Not bass-specific, but certainly worth pondering:
Will the Lacey Act Criminalize Instrument Sales?
International Trade Commission Invites You to Weigh In
(Source: Music Trades Magazine) A recent amendment to the Lacey Act, which requires buyers and sellers to document of the source and species of wood used in any product or face serious legal consequences, has alarmed the music industry worldwide. Last year agents from the FBI and the Fish, Game, & Wildlife Department raided the Gibson factory in Nashville and seized allegedly undocumented wood. The consensus among other guitar makers was that “if Gibson could be targeted, then everyone is at risk.” The U.S. International Trade Commission, recognizing the problems created by the Lacey Act as currently written, is planning to appeal to Congress to revise the law.
Senior Trade Analyst Ralph Watkins is heading the effort, and is interested in hearing from anyone in the industry about problems with the law. He can be contacted at: 202-205-3492 or Ralph.watkins@usitc.gov.
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Will it criminalize instrument sales? Of course not! That’s just silly. Will it alleviate the epidemic of harvesting endangered woods? Probably not. But to think makers shouldn’t be held at all accountable is arrogant and frankly typical American alarmist rhetoric. Pleas read the Lacy Act before making a judgment. Of course makers don’t want to be held to account for the origins of their wood. Just like clothing manufacturers don’t want to be held to task for their Chinese labor practices. We live in a world where everyone wants to do whatever they want to anyone and anything they want. Not trying to imply this will save the planet but if you document your koa and wenge before you use it, what harm shall befall you in the process.
Many custom luthiers have purchased wood in the past to be aged and used after years. They have no documentation for that wood and will now be unable to sell instruments they make from it. That will put many small companies out of business, and many musicians will miss fine instruments.