Official Luthiers Forum!

Has anyone purchased any Brazilian Rosewood from the Ebay merchant named Baskwood.
It appears he has some nice wood. Just wondering if anyone on the OLF has had any good or bad experieces with them?

Thanks, walter

Yeah, I have bought a little. I think it was an "ok" deal, but I would buy from Steve in a heartbeat. Check out the 3 sets I just got from him today.







Not dissing on Baskwood. Again, I think they treated me very fair, but considering the fact to get one of thier nicer sets you are almost where you need to be to get some of Steve's premium wood, I would just hold out and go the distance.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Droollllllllllllllllllllllllllll

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Ouch Brock... That hurts man!

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

Brock you should post warning before you post such pictures.   

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Aoibeann

I need shades as minimum protection when reading posts like Brock's!

Beauuuuuutiful!

Mike
White Oak, Texas

I picked up a couple of sets that arrived just fine... and within a few days had
turned into potato chips. Obviously, I should have taken a moisture reading
when I got them and allowed them to acclimate a bit more slowly. They must
have been quite wet.

I built a Dread with his Brazilian. Its very pretty and is the best sounding guitar I've heard in a long while. One old pro player said its the finest guitar he'd ever played. His shipping was prompt although expensive....

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The Biggest Little City, Nevada
www.hammondguitars.com
I love building guitars!

Thanks Guys!!
I appreciate the information about Baskwoods

walter

Keep in mind that if someone in Brazil is selling brazilian rosewood (banned
export) on ebay, they are probably not doing it legally in the slightest way.
Ask for proof of compliance with CITES regulation before considering any
deals. 99% chance they won't have it.

At this point you should of course run the risk of it being discovered and
confiscated in shipping (which I personally think would be good and just)
although chances are probably small. I really think buying from a seller like
this is more of a question of ethics and conscience. Of course it may be
possible that I am wrong and the seller is doing things legally, but I doubt it.

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

I have one of his sets. Care with humidity is important. I too had the potato chip experience. On the plus side, the wood is very pretty and taps nicely.

Paul

You know... I think you need to exhibit care with any wood, from any vendor... even domestic suppliers.

I always pile something heavy on every set I get for a couple of days to hold it dead flat, then I move it to a sticker pile for at least 6 months (.. and it usually ends up being far longer) before I move it to the shelf.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

[QUOTE=Brock Poling]
You know... I think you need to exhibit care with any wood, from any
vendor... even domestic suppliers....[/QUOTE]

Ah, true enough. Still, I also have a set from Allied and that has remained
flat as a pancake...

I understand that much of what is being sold is "stump" wood. I presume
this means going out to the deforested areas and digging up the stumps. It
wouldn't seem that digging up a stump would be in any way harmful... but,
heck, I don't know...

I bought two sets of Baskwood's Braz RW and had the same problems with them turning into potato chips (fixable though). The other problem is the guy resaws with a table saw and not a bandsaw so there are thick saw marks along the grain. His wood is definitely not legal and I wish I had known about CITES before buying this but it is nice stuff if you buy a good set.

I didn't have any problems with the seller or with the shipping but like David says above, you always run the risk of having it impounded at the border. If this happens, it is your problem and you just lost everything. It would be very doubtful the seller would give your money back so you are taking a huge chance. That and you're helping to kill new growth trees like I did. It's nice wood but there are other legal sources here at the OLF to buy MUCH BETTER Braz RW for building. Sorry if I'm being preachy and good luck on your hunt for wood.

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John Lewis
Wannabe builder owned by 2 crazy dachshunds

[QUOTE=John Lewis] His wood is definitely not legal ...[/QUOTE]

Yikes, you just accused him of a crime that could easily hurt his business. If
you are wrong, you are risking litigation.

How do you know it's not legal?

Yikes, you just accused him of a crime that could easily hurt his business. If you are wrong, you are risking litigation.

How do you know it's not legal?

Baskwoods sells new growth timber that is freshly cut - mine was. He didn't supply any Cites paperwork along with the shipment and his declaration of goods said the shipment was "cutting boards" or something like that. I would have to say his wood isn't legally coming over our borders.

As far as hurting his business, I doubt that anyone who really wants a set of his wood is going to care that it isn't done on the up-and-up. It's a shame but the truth.

It's strange how the subject of Brazilian RW is so emotionally charged. I can only guess that the prices we pay cause this. The monetary value of things can sometimes make us a little nuts. I'm not saying it isn't a great tonewood, it truly is. If the topwood is the most important part of the tonal mix then why isn't a master grade Red or Euro spruce top held in reverence the way Brazilian is? I bet if we had to start paying $1200-2500 for those tops we would. Anyways, that's my opinion. Sorry, I'm not trying to stir the pot - I know there are members here with strong feelings one way or the other.

Peace-

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John Lewis
Wannabe builder owned by 2 crazy dachshunds

John,
   That's not only a statement that can hurt the man's business, but one that could ultimately destroy his life by landing him in prison. CITES restrictions are enforced strictly in South America and violators are pursued and prosecuted severely. There's no possible way that there is any foundation for your claim that his wood isn't legally harvested, sold and shipped so some things are best left unsaid.

   Who cares about Brazilian rosewood or any other wood in comparison to the effects of these things on lives...not only of the wood cutter and seller, but his family.

   Before making a claim of that magnitude and possible impact, I would just surf over the Steve's site and get the good stuff. I have a set here that I'd gotten a couple of years ago. It had heated up a little and the resins got a bit darker than they origianlly were, but a customer recently came into my shop and had to have it made into a guitar for himself...and this is a guy who has had me build other guitars from premium Brazilian sets for him in the past.

   Steve's wood is among the best that you will find anywhere at any price in the worls and he's a great guy to deal with on top of it. It doesn;t hurt that he's an OLF sponsor either. Keep the dollars here in the States whenever possible is my opinion.

    Just for future reference if nothing else. I'm not a huge advocate of Brazilian as the Holy Grail of tonewoods so it's a moot discussion for me.

Regards,
Kevin Gallagher/Omega GuitarsKevin Gallagher38993.6162962963

Good on you for taking the high road, John. Anyone claiming not to know legal from illegal wood is stuck in the denial stage of a 12 step program. Those folks who knowingly purchase illegal woods protected by CITES and then pretend to have high moral and ethical leanings in other parts of their lives are simply hypocrites living by an ethics by convenience standard. The worst kind are the wood suppliers who bargain for bulk illegal woods to resell. I would suspect those who protest the loudest!!

[QUOTE=John Lewis]

As far as hurting his business, I doubt that anyone who really wants a set
of his wood is going to care that it isn't done on the up-and-up. [/
QUOTE]

Well, I care.

That wood is wet doesn't mean it is new growth. Logs get pulled from
rivers and lakes all the time, for example.

I know very little of CITES, but I would expect that there are a few
exceptions... Anyone around here an expert on these issues? I'd sure like
to get the low down. I see sets for sale all over the place and I have never
seen any reference to CITES approval or exemption. Yet, I'm sure most
everything is legal. Luthiers don't impress me as being unethical. In fact,
I've been impressed to the contrary. I've met several folks who are some
of the most honorable businessmen I've ever had the pleasure to know.
Now, you want to talk lawyers? I'll show you an unethical lot. But luthiers?
Man, not that I have seen!

And what about this so-called "stump wood"? Is that illegal, too? I see at
least one very famous, and I'm sure quite honorable, luthier offering what
appears (to me) to be stump wood for several thousand bucks a set!

So, do we have an expert who can enlighten us (me)?

I'm pretty sure I read some where that no new growth BRW trees would be ready to harvest any time soon. They apparently take at least 100 years to get big enough to produce 2 piece guitar backs.

[QUOTE=Cameron Reddy] [QUOTE=John Lewis]

As far as hurting his business, I doubt that anyone who really wants a set
of his wood is going to care that it isn't done on the up-and-up. [/
QUOTE]

Well, I care.

That wood is wet doesn't mean it is new growth. Logs get pulled from
rivers and lakes all the time, for example.

I know very little of CITES, but I would expect that there are a few
exceptions... Anyone around here an expert on these issues? I'd sure like
to get the low down. I see sets for sale all over the place and I have never
seen any reference to CITES approval or exemption. Yet, I'm sure most
everything is legal. Luthiers don't impress me as being unethical. In fact,
I've been impressed to the contrary. I've met several folks who are some
of the most honorable businessmen I've ever had the pleasure to know.
Now, you want to talk lawyers? I'll show you an unethical lot. But luthiers?
Man, not that I have seen!

And what about this so-called "stump wood"? Is that illegal, too? I see at
least one very famous, and I'm sure quite honorable, luthier offering what
appears (to me) to be stump wood for several thousand bucks a set!

So, do we have an expert who can enlighten us (me)?

[/QUOTE]


Well, since you ask... yes, we do have an expert here. Several in fact. Steve Roberson @ Colonial Tonewood knows an incredible amount about BRW.. every time I talk to him it is a real education. Lary Davis is very knowledgable, Todd Taggart @ Allied. Any of those guys know the ins and outs of the BRW scene.

Give them a call.... I am sure they will give you the low down.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

If you buy brazilian rosewood from Brazil without documentation it is
illegal. Notice that sellers like this keep the bidder ID's private (although
most people give thiers away by leaving feedback). Then there are people
(like myself) who report these sellers to CITES when ever I see one like
this. I doubt they are big time enough for the authorities to go after them,
but I hope they do.

I'm sure there is plenty of rosewood sold openly in the US that has been
illegally imported, but I don't know enough to go throwing accusations
there. This stuff on eBay however is obvious. I trust people like Steve,
Larry and Todd to do thier best to insure thier stuff is legal, and I hope I
am right in doing so. I know some stuff that I've gotten from Steve was
unmistakeably coastal old growth and had to be from a very old harvest,
which was reassuring. David Collins38993.8776851852

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

Oh no... not another BRW/CITIES thread!   

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...