This is good news for traveling musicians with older instruments that were manufactured before restrictions on tropical hardwoods were necessary. That being said I’m going to continue working towards my “no exotic hardwoods” rule for the instruments I build. From there, I guess that leaves me with maple and a few synthetic products. I still have a couple of padauk and granadillo fretboards to use up, but after that I’m done. And trust me – avoiding tropical hardwoods for fretboards ain’t easy – or cheap.
Musical Instruments To Be Exempt From Restrictions On Heavily Trafficked Rosewood
An international endangered species convention meeting in Geneva is close to exempting musical instruments from trade restrictions on rosewood. The restrictions under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora – commonly referred to as CITES – treaty went into effect in 2017, after strong demand for high-end rosewood furniture in China led to conservation worries and violence in areas that produce the wood.