Warmoth CITES Announcement

aarontunes

Somewhere in the middle of nowhere.
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Here is an official Warmoth announcement regarding the recent addition of all species of Dalbergia, plus Bubinga, to the CITES list. This goes into effect immediately, and will be amended once Warmoth receives the necessary permits.
I will do my best to answer any questions.
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As you may be aware, in October 2016 many new wood species were added as controlled export products under the international CITES treaty. These new species include: Bubinga and all species of Rosewood (Dalbergia spp.) such as Indian Rosewood, Palisander Rosewood, Malagasy Rosewood, Kingwood and Cocobolo.

Because of these recent and unexpected changes, Warmoth must temporarily suspend international shipments of products which contain these woods until our permit application is approved.

We expect international shipments of these woods to resume once our application is approved. Until then, we encourage you to contact us for help in determining the best alternative species.

Shipment of these woods within the USA is not affected.
 
Is there a list somewhere of what woods that Warmoth does that are not affected.

I was reading something somewhere else about these new CITEs changes. It seems even if you are selling an older instrument you may need something if selling internationally to prove manufacture prior to a certain date etc.  But possibly not if you are travelling with your own instrument.  (I can see some unfortunate guy at an airport having to plead it really is richlite and not endangered and no I don't have a certificate)

It seems the various authorities may not be fully up to speed on how they will interpret or enforce certain aspects.

I am all for the protection of endangered species and so forth, but I think sometimes regulations can start to take on a life of their own especially when you start having to pay for certificates and so forth. Hopefully the trees that are used for the paper are sustainable also.

 
This is really going to hurt the smaller markets where major brands already price gouge. Buying from overseas is already a challenge, but with the option of buying from cheaper markets now effectively gone, I'd expect to see the big players assert their market dominance even more.

In an odd sort of a way, it might work out well for Warmoth if Fenders and Gibsons are going to be even less realistically priced from now on. Still, one can't put a price on biodiversity.
 
stratamania said:
Is there a list somewhere of what woods that Warmoth does that are not affected.

I was reading something somewhere else about these new CITEs changes. It seems even if you are selling an older instrument you may need something if selling internationally to prove manufacture prior to a certain date etc.  But possibly not if you are travelling with your own instrument.  (I can see some unfortunate guy at an airport having to plead it really is richlite and not endangered and no I don't have a certificate)

It seems the various authorities may not be fully up to speed on how they will interpret or enforce certain aspects.

I am all for the protection of endangered species and so forth, but I think sometimes regulations can start to take on a life of their own especially when you start having to pay for certificates and so forth. Hopefully the trees that are used for the paper are sustainable also.


You can find out which woods are, and are not, effected by visiting the wood information pages on the Warmoth website. This one, for example: http://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Necks/NeckWoods.aspx


There are specific regulations for musicians traveling with instruments. You can cross borders with instruments of less than 10kg (22 lbs), without permits. That means guitars will be fine. I have no doubt there will be stories of overzealous customs officers confiscating stuff, which sucks.
 
We are currently waiting for our application to be approved. We got confirmation that it had been received a week or two ago. Once that happens, it's back to biz as usual, for the most part. I'm guessing another 60 days, maybe.
 
Time to explore more domestic woods..... Persimmon is a true ebony, it's just an ugly gray color - so stain it, right? Catalpa makes a great alternative to ash (also domestic), and is vastly underused in my opinion. Osage Orange is plentiful on the Great Plains, and it's well known to be VERY dense and hard. It would be excellent fingerboard material, and oxidizes to a beautiful golden brown over time (some grain reminds me of koa). There are more - I've built a little using Tupelo - doesn't have dramatic grain, but it stains well and has a nice golden glow with a clear finish.
 
AirCap said:
Time to explore more domestic woods..... Persimmon is a true ebony, it's just an ugly gray color - so stain it, right? Catalpa makes a great alternative to ash (also domestic), and is vastly underused in my opinion. Osage Orange is plentiful on the Great Plains, and it's well known to be VERY dense and hard. It would be excellent fingerboard material, and oxidizes to a beautiful golden brown over time (some grain reminds me of koa). There are more - I've built a little using Tupelo - doesn't have dramatic grain, but it stains well and has a nice golden glow with a clear finish.

Good point. Twood be interesting to hear more about what people have tried that has worked. Sometimes when I am on British luthiers websites they have used some interesting woods for their guitars. Rosewood is still my personal favorite fretboard. If only there was a light color variety of it......
 
USA Custom Guitars has received a Master File Permit from the United States Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service for the export of Rosewood species (Dalbergia spp.) and the issuance of certificates under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES).
When will Warmoth get their Permission?  :dontknow:
 
dandelo said:
USA Custom Guitars has received a Master File Permit from the United States Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service for the export of Rosewood species (Dalbergia spp.) and the issuance of certificates under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES).
When will Warmoth get their Permission?  :dontknow:


Getting the Master File Permit is only the first step in a very complex and convoluted process. I have no idea what USACG is doing, but I can tell you that Warmoth is following the law to the letter, and will approve the international shipment of Rosewood the minute we are certain we can legally can do so.

The last thing we want to do is create an unpleasant and frustrating situation for our customers. The second-to-the-last thing we want to do is lose business, so rest assured: the minute we can ship, we will.
 
USACG were the first or one of the very first to file and were in line ahead of most. They are well aware of following the rules. They were, from what I am told, the first to get the permit in this matter.
 
That's great news. That means we shouldn't have too much longer to wait!  :turtle:
 
:-\

https://www.reidys.com/blog/rosewood-no-more-fender-cites-1901/

I do wish they wouldn't use the term 'neck' when they mean fretboard. Or should it be fingerboard ? :dontknow:
 
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