been!...)


Under a rock I guess. kqoct (or at Maple Leaf Gardens actually).
If there is another thread somewhere on this, I'll delete the redundancy.


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## jimmy c g (Jan 1, 2008)

they should be charged with over pricing and destroying a once venerable company as well as taking others down for the ride (Garrison)....


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

overpricing, yes....but I think the brand is healthier than ever right now, so they are doing something right business-wise, as much as the purists resent it


the true hard core guys are discovering Heritage Guitars of Kalamazoo, heh sdsre


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## Samsquantch (Mar 5, 2009)

bolero said:


> I think the brand is healthier than ever right now


I disagree. There are still a lot of quality control issues with Gibson products in general, and that only serves to further damage their already tarnished rep.


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## NB-SK (Jul 28, 2007)

keeperofthegood said:


> Prior to the military coup, it was being done. Actually full environmental management. This is the program and certification that is so important that is also mentioned in the article. *It was doing for nations like Madagascar what Fair Trade has done for coffee growers.*
> 
> The wood there was not being slaughtered, it was being an absolute no harvest zone, same as any national park, and it was being backed by international laws and efforts. The Lemur was simply the cute one, but there was a risk to every single species on Madagascar at one point, and it had been heading to the first nation to ever extinct its entire native population of everything.
> 
> [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIroCO5sJVk]KIroCO5sJVk[/youtube]



Mmm...Not so sure.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7952628.stm


PS. Let's not forget the guys stealing flamed maple from crown and private land, eh?


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

bolero said:


> the true hard core guys are discovering Heritage Guitars of Kalamazoo, heh sdsre


a little late too, they've been around for a long time and a few people have definitely heard of them before now... if the prices go up, there will be sad panda faces everywhere!


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## bobb (Jan 4, 2007)

NB-SK said:


> PS. Let's not forget the guys stealing flamed maple from crown and private land, eh?


Like Burnaby Mountain in the Vancouver area?

http://www.bmba.ca/content/big-maple-poachers-active-burnaby-mountain


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

bobb said:


> Like Burnaby Mountain in the Vancouver area?


Yikes .....


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## I_cant_play (Jun 26, 2006)

bobb said:


> Like Burnaby Mountain in the Vancouver area?


holy crap I went to school there and I had no idea that was going on!


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

kqoct BC is bad. That is what is criminal. At least HERE it is still criminal even by the Governments rules. What the deal in Madagascar is, is that there the Government has changed, and what had been illegal has been slowly pushed back into the legal, but the reason the FBI is involved is because the rest of the worlds governments are still maintaining the status quo, that to do this in Madagascar is still illegal even if the current government there is trying to say otherwise.


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