Latest CITES II update

[AcornHouse]

Word from one of the luthier supply companies posted today on Instagram about further CITES II restrictions on two more species. And a warning about the future.

 

[GGJaguar]

I wonder if this will put more R&D into making carbon fiber guitars sound better.

 

[gjmalcyon]

I wonder if this will put more R&D into making carbon fiber guitars sound better.

Anyone here owned/played/spent time with a Rainsong guitar?

 

[geoguy]

I've played an OM-sized Rainsong. It sounded quite bright for a 12-fret guitar, and the neck was somewhat chunky.

 

[AcornHouse]

There’s still plenty of good domestic wood choices, no need to go plastic. Walnut, maple, myrtle, birch, oak, cherry, etc., etc., etc. If you look at what a lot of the boutique builders are doing these days, you’ll find plenty of options. Even some of the big companies have been exploring eco-friendly woods.

 

[twocorgis]

Anyone here owned/played/spent time with a Rainsong guitar?

I owned a Rainsong S-DR1000N2 that I got for a great price, and it was a terrific guitar. I think the satin finish CF guitars sound better than their gloss counterparts. Shouldn't have sold that one!

 

[Rocky]

I played a couple of Rainsong guitars several years ago. Yes, bright, kind of like a Taylor, but not a bad sound. I actually though the neck was too modern/thin feeling for my tastes.

If I was looking for a guitar to bring with me on my sailboat for an around the world cruise, I'd get one without thinking about it. Or any other situation where I'd need the stability. Or I needed a guitar, and good wood had run out. But I'm not in any of those situations. I suspect they will become more popular/affordable as decent materials get harder and harder to source.

 

[West R Lee]

I owned a Rainsong S-DR1000N2 that I got for a great price, and it was a terrific guitar. I think the satin finish CF guitars sound better than their gloss counterparts. Shouldn't have sold that one!

West

 

[GAD]

I’ve played multiple Rainsongs and loved them. I still contemplate getting a 12-string from them now that they reintroduced them.

 

[gjmalcyon]

Thanks for the replies - thinking about something I can throw in the car for post-retirement road trips.

 

[GGJaguar]

I wonder what the short-term impacts will be on Guild? How much khaya do they have stashed in Oxnard? How much is stashed in China and allotted for the Westerly series? What will they switch to - sipo, sapele, okoume, something else? And how long before those 3 mahog-alikes go on CITES Appendix II?

 

[GAD]

I wonder what the short-term impacts will be on Guild? How much khaya do they have stashed in Oxnard? How much is stashed in China and allotted for the Westerly series? What will they switch to - sipo, sapele, okoume, something else? And how long before those 3 mahog-alikes go on CITES Appendix II?

How long until all guitar-making is outlawed and my stash rockets in value up to a billion dollars?

Honestly, I’d settle for a half billion.

 

[GGJaguar]

How long until all guitar-making is outlawed and my stash rockets in value up to a billion dollars?

I love it when you play the "what if?" game.

 

[dreadnut]

I have 2 words for you: Vintage Guilds.

 

[fronobulax]

I wonder what the short-term impacts will be on Guild? How much khaya do they have stashed in Oxnard? How much is stashed in China and allotted for the Westerly series? What will they switch to - sipo, sapele, okoume, something else? And how long before those 3 mahog-alikes go on CITES Appendix II?

Could Guild even use the stash in Asia for instruments intended for import into the USA after February 2023?

 

[GGJaguar]

Could Guild even use the stash in Asia for instruments intended for import into the USA after February 2023?

I would think they could as long as the wood source is documented to show it was in-house prior to Feb 2023.

 

[chazmo]

Could Guild even use the stash in Asia for instruments intended for import into the USA after February 2023?

I don't think it works this way, guys. Whatever supply Cordoba keeps at it's Asian-based contractors is likely not going to come to the USA. I could be wrong, though since my recollection on all this comes from the Fender days when Tim Shaw and Paul Meisenzahl helped describe how they were doing this. Fender people did, indeed, help to choose the wood in Asia, but there was no discussion about exporting it to the US. It didn't come from the US, as I recall.

 

[chazmo]

I owned a Rainsong S-DR1000N2 that I got for a great price, and it was a terrific guitar. I think the satin finish CF guitars sound better than their gloss counterparts. Shouldn't have sold that one!

The closest I've come is that I've played a few Adamas (Ovation) guitars that were spectacular. I don't know if the bowls were made from CF or from fiberglass, and there was wood on those guitars as well. But, they were terrific (and rather $$).

 

[fronobulax]

I don't think it works this way, guys. Whatever supply Cordoba keeps at it's Asian-based contractors is likely not going to come to the USA. I could be wrong, though since my recollection on all this comes from the Fender days when Tim Shaw and Paul Meisenzahl helped describe how they were doing this. Fender people did, indeed, help to choose the wood in Asia, but there was no discussion about exporting it to the US. It didn't come from the US, as I recall.

The import is the finished product and not wood to be made into a guitar in the USA

 

[fronobulax]

I would think they could as long as the wood source is documented to show it was in-house prior to Feb 2023.

I'd like to believe that is possible, especially if the importer is a large corporation but the experience of individuals with musical instruments (not just guitars) doesn't suggest it is a likely certainty. IMO. YMMV.