The lowdown on Brazilian rosewood

klaatu

This is addressed to anyone who is really familiar with the CITES rules regarding Brazilian rosewood. I have been researching this issue and am becoming quite confused, as there is a lot of conflicting or less than clear information on this subject.

What if you have a guitar that was built using Brazilian rosewood when:
1) the wood itself was harvested prior to the CITES cutoff date (1992) and
2) the guitar was built AFTER that date.

Does this guitar require import/export licenses (say, between Canada and the US, or the US and any other country), or can it be exempted?

Some say that the guitar can be exempted based on the date of harvesting, but others say that the date of manufacture takes precedence, regardless of the harvesting date.

I happen to have a guitar that meets the description above and am now rather spooked about carrying it across the border, confiscation being a real possibility.

HCQ

Ben,

I don't know anything about traveling with a guitar made from B.R. I do know that anything recently made from B.R. is usually made from a stashed stock or from the stumps of already harvested trees. In both cases the trees were harvested many years ago before Brazil imposed its own restrictions. In this sense, I don't think you would be liable for traveling with a finished instrument as it isn't raw umber anymore.

That said, I did bring an instrument with a B.R. fingerboard into Canada from the US a couple of years ago. The border officials were more interested about in me coming to Canada or sellimg the guitar to make money rather than me coming to spend it.

Best,

klaatu

This is one of the sites has has me spooked:
http://www.acousticmusic.org/CITES-and-ESA-sp-78.html

Frank Wekenmann

Ben,
unfortuntely, I think there is reason to be spooked. There is a lot of discussion about this subject among Bluegrass players with their D-28s often made of BR. You might find this interesting: http://www.bluegrasswales.org/CITES.htm

klaatu

Thanks, Frank. I've actually read that article, among others, and they all give me a fright. I happen to own a 1966 D28, with which I would never travel. However, I also have a gypsy guitar with BR that I would like to take to Django in June next year. Everything I've seen so far says that's not a good idea.