This Gibson stuff is crazy.
http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/News/gibson-0825-2011/
Apparently the issue is not using endangered woods (although they were raided two years ago for just that, and according to the company still have not been charged), but for violation of the US Lacey Act which requires companies dealing with foreign nations to comply with those nations’ laws. The law in question is an Indian one that requires wood from India to be finished by Indian labor before export.
Gibson claims they obeyed all known laws. Of course they would. But, two separate raids on two different grounds in two years, it does seem a little harrass-y.
The rub for guitarists is, the Lacey act is retroactive and in theory you could have your guitar confiscated at international borders if you can’t account for all the wood sources in it.
