"I'm From The Government, & I'm Here To Help You"

[ottlukk]

Gibson Guitar link: http://news.yahoo.com/gibson-guitar-ack ... 34875.html

[mojobone]

So, no determination of non-compliance, but Gibson will forfeit the wood and pay a fine? You don't see Paul Reed Smith or La Patrie roll like that. As crazy as it seems for the Federales to invade Gibson's properties while toting loaded assault weapons, this is pretty much what I expected; a clerical error with a slightly less than disastrous result. It's just a damned good thing nobody got hurt.

[cardell]

An illegal guitar...awesome marketing!

"Justice and Interior Department officials said in a September letter that those who "unknowingly possess" an instrument made from illegally imported materials don't have a criminal problem."
You see: here in Australia this is a comical statement.

Stuart

[charlie2]

i wonder if these were real environmental laws that were violated. Government also does good things and environmental laws are important.

[shanegrla]

i wonder if these were real environmental laws that were violated. Government also does good things and environmental laws are important.

Haven't studied this too in depth, but from what I heard the sale was happily sanctioned by the Indian government (where they got the wood from), which should make it okay in my book. And, on top of that, they say Martin used the very same wood and has received no such raids.

So read into any of that what you will, but IMO it was a bit of unnecessary overstepping.

In not entirely unrelated news, I just recently bought me a Les Paul! Yay me!

[ottlukk]

Here's another opinion from the WSJ http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000087 ... 49010.html