Rosewood.....what is going on?

Rosewood.....what is going on? There has been a change to the international trade of Rosewood that is going to effect the supply of most instruments that use this beautiful tone wood in their construction. We are talking fingerboards, bridges, back and sides and some bodies. To protect the worlds supply of Rosewood manufacturers need to supply CITES certificates to indicate where the timber has come from and that it has been legally logged. Many manufacturers are expecting delays in the supply of guitars that have rosewood as there is a lot of admin work that needs to be done in order to comply. Some makers are looking to stop using Rosewood altogether and are going for alternative timbers. The movement of any guitar containing rosewood across national borders will now need to be accompanied with a CITES certificate. If you are trying to import a guitar from OS you may want to keep this in mind as Customs have already begun confiscating guitars that do not have the appropriate documentation. If you are wanting to buy a guitar that has rosewood from a retailer you may experience delays in supply if they dont already have it in stock. Its going to be a bit frustrating for a while but it will eventually become a smoother process as manufacturers streamline their compliance processes. Ultimately this is to protect Rosewood trees from exploitation and to insure that Rosewood is available for future generations so this has to be a good thing in the long run. Cheers Bass Centre Crew