Official Luthiers Forum!

Why would the ATF raid you for breaking CITES rules? Are you making firearms receiver out of rosewood and selling them?

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

It was a bit of hyperbole, Tai, but only a bit. ATF, Justice dept., DEA, Homeland Security, Iceberg, Weissberg, it's all the same.

The only agency that would care would be US Fish and Wildlife... but honestly I think a lot of these rules are just painting with a broad brush.

Like German suppliers I use (espen.de) ships all CITES materials with a 80 euro form. It would be worth it if you were putting in a big order. As you can imagine if they couldn't they would have to shut down because Germany is not a very big country.

I guess they leave it up to individual countries to implement CITES regulations...

So I guess the question is, why can't any American suppliers like LMI fill out similar forms to what German suppliers fill out and ship CITES material worldwide anyways? Is CITES an absolute prohibition against international trade or can exceptions be made with the proper legal form?

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

Windsor Plywood has them for $19.95. I have found a few useable ones there.

I doubt that the black helicopters would descend on my home over some prohibited woods, because I'm small potatoes. But for someone with a real business, just ask Gibson Guitars if the government takes CITES seriously. Plus, as a matter of principle, I would want to follow the law rather than flout it.