CITES, a specific request for advice

[Max405]

Jabberwocky

I've been into AYs for a long time, since the late 70s when I moved to Palo Alto for IBM and a local music store near my office, Drapers, was an authorized Alvarez Yairi dealer, they had an AY corner with all the guitars you will see posted below for sale. I just scored on a 1974 DY95, and it's on the way. Solid Jacaranda, it's a D45 clone. Real beauty, this was $1800.00 shipped.

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Mikey,
That is a GORGEOUS guitar. The Dreadnaught shape is most pleasing to my eye. It is so symmetrical to me.

Keep having fun bro!

JD

[BigMikeinNJ]

Hump Day...

[BigMikeinNJ]

?Here's a guy playing a slightly different variation of the one I posted photos of earlier today:

[BigMikeinNJ]

Well fellas, time for an update. Use this from me as a PSA, probably NOT GOOD IDEA to buy a guitar from Overseas any more. At least bringing it in to America. I'm 1 for 2 in the last 2 weeks. The bowl back with the lion on the face I sprung for. Over 5k... A japanese dealer I've seen around a while, so I did the BIN. After a few days for clearing my payment they shipped EMS and it got to the U.S. on the 8th... And on the 9th went into U.S. Customs where it sits to this day. I tried calling the Post Office 800 number and talked to my postal carrier, both say the same thing. Customs will contact me when they're good and ready. Meanwhile some dude in Customs is having a hootenanny in his office on this beast.

But to show you all things are NOT equal, the day after I find a small builder copy of a Martin N-20, just like Willie Nelson used - Brazilian Rosewood, in some very remote part of Thailand. I ask the seller to mark it as walnut back and sides. It blows right through Customs without a hitch.

So if you're looking at something with rosewood or ebony in it and it's in another country. Think twice...

Sorry to deliver what I think is bad news.

Big

[BigMikeinNJ]

Having heard horror stories from buys buying boxes of cigars, I may get a F You letter from Customs telling me they've seized the parcel - if I get that I'll go (it's near O'Hare Airport) and try to buy it out of hock. Customs duties or taxes I'd be more than happy to pay. I'll even show them the ad so they can see what I paid. I'm good with that... Or the guy may find a new guitar to play around with, the postal carrier says they'll release it with a bill that must be paid first. Again, how much ??? (reaching for wallet).

But my Karma must be holding up because Wednesday I found for me what is true Holy Grail stuff - a 1975 James E. Patterson flat top. Now for those of you that don't know, James E. Patterson was a builder in Santa Cruz, he mentored to many builders when they got started. Sort of a local legend if you will, called affectionately Grandfather by many who now make their living selling great guitars (think Santa Cruz Guitars for example). Patterson only made about 307 guitars in his lifetime. All done in his backyard garage/shop. He wrote what is considered The Bible on pearl and shell inlay - eventually trading the rights to it for a huge stash of shell from WD parts. I had one I found in San Francisco back in 2007. A real beauty with abalone and shell dolphins inlaid on the headstock and fingerboard. Everyone is chasing Martins and Santa Cruz and Breedlove and so on, this guy is totally under the radar. So here is his 47th guitar ever made, a 1975 (#R47). (Thank You GOD !!!!)

[iim7V7IM7]

Since this thread has morphed a bit from a CITES import/ export thread into a BRW wood thread (nice guitar Mike!), I thought that I would share a BRW/German Spruce 0-42 that luthier Bruce Sexauer just made for me.

This was among the nicest sets of BRW that I have come across and Bruce had it for many years. Here is the set in the raw. It appears lighter due to oxidation. It was about as perfectly quartered as you can find and the sides were flitch matched.



Here is the finished guitar. It is basically a Style 42esque single 0 sized (13-1/2") guitar. Some difference though. The body length is about a 1/4" longer than a Martin and instead of a short scale (24.9") it has a long scale (25.4"). The added body volume and scale length makes this diminutive guitar punch way above its weight (which is 3 lb. 6 oz. btw). I chose quieter Style 28 diamond and square fingerboard markers. It has a 1-3/4" nut width and 2-5/16" string spacing with Jescar EVO 43080 frets.



The top is a German Spruce top, ebony fingerboard and pyramid bridge with abalone purfling and a Style 45 backstrip. The bridge pins are made from the same cocobolo sapwood as the binding and the tuner buttons.



The soundhole is slightly smaller than the typical 3-5/8" diameter because Bruce added a small side port to the upper bout. Instead of traditional Ivoroid, we used hard cocobolo sapwood which has a beautiful character to it.



Bruce added a subtle 1/4" Manzer wedge to the body for added playing comfort. People sometimes forget that single 0 guitars are deeper (4-1/4") than 00 and 000 sized guitars. All the side purfling is maple and ebony vs. the plastic and fiber sometimes used.



The guitar has a true "birds beak" (bridle joint) hot hide glued, two-piece headstock construction. The headplate veneer is BRW with a traditional hand inlayed "flower pot". Those are Waverly tuners with custom cocobolo sapwood buttons to match the binding.

[BigMikeinNJ]

?That is jaw dropping my friend !!! My goodness...

[vinnyv1k]

Mikey is back and on the move.

[BigMikeinNJ]

Sometime you need a little field experience. So I bought the Lion guitar on the 3rd, it ships on the 7th and arrives in Chicago on th 8th, into Customs on the 9th. On the 24th I have a letter from Customs dated the 20th with a copy of the sellers Customs declarations and invoice. Trying to figure out how to navigate Customs I contact a broker. Very easy to work with, fax them all the paperwork and they call. $155.00 for them to process the transaction and $55.00 for the bond. Customs wants to know what it's made of, fudge that. They want $497.00 in duties. Pay the broker all that and they use their contacts in Customs to push it through. It arrives Friday.

MEANWHILE you see in the news terririst have designed laptops with bombs in them that are undetectable. My hats off to Customs and Homeland Security for doing a thankless job well.

I think that buying from overseas is too crazy, Customs can and will hold anything with a declared value over $200.00. And can and likely will charge you duty. Since many fine guitars have rosewood, ebony, pearl in/on them it's a real crapshoot.

A nervy process but the guitar is a stunner, I wish all my flat tops were dialed in this nice. Enjoy the shots.

[BigMikeinNJ]

Some recent arrivals: James E Patterson dreads. The first made in 1975 for his neighbor who I bought it from. Patterson wrote the Bible on inlay.

[BigMikeinNJ]

Then I broker deals on these, farther along in Patterson career. East Indian rosewood dread, number 274 from 2004, he was retired but losing his health, but kept building a while longer, buuilt roughly 301 guitars.

[BigMikeinNJ]

Back of the rosewood dread





And this gem, a walnut 000 from 2000, number 224, he's retired from being the printer for the City of Santa Cruz and is just making guitars. He scuba dived and scrounged the local pier supports for all his abalone and pearl. He got a call one day from guys in the Water Department, a storm knocked down a mass8ve old walnut tree, did he want the wood ??? Lol.

[Top of the Arch!]

I have to tell you Big Mike, you are the man when it comes to what seems like a never ending array of beautiful guitars! Salud!!! Bob

[citizenk74]

Stunning! Thanks for sharing, Big!

[Marty Grass]

Well, I just saw these beauties. Man, building those flattops took great skills and wood plus an abundance of time. Just stunning.

[Crm114]

Very sorry to hear about your wife’ssituation

What country are you in
I’ll say prayers for your wife’s full recovery

[Mark M.]

So sorry to hear about your wife.

Here is some information relevant to the US: https://fwsepermits.servicenowservic...45dbdbe54bcbda

[Cunamara]

I am not sure how much of a problem this would be. Ibanez would have had to have accounted to the CITES agreement when they purchased the wood with which to make the guitar. The serial number gives you the date, etc. Only some but not all rosewood falls under the problematic side of the rules.

I am really sorry to hear about your wife's situation. Best wishes!

[ThatRhythmMan]

With regard to guitars, CITES only affects international shipment of Brazilian rosewood. All other Dalbergia species are allowed. The Ibanez certainly was made using one of the unaffected species.