New Rosewood Regulations

[Barry Daniels]

I wonder how this will affect the small builder?

https://reverb.com/news/new-cites-regulations-for-all-rosewood-species

[Brian Evans]

It affects the small builder in exactly the same way as it affects the large builder and the individual owner/musician. No breaks for size. Any amount of the material can count, depending on what it is. Wood suppliers basically no longer ship affected wood outside whatever country they are in. Individual guitars can have passports that owners can apply for. I have heard on the interweb of people with decades old Martin's with Brazilian back/sides being shipped to Martin for repair, and they were seized. You cannot successfully appeal the seizure and the people doing the appraisals are not always that much of an expert as to be able to tell one kind of mahogany or rosewood from another, from what I have learned.

Being in Canada I have been affected by this already. I tried to buy an inlaid rosewood fingerboard from a US supplier, and couldn't. I tried to buy some inlay material (mother of pearl) and couldn't.

[Beate Ritzert]

It affects even the owners of old instruments because they must prove that they owned their instruments legally before Jan 2. That's why i had all my instruments with rosewood (all dalbergia latifolia) registrated in the last days of 2016; it makes it less cumbersome to cross boundaries and it is also necessary to bequest them when my time will have come.

There is also rule that an instrument containing less than a certain amount will be legal (10 kg! - the regulation is mainly targeted at the chinese furniture industry where the use of rosewood has exploded) but i am unsure to which degree that will be followed. I think that's an international rule, but You might notice that i do not trust the European administrations.


Other materials, like MOP and some other woods relevant to instrument making have already been been put under Cites 2 a few years ago. It looks as if the recent and pretty drastic dalbergia regulation brings these older regulations into the radar of the administrations as well.

[David King]

This article is one of the more level-headed and well-informed I've seen on the issue:
http://www.wood-database.com/wood-artic ... ned-cites/

[Arnt Rian]

Rick Turner has links to several articles on "the rosewood issue" on his blog
https://rickturnerblog.com/2017/03/16/rosewood-in-the-21st-century/

The long and short of it seems to be: All international sales of all rosewood species are banned, domestic sales are mostly OK, and you can still travel internationally with your rosewood guitar.

I am in Norway, so for THIS small builder this means I will only be able to build with rosewood for as long as my personal stash lasts. Not an immediate problem, but I predict a lot more "Norwegian Wood" instruments are in my future… Which is OK by me, it can be both beautiful and made into great sounding instruments, if done correctly. I also think the market will gradually accept the "untraditional" looking back and side woods, as there is a lot of awareness about exotic woods and environmental issues in general. I think we will simply have to get used to the idea; its not like we haven't sen it coming, it should not be a big surprise for anyone who has been in the business for a while.

I am actually more concerned about ebony, prices are way up and quality has gone down for years. I will really miss the fingerboards, if it goes on the same list as rosewood, I haven't found anything I like as much.

[Clay Schaeffer]

"I am actually more concerned about ebony, prices are way up and quality has gone down for years. I will really miss the fingerboards, if it goes on the same list as rosewood, I haven't found anything I like as much."

What was that line from "The Graduate" -
One word: Plastics!

[Beate Ritzert]

I am actually more concerned about ebony, prices are way up and quality has gone down for years. I will really miss the fingerboards, if it goes on the same list as rosewood, I haven't found anything I like as much.

Technically there is still an alternative: Katalox. (Grenadil and related woods are all listed, maple, Beech and Oak from high altitudes is extremely rare, Bux is usually too small). But only as long as it will not be used in mass production. Unfortunately there is almost no alternative to those woods if You want or need to make use of the technical properties, especially the large Young's modulus and/or the abrasion resistance.

That's mainly an issue with fretless instruments; on fretted guitars woods like plum, pear, apple or something like that can be really nice.