[Cymbaline]

Does anyone know, what’s so special about the ebony Gibson is using? Lots of guitar companies use ebony, so what’s special about Gibson?

[Mad Dawgg]

"Does anyone know, what’s so special about the ebony Gibson is using? Lots of guitar companies use ebony, so what’s special about Gibson?"

Most of the other Guitar Companies contribute to Democrat Campaigns. Gibson doesn't as much.

[tet68]

Ebony comes from several places, Madagascar is one
Gabon is another the same with rose wood.
Long ago when I was apprentice to an instrument maker
there were various restrictions, so I suppose it’s
the same today. We used to go to flea markets looking
for curios made of ebony to cut up for nuts bridges etc.
My big dulcimore which unhappily was stolen some
years ago had Brazilian Rosewood finger board with
ebony inlays and mother of pearl doves, a hand carved
man in the moon on the neck and other work that made it
one of a kind. Sigh.

[John Valentine]

The issue is not with ebony, it’s with Indian rosewood, which the indians prefer to handwork there. Problem is the work does not meet Gibson’s standards, so additional finishing work is needed at the Gibson factory.

According the the DOJ, this violates some technicality or other, and explains why the DOJ suggests doing the work outside the US where this looney law does not apply.

This is pure insanity and is perfectly illustrative of why this our government needs a thoroughgoing high-pressure hosedown.

[Condor51]

*** Does anyone know, what’s so special about the ebony Gibson is using? Lots of guitar companies use ebony, so what’s special about Gibson? ***

Well you have some answers but here's how it breaks down to me.

First it's not just the Ebony, but most of the 'exotic' woods Gibson uses on their top line guitars. And per 'international agreements' and STOO-PID^™ US Eco-Nazi 'laws', there's 'Good Exotic Wood' (legal) and 'Bad Exotic Wood' (illegal). And to use 'the 'bad exotic wood' you need gobs of paperwork proving that you had it before all the laws and regs went into effect.

In short, it's kind of like 'Blood Diamonds'. There's nothing wrong with them except the source they came from and in what year. Also that Gibson Guitar is getting the shaft from Barry's Gestapo, 'just for kicks'.

Note: I don't understand the whole 'Blood Diamond' baloney either. A 4 Caret Diamond is a 4 Caret Diamond. No matter from where in Africa it came from.

[concerned about politics]

Lots of guitar companies use ebony, so what’s special about Gibson?

It turns out that Gibson’s CEO Henry E. Juszkiewicz is a Republican donor. But the CEO of C.F. Martin & Company — one of Gibson’s main competitors and another user of the “East Indian Rosewood” — is a big Democratic donor.
This whole raid really is that simple.

"Punish your enemies, and reward your friends" - Barrack Hussein Oboma

[Tallguy]

probably nothing special about the wood. There are now a whole set of regulations concerning the importation of wood products due to the risk of spreading wood-borne insects between countries. You can't even use a wooden skid any longer, they've gone to "processed lumber" (ie. laminated plywood) or polymer skids. This has forced a lot of companies to add a hefty "Shipping & Handling" charge onto most industrial shipments. If you business is importing wood for processing into finished products, I can't imagine all the hurdles that you'd have to jump over. Probably all kinds of certifications are needed. Now if Gibson's Indian supplier cut some corners, then you can bet that some eager-beaver at the Obama DOJ is going to try and prove that Gibson knew about it. I also read that this case is basically one where DOJ is enforcing Indian law. Really? We're going to put a US manufacturer out of business because a foreign country is alleging that they broke an environmental 'law'?