Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

At The Back => The Dressing Room => Topic started by: Elliot on April 09, 2012, 08:39:08 PM

Title: Importing Rosewood
Post by: Elliot on April 09, 2012, 08:39:08 PM
Lets say I wanted to build a rosewood tele replica - Warmoth do the parts, but could I actually get the rosewood body and neck passed US and UK customs - or would they be seized?
Title: Re: Importing Rosewood
Post by: Attica! on April 09, 2012, 08:42:44 PM
Lets say I wanted to build a rosewood tele replica - Warmoth do the parts, but could I actually get the rosewood body and neck passed US and UK customs - or would they be seized?

Why would they be siezed? Am I missing something? :S
Title: Re: Importing Rosewood
Post by: Oli on April 09, 2012, 09:17:35 PM
From what I understand, you shouldn't have any problems with any rosewood if it has already been processed-- so a neck and a body should be ok. I think that brazilian may be a little sketchy, and certainly unprocessed brazilian is an issue.
Title: Re: Importing Rosewood
Post by: WezV on April 10, 2012, 07:33:43 AM
i would speak to warmoth first - ask them where they get their rosewood and if they have had any issues with shipping rosewood out.

i have already had a few US sellers refuse to send me some of the more exotic woods, but these are smaller companies than warmoth and their reasons are mainly 'just in case'.  i would expect warmoth to have some actual experience with this already
Title: Re: Importing Rosewood
Post by: Attica! on April 10, 2012, 12:12:31 PM
This is a question I asked on another thread. Just thought it made sense to post it on here.

I absolutely love it. I just kind of want a bit of re-assurance before I buy it as I'll be buying other things to make up the guitar.

Talking about other things, regarding the neck, I was thinking of maybe a naked Rosewood neck, but I saw on another thread about there being problems shipping rosewood. Can someone please explain to me the situation on this, as I didn't even know there was a problem until yesterday?


Cheers,
Mike
Title: Re: Importing Rosewood
Post by: Philly Q on April 10, 2012, 12:20:17 PM
I would guess, for you as an individual buying a ready-made item with a bit of rosewood in it, it's going to be a non-issue.

Isn't the situation which has affected Gibson etc more to do with import/export of the raw materials and where they're sourced?

As far as I know, nobody's stopping anyone in the UK importing guitars with rosewood boards, I don't see why this would be any different.  :?
Title: Re: Importing Rosewood
Post by: Attica! on April 10, 2012, 12:25:14 PM
I would guess, for you as an individual buying a ready-made item with a bit of rosewood in it, it's going to be a non-issue.

Isn't the situation which has affected Gibson etc more to do with import/export of the raw materials and where they're sourced?

As far as I know, nobody's stopping anyone in the UK importing guitars with rosewood boards, I don't see why this would be any different.  :?

Cheers for that. And it's a Rosewood neck I'm after, as to just the board. What's the situation on that?
Title: Re: Importing Rosewood
Post by: Philly Q on April 10, 2012, 12:50:22 PM
I would guess, for you as an individual buying a ready-made item with a bit of rosewood in it, it's going to be a non-issue.

Isn't the situation which has affected Gibson etc more to do with import/export of the raw materials and where they're sourced?

As far as I know, nobody's stopping anyone in the UK importing guitars with rosewood boards, I don't see why this would be any different.  :?

Cheers for that. And it's a Rosewood neck I'm after, as to just the board. What's the situation on that?

I don't see why it should make any difference whether it's all rosewood or just part-rosewood.

As I say, I'm just guessing about this.  I assume Customs have bigger fish to fry.

Nothing I've bought from Warmoth has ever shown any signs of being opened and inspected.  And maybe I'm assuming too much, but I really can't see some dolt from HMRC getting too excited trying to distinguish rosewood from pau ferro or macassar ebony.
Title: Re: Importing Rosewood
Post by: Attica! on April 10, 2012, 12:56:58 PM
Cheers for that. I guess I'll just order and hope for the best then :)
Title: Re: Importing Rosewood
Post by: WezV on April 10, 2012, 01:45:16 PM
but I really can't see some dolt from HMRC getting too excited trying to distinguish rosewood from pau ferro or macassar ebony.

the potential problem (not a real confirmed problem just yet) is that the dolt from customs wont be able to distinguish them.  even people who work with these woods all day could not tell you an exact species 100% of the time, somebody with no expereince of them will only see brown or black wood.


When that Dolt gets told to be on the lookout for indian rosewood he is just going to stop anything with brown wood.  will he have to prove its actually indian rosewood sourced legally?  nope, it will be down to the shipper to prove it - customs generally do what the hell they like.

Phone warmoth - they are nice people, they will be able to tell you if they have had any issues and if they have or need any paperwork for this wood.  at the very least it will let them know that their overseas customers are concerned by the current issues surrounding the import and export of rosewood which may encourage them to take a stance on the issue.

Title: Re: Importing Rosewood
Post by: Philly Q on April 10, 2012, 02:54:50 PM
Has anyone got any background on the legal situation and what's supposed to be happening?

Is there any suggestion that HMRC is actually clamping down on the import of guitars or guitar parts containing rosewood, or is this all arising from what happened to Gibson?
Title: Re: Importing Rosewood
Post by: WezV on April 10, 2012, 05:17:17 PM
nah, of course not - just a prime time BBC documentary   ;) 

but i do know its already stopped a US seller wanting to sell me certain woods - he looked into it his end and was advised not to risk it.

Companies like stew-mac or LMII already have lists of wood that cannot be shipped abroad so its not that unthinkable  that they will make the decision to extend that to other woods - Warmoth will have looked into this

Title: Re: Importing Rosewood
Post by: Philly Q on April 10, 2012, 05:23:40 PM
nah, of course not - just a prime time BBC documentary   ;)  

I was probably in the kitchen.  :P


So, is my Warmoth-collecting going to be cut off in its prime?
Title: Re: Importing Rosewood
Post by: Attica! on April 10, 2012, 05:27:39 PM
I remember hearing about Gibson having some legal issues, but was is the actual case with Rosewood? And is it just Rosewood?
Title: Re: Importing Rosewood
Post by: WezV on April 10, 2012, 05:30:36 PM
well - namm seem  to think you are ok for personal imports
http://www.namm.org/public-affairs/blog/namm-lacey-act-webinar-luthiers

but what i get from this is a lack of clarity, procedure - but accurate documentation should get you through most issues

Title: Re: Importing Rosewood
Post by: Philly Q on April 10, 2012, 06:03:05 PM
^ Sounds OK, although presumably that NAMM/Lacey Act summary is primarily looking at it from a US perspective.
Title: Re: Importing Rosewood
Post by: Sifu Ben on April 11, 2012, 09:50:07 AM
Yeah, I won't swear to it, but I didn't think that the Lacey Act had any effect here. If it's not on the CITES list then it should be OK.
Title: Re: Importing Rosewood
Post by: WezV on April 11, 2012, 01:05:51 PM
the way i understand it is the lacey act could still come into force when US companies try to export the rosewood again