Quote:
Originally Posted by PorscheGAL
I guess, my point is, I have never played an instrument. My son does play. I didn't realize, when buying the instruments that this was even an issue. I, naively, assumed if it is sold then I own it and everything is good. When you buy an instrument, it doesn't come with a book or sheet showing what it is made of. We chose our instruments based on sound and how my son felt playing it. Was it too big, etc?
My next question is: how many people at the customs counter know how to tell what each wood is?
|
You are very correct in observing that this issue of ensuring this requirement is met puts a huge burden of proof on the owner. After all, like you, my son has a guitar. The last thing in our mind when buying it was if it was made of some exotic wood that can result in the instrument being confiscated.
I dearly hope that our friends at Gibson, Fender, marshall, yamaha, steinway etc get together and tell the government that enough is enough. How are we going to conduct commerce if every time one of customers transports one of our instruments, they are at risk of losing it forever. We need a rational way to document conformance that does not put the end user at risk.
As far as the agent at the desk making the initial decision, it appears that the problem is not so much the guy at the desk id'ing the regulated woods, but your entry into the their Alice in Wonderland System from the lack of "proper paperwork" as determined by that same guy.