CITES Kicking In

[StevenO]

I wasn't doubting you, but that's cool. I just always thought they used ebony, that's all. No big deal.

[spacecadet]

I wasn't doubting you, but that's cool. I just always thought they used ebony, that's all. No big deal.

No, I didn't mean to sound defensive or anything (I realize now that it may have come off that way), I just know that sometimes even official web sites get stuff wrong, so it's better to have a backup source to verify. In this case I believe it because there are two sources. I'm not always sure myself what's real rosewood and what's not even on my own guitars. I'm not sure what's really on my Squier Strat, for example.

So I just don't understand how/why they're going to keep importing guitars like the G5422T with rosewood when they're switching the American Elites to ebony.

[Subotnik]

What's interesting is that the bulk of the offending entities that are making rosewood scarce are flooring places, furniture makers, etc. Guitar makers are a tiny percentage of those industries using rosewood at all. In addition, Indian rosewood is not really endangered at all because it's sustainably harvested. So you get that classic case of the majority ruining things for the minority.

I live in Asia at the moment and I often see tables for sale for a few thousand dollars that use enough rosewood to make about 20 surfboards. Imagine how many guitar fretboards you could make! The CITES regulations say that you can do whatever you want with rosewood internally, but the difficulties kick in when you try to export. Therefore, rosewood is dirt cheap all over Asia.

[aliendawg]

Just out of curiosity... Does Fender import Paul Ferro and Brazilian Rosewood from Brazil or do they buy from a company that grows those trees in the US?

[zhivago]

Just out of curiosity... Does Fender import Paul Ferro and Brazilian Rosewood from Brazil or do they buy from a company that grows those trees in the US?

No idea on the Pau Ferro, but it is illegal to harvest Brazilian Rosewood no matter where it comes from.

Brazilian rosewood is an endangered species and has been illegal to harvest since 1964. Instruments are still being made from Brazilian, due to a very limited supply of Brazilian that was harvested prior to the 1964 ban. However, legal instruments must have the appropriate CITES paperwork, proving that the harvested wood landed in Europe prior to the ban. If there is no paperwork, chances are the Brazilian was illegally sourced.

https://breedlovemusic.com/acoustic-gui ... n-rosewood