If you have it shipped, then you'll need CITES licenses -and I believe you'll need both export and import licenses. I believe about £125.

If you personally import it, then the wood content is under the 10kg limit for Rosewood family woods, so you can bring it through without a certificate.

As I'd imagine all the guitars will have ben shipped to the US from the UK, CITES certificates should already be in existence for each guitar (unless DG goes back and forth to NY 60 times - allowing for 2 guitars a trip), so they may be making things out to be worse than they are.

Some of those old guitars will have Brazilian rosewood fretboards, which will be CITES covered, but others, like maple board Strats, don't contain any CITES listed wood, so don't need a certificate at all.

Then I just found this: https://www.nottinghamcityguitars.com/cites-guitars/, which is a bit worrying as I have an old Gibson C&W with a Brazilian Rosewood board.

But if they got them out to the USA, then there must be an easy way of getting them back.

Personally, I think DG should hand-deliver each one, or he can hold a BBQ down in Brighton (with Jack Ruston as chef), where you can say hello and pick it up.

Thanks dude, that is very useful info!

Do you know what those Ovation acoustics are made from per chance?

The New Hartford 1976 models specifically.

It's an Ovation Custom Legend (made in New Hartford). Not a Brazilian rosewood fretboard, but an ebony one. So that may still come under CITES depending on the source of the ebony. Sitka spruce top. Looks like it just has the mono output, not the stereo one that came in 1977.

The very similar Balladeer had an Indian rosewood 'board, so that would have been fine. I briefly had a late '70s Custom Balladeer that I bought from one friend (to help him out) and sold to another cheaply (to help him out). Played well and sounded nice, but with the big rounded slippery back, it was impossible to play unless it was on a strap.

Its about products that use materials from protected and endangered species isn't it?

So elephant ivory, exotic hardwoods, and that kind of thing.

I've read of cases where antique furniture and rare instruments were effectively destroyed by the unthinking application of CITES and the consequent removal of prohibited materials!

H

Hey Wonks, thanks mate you have been really helpful here!

I would offer you one (or perhaps two) of these biscuits (Ginger Nuts) but I fear you are not in the immedaite vicinity of the rural North.

I'm on a diet, so no biscuits for me. So even if they were milk chocolate Hobnobs (I dislike Ginger Nuts) and you offered to shoot down in the new motor, I'd still be saying thanks, but no thanks.

Getting CITES documentationshould be relatively quick and easy, but I expect the suggested time delay is down to the US government's staffing levels in the relevant department, coupled with a backlog from the Trump government shutdown.

Wonks wrote:I'm on a diet, so no biscuits for me. So even if they were milk chocolate Hobnobs (I dislike Ginger Nuts) and you offered to shoot down in the new motor, I'd still be saying thanks, but no thanks.

Getting CITES documentationshould be relatively quick and easy, but I expect the suggested time delay is down to the US government's staffing levels in the relevant department, coupled with a backlog from the Trump government shutdown.

So you reckon it's a given that the permit thing is granted in every case?

Gonna have a think. 6-8 months is less than whelming tbh. I want the guitar but I don't necesssarily want the hassle at the mo. However, I've registered to bid so on the day might have a glass or two of wine, stick on 'Pigs on the Wing' and see how the spirit moves me.

BTW, don't like Ginger Nuts?!! That's just nuts!!! (see what I did there?). They're like, literally really awesome.

And are a superb dunker, retaining rigidity even in the most extreme circumstances.

hth

I just don't like things with dried ginger in them. Fresh ginger, fine.

I'm weird.

I’ll take his then, please!
Thanks to this list I have become a HobNobs fan. (Only 1 a day when I can find them here which is not often)
A treat that stands up well to dunking is always welcome. My search begins for them.

I haven't had to apply for a CITES import or export licence, but from what I've heard from those who have it's a massive amount of hassle, and for that reason alone I would be very reluctant to buy or sell any wooden musical instrument where the shipping involved crossing international borders.

CITES requires both an export and import licence which AFAICS have to be applied for separately by the exporter (in this case Christies) and the importer (yourself). Both will cost money which IIRC the amount of which varies depending on the country the exporter and importer are in.

:(

Wonks wrote:Then I just found this: https://www.nottinghamcityguitars.com/cites-guitars/, which is a bit worrying as I have an old Gibson C&W with a Brazilian Rosewood board.

So how would one know what woods were involved in a guitar's construction? Because unless i'm misreading things again (quite possible) that article seems to suggest that these A10 forms are required for UK sales as well?
I'll go back and read it again.

Hearsay only but they seem to apply the 'guilty 'till proven innocent' principle WRT guitars :(

I'll just put this here and back away slowly. https://www.cites.org/

FWIW, Wonks, the current US adminstration is neither better nor worse than the last 5, just less polished, or rather, more American in everyway.

About three years ago I was going to sell a guitar to a guy in Ireland, but the CITES requirments put a stop to that. That is, however, the point.

Things might be getting better...

https://www.gearnews.com/possible-cites-u-turn-is-rosewood-set-for-a-comeback/

Interesting.

If this goes through I may have to buy a scratch and dent Variax from Sweetwater. No scratches or dents, I called them, but a very good price on limited colours. Even with shipping a major savings over local prices.

The 0001 Strat has gone for 1.5m$, the D35 also exceeded 1m$

Music Wolf wrote:The 0001 Strat has gone for 1.5m$, the D35 also exceeded 1m$

What about the Black Strat?

Edit: Looks like overall it raised around $12.5m...
Dave should be pleased with that.

desmond wrote:
What about the Black Strat?

.

Not come up yet (I guess it will be the last lot). I’ll take a guess at $2.5m