In 2011 government officials from Homeland Security and the US Fish and Wildlife Service raided the Gibson Guitar factory and confiscated approximately $500,000 worth of wood for violating the Lacy Act (watch the video below for more details and read my other posts on the subject). No charges were ever filed and eventually Gibson saw the wood returned.
Now in a brilliant piece of marketing, the company is releasing a “Government Raid” model Les Paul commemorating the event. Each guitar’s fretboard is guaranteed to include a piece of the rosewood that was confiscated in the raid. The model is painted in a new drab tan color to capture the colors of the commandos involved in the raid, and retails for only $1,099, which includes a hard case and a certificate signed by Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz. Such a deal!
From the beginning this seemed like it was a case of some overzealous government officials splitting hairs in the wording of a law meant to be applied in another area. It’s probably a good thing that it happened to Gibson instead of some small boutique manufacturer though. Gibson had the resources and the friends in high places (including at least 2 US senators) to put pressure on the Feds to think a bit more clearly on the subject, and it apparently worked.
Thanks to reader Rob Carty for the heads up!
