Where does Gibson get its wood?

These woods come from Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Mexico and the U.S. Some of these woods are harvested illegally or come from regions that are being heavily deforested. So Gibson is working with the Rainforest Alliance to be sure that the wood in its guitars is sustainably sourced.

What wood does Gibson use?

Gibson's signature tonewood of choice is Mahogany. It uses this almost exclusively for its solid-body electric guitar model's bodies and necks. Mahogany yields the focused lows and rich mids that Gibson guitars are so renowned for, with its density contributing to the long sustain that they can also achieve.

Where does Gibson get its mahogany?

Gibson has set up a global commodity chain that supplies them with 'sustainably certified' mahogany by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) grown in Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and Fiji.

Where does Gibson get their rosewood?

Gibson Guitar has settled with federal authorities for illegally importing ebony and rosewood from India and Madagascar.

What kind of wood are Gibson Les Pauls made of?

Its typical design features a solid mahogany body with a carved maple top and a single cutaway, a mahogany set-in neck with a rosewood fretboard, two pickups with independent volume and tone controls, and a stoptail bridge, although variants exist.

The Big Lie About These Gibson Guitars!

Are Gibson guitars handmade?

An extensive tour of each part of the factory commenced, and we were impressed with the amount of elbow grease that goes into making each one of these fine instruments. Trust us — when Gibson claims these guitars are handmade, it's not any marketing mumbo jumbo — it truly is the real deal.

Why are Gibson guitars so expensive?

The main reason why Gibson guitars are expensive is that they are made in the USA. All their three factories are located in cities where the workers have relativity high wages. As the result, the guitars must be sold at a higher price.

Does Gibson use Indian rosewood?

* Indian Rosewood has an even grain and is a rich dark brown color. Looks-wise, it offers a bold contrast to the lighter colours usually – but not always - found on a guitar's body. North American rosewood is also used by Gibson — it's a trustworthy source and sustainable.

Does Gibson use Brazilian rosewood?

Since 1991, Brazilian Rosewood has been listed as an endangered species and has therefore been used sparingly by guitar makers. However, there have been some small runs here and there of Gibson guitars that do have Brazilian fingerboards, particularly during 2001-2003.

Does Gibson still use rosewood?

Following the introduction of its extremely-limited run of Brazilian rosewood fretboard Custom Shop recreations of the 1958 Flying V and Explorer guitars, Gibson has now released slightly more accessible versions of the instruments fitted with Indian rosewood fretboards.

When did Gibson stop using Brazilian rosewood?

Supplies grew extremely thin in the late 1960s, however, and Martin and others stopped using Brazilian rosewood in 1969, moving over to Indian rosewood, then other varieties. In 1992, Brazilian rosewood was added to the CITES treaty, strictly banning its exportation.

What kind of wood does Epiphone use?

Typically, Epiphone uses a very thin maple veneer, which is common for many companies when using a figured or flamed maple; however, Epiphone still uses a thin maple veneer when using plain maple tops too. Both Gibson and Epiphone use several pieces of wood glued together to form the body of their guitars.

What mahogany does Martin use?

The Central American mahogany is the species used by Martin on the pre-World War II golden era instruments. This wood is of the same genus, but a different species than the South American mahogany most commonly used today.

What wood is a telecaster made of?

Overall design. The archetypical Fender Telecaster is a solid-body electric guitar with a flat asymmetric single-cutaway body; the body is usually made from alder or ash.

Where are Gibson Les Pauls made?

Electric guitars such as the Gibson Les Paul, Gibson ES-335, and the Gibson SG are made in Nashville, Tennessee.

Is Epiphone as good as Gibson?

The hardware on a Gibson is better than Epiphone also – small things like switches, knobs and tuning pegs can wear out and break over time. Parts such as the bridge and nut have direct contact with the strings and subtly affect the sound, particularly how the guitar sustains – a big thing with Les Pauls.

Is Brazilian rosewood better than Indian?

To most, Brazilian has better clarity in the bottom and a almost bell like tone in the trebles. Indian rosewood has become the general substitute for Brazilian rosewood. Generally speaking, this wood is not as attractive as Brazilian and It has a noticeably purple color and the grain markings are coarser.

Why is Brazilian rosewood illegal?

Why is Brazilian rosewood so heavily regulated? In 1967, Brazilian rosewood had become so popular for instruments and other wood products that the Brazilian government became concerned that this precious hardwood could be wiped out, so the government outlawed the export of rosewood logs.

How can you tell Brazilian from Indian rosewood?

Brazilian is mostly dark brown with some black grain lines, occasionally being close to black on wider areas, and with some with tan areas. Some very old sets can be a lighter brown. Indian has again a dark brown base color, but not as dark as Brazilian, and with a lot of purple overtones.

What guitar wood is illegal?

An international crackdown on illegal logging in tropical forests has ensnared the makers of some guitars and other musical instruments, whose top-end products require small amounts of rosewood, a material prized for its rich, multicolored grain and resonant sound.

Is it illegal to use rosewood?

No, it is not illegal to buy or ship rosewood across international borders. However, specific regulations and laws must be followed to purchase or ship rosewood. To successfully import rosewood into the U.S., you will need an export certificate from the exporting country's CITES management authority.

Where does rosewood for guitars come from?

Harvested in India, this wood is also grown on plantations in Pakistan. Used widely for fingerboards and the back and sides of acoustic guitars. Fender, Gibson, Martin, Taylor, PRS and literally every builder who can afford to use Rosewood does.

Is Gibson overrated?

Gibson guitars are overpriced. Most of them are not much better than epiphones. The problems with Gibson isn't that they don't use nice materials and what not, because they do.

What is the markup on Gibson guitars?

In the last place I worked, Gibson and Epiphone Les Pauls had a basic 360% markup over what we bought them in for ourselves. Fender and Squier Stratocasters had a 290% markup. SG and Telecaster models from those four brands were 260% markup each.