Author Topic: Gibson Guitars Raided by Feds for Suspected CITES violations (Read 892 times)

811952 · « **Reply #30 on:** September 01, 2011, 06:14:55 AM »

Sustainable steel, organic aluminum...

s_wood · « **Reply #31 on:** September 01, 2011, 06:36:18 AM »

Not sure if this is relevant, but I am a baseball fan and the old-timers often say that today's bats break more often because the ash used these days is not as hard as was the case a generation ago. I wonder if this is something that is actually true or another case of everything was better when I was a kid.

cozmik_cowboy · « **Reply #32 on:** September 01, 2011, 07:21:36 AM »

I don't know, Steve - I just know nothing sounds worse than a hit with an aluminum bat!

Peter

lbpesq · « **Reply #33 on:** September 01, 2011, 07:26:02 AM »

Use a tree, go to jail! lol

Bill, tgo

s_wood · « **Reply #34 on:** September 01, 2011, 07:31:21 AM »

Peter:
Right! Aluminum bats are just wrong.

rjmsteel · « **Reply #35 on:** September 01, 2011, 09:30:26 AM »

BB Core is now the required Aluminum bat used in Youth League and High School at a minimum.
This reduces the B Factor closer to the 1.000 figure which is what a wooden bat performs at. The previous generations of Aluminum/ Hybrid bats were producing B Factors of 1.025 or somewhere around there. The new requirements lower the value of AL bat performance reducing issues with balls being hit towards infielders.... Believe me I know my son is a Varsity pitcher and I\ve seen a few interesting hits fly past some of his teammates while pitching.... skip a beat!

By the way is that steel produced from scrap at the mini-mills or the virgin product produced at the integrated Steel Mills?

keith_h · « **Reply #36 on:** September 01, 2011, 09:34:16 AM »

I know in the case of redwood and southern yellow pine the quality is not what it was 100 or so years ago. For redwood the old growth is much more rot resistant than the younger harvested stuff you see today. Likewise for yellow pine the older stuff is much harder than the new growth you can buy today.

Keith

hifiguy · « **Reply #37 on:** September 01, 2011, 09:39:12 AM »

Alembic, Martin and others don't seem to be having these problems. Sounds like Gibson has been pretty sloppy in their documentation or purchasing practices. Given their QC for the last couple of decades I am not surprised.

A friend of mine shelled out big coin for a Les Paul twenty years ago and it would never tune. Because the bridge studs were drilled 1/8 off of spec! The dealer promptly refunded his cash and returned the guitar to Gibson with an appropriately nasty accompanying letter. My friend bought a US-made Hamer.

And the sound an aluminum bat makes when striking a baseball is right up there with fingernails on a blackboard and styrofoam itch as one of the most annoying sounds on earth.

cozmik_cowboy · « **Reply #38 on:** September 01, 2011, 02:07:55 PM »

Sounds like Gibson has been pretty sloppy in their documentation or purchasing practices. Given their QC for the last couple of decades I am not surprised.

True that.

Peter

wideload · « **Reply #39 on:** September 01, 2011, 02:23:08 PM »

Maybe Bose could develop an aluminum bat that cancels out the tink and replaces it with an appropriate ash bat sound from a small driver hidden in the knob. Its right up their alley!

An Alembic maple/ebony/purpleheart bat would be SICK!!!

chuckc · « **Reply #40 on:** September 06, 2011, 01:46:26 PM »

I just watched the interview with the CEO of Gibson and he paints a slightly different and disturbing slant on this story. The issue he mentions has to do more with an Indian law that specifies that all woods sourced in India must be completely finished in India. This applies to ibony fretboards and Indian rosewood tone woods that may be partially finished and then shipped to the USA Gibson factories for final fitting. Since I?m sure, as the CEO mentioned, these woods have to be cleared by Indian customs and US customs something smells kinda fishy about this whole thing. As mentioned in an earlier post, the statute says that if you buy an instrument that was illegally manufactured then once you own it the onus is on you, the buyer, to NOT sell this instrument or it would be a federal crime. Not sure how this whole thing will flesh out but it all sounds very weird. Here?s the link to the interview (hope this is ok to do?) There are some parts that are hard to hear since it sounds like the factory is right next to the Memphis airport.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_-taqM5Sk0&feature=player_embedded

bigredbass · « **Reply #41 on:** November 24, 2011, 01:22:02 AM »

From the local NASHVILLE SCENE newspaper:

http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/does-gibson-guitars-playing-the-victim-chord-stand-up-to-scrutiny/Content?oid=2656825

. . . . oh Henry, it's just all Les Paulitics !

J o e y

David Houck · « **Reply #42 on:** November 24, 2011, 07:30:06 AM »

As a reminder, the posting guidelines state that discussions of a political nature should be avoided. And over the years, many of our members have expressed satisfaction with this guideline.

It is of course understandable that, because of its direct relation to the building of guitars and basses, and because of the involvement of one of the most well known and popular instrument builders, this particular story would be of interest to many here on this club. And there are of course wider issues beyond musical instruments that are important elements of the story. It is understandable that many here may find the story important.

However, as has been evidenced by the way the media, pundits, politicians, and others have approached this story, it is too easily dragged into the mud of divisive, angry, partisan political rhetoric.

Therefore, as moderator, I respectfully request that adherence to the posting guidelines be observed.

crobbins · « **Reply #43 on:** November 24, 2011, 08:39:00 AM »

Music, and Politics quite often go hand in hand.