STME58
1010 posts
Aug 06, 2014
12:43 AM
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I expect the US Ivory ban has been discussed here before but this article really brought it home to me. Instruments confiscated at US/Canada border Even though these instruments seemed to be made well before the 1976 cutoff, they were taken anyway.
I doubt many harmonicas contain ivory (perhaps the button on a chromatic) but there is a pretty serious consequence for an oversight. Try to enter the US with an instrument with and ivory part on it and you lose it. I wonder what happens if the customs agent thinks it is ivory, even though it is a plastic imitation?
I was wondering if my sons 1928 Buescher sax has ivory buttons. If so a trip across the border with it and it is gone forever.
In doing some reasearch on the sax I can across this
1928 sax ad saying how fun and easy it is to make money as a musician.
Last Edited by STME58 on Aug 06, 2014 12:47 AM
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BronzeWailer
1374 posts
Aug 06, 2014
4:17 AM
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Haha! Some things never changce.
Some classic lines.
"You don't have to be "talented.""
Can I learn it in a few weeks though...?
BronzeWailer's YouTube
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LSC
668 posts
Aug 06, 2014
5:41 AM
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A law passed with good intent and unintended consequences. Brazilian rosewood is also illegal to take across borders though something like 90% of guitars before 1968 contain Brazilian rosewood, usually on fretboards and bridges. Fortunately, customs officials rarely, if ever, enforce this on musical instruments. This sounds like some puffed up customs agent at a jerk water crossing with nothing better to do causing some kid all kinds of headaches for no particularly good reason. We're not talking elephant tusk carvings or ivory bladed ceremonial swords here. File under abuse of authority.
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LSC
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The Iceman
1899 posts
Aug 06, 2014
6:54 AM
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Like the customs agents between Washington State and Canada, who searched a group of boy scouts and holding one at gunpoint...
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The Iceman
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STME58
1011 posts
Aug 06, 2014
7:39 AM
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"Brazilian rosewood is also illegal "
Does this mean that a Suzuki Firebreath, with a rosewood comb, might be in jeopardy at a border crossing? How do you tell Brazilian Rosewood from other Rosewoods? I need to make a trip to China next month. Perhaps I should leave the Firebreath's at home.
The article said the kids had documentation with them showing the instruments were made before 1976, which would have exempted them from confiscation, but they were taken anyway. I guess any time you deal with a person in power there is a risk of abuse of power.
I also wonder how much training customs agents have in material ID and what the appeal process is if you feel an error has been made. Whatever it is I am sure it would not be fast enough to get your instrument back in time for a gig the next day.
Last Edited by STME58 on Aug 06, 2014 8:32 AM
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STME58
1013 posts
Aug 06, 2014
7:54 AM
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"boy scouts and holding one at gunpoint...". I am currently working with scouts, I don't recall seeing this method of guidance listed in the Scout Leaders handbook!
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barbequebob
2670 posts
Aug 06, 2014
10:21 AM
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I think you may need to consult an attorney that specializes in these things before saying anything because there's probably a helluva lot more than meets the eye on this one.
The two tiered bass harmonicas made prior to WWII had ivory mouthpieces that were stock made by Hohner and I know personally of a few of those old school harmonica band/orchestra bass harp players who have them and still play them to this day.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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LSC
669 posts
Aug 06, 2014
12:28 PM
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@STME58 - It is highly unlikely that your Firebreath is made from Brazilian. After 1968 it was nearly impossible to obtain. Some guitar makers stashed some stock for special customers. Collings guitars offered Brazilian as an option in the 90s but the cost of the wood alone was on the order of $5k. Collings had a way of finding the most incredible woods from lord knows what source. You will see blanks for guitars from time to time but they are cut from stumps.
The rosewood in the Suzuki is most likely Indian or Indonesian. In any event again highly unlikely a customs agent would even notice what the comb was made of.
Telling Brazilian from Indian rosewood is a matter of color and grain. Brazilian tends to be a chocolate with a hint of red and the grain is more open and rather spectacular. Indian has a closer grain and looks rather ordinary really. The color is lighter as well.
Any time you travel and have to deal with Customs, Immigration, TSA, etc in whatever country there is always the chance of running across an overbearing jerk with nothing better to do. I have many tales of such confrontations beginning in 1972, the first time I went to the UK and was held by British immigration authorities, or the bearded ducks as I liked to call them, for several hours. I was even put in a cell with Pakistani refugees for a while. The really stupid part was I was released on a phone call from a friend of a friend who was a dentist. Now HM Immigration had no idea whether this guy was who he said he was, he just had the right kind of accent and a toff's way of being condescending to those deemed beneath him.
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LSC
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LSC
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