Elephant Ivory Saddles?

[saffron_boots]

There is an article written in the Gruhn Newletter commenting on some proposed changes to CITES that affect travelling with musical instruments: http://www.gruhn.com/newsletter/newsltr29.html

In a nutshell (not endangered), permits are required for crossing borders with guitars containing ivory parts unless you can prove the ivory predates 1947 (and has not been reworked sinced then). Life just got a little more complicated...

[sgarnett]

That article also covers endangered woods, and some of Martin's efforts in that area. I seriously considered their cherry OM from the sustainable wood series. First of all, I support the concept, and I like cherry (and walnut) anyway. Unfortunately, Martin screwed up the OM with a faux-tortoise peghead overlay and raised gold foil logo (yechhh). I went back several times to see if it would "grow on me" and it did not. Apparently others agree, because you can find them dirt cheap. I'd really like to see them replace all the tortoise (except the pickguard) with maple or walnut and try again. I'm no longer in the market, but I'd like to see this concept take off.

I do think that exotic materials are often (but not always) used purely because they are exotic, not because they are necessarily better. Then they become the arbitrary standard, and of course nothing else sounds the same, because nothing else is the same. The manufacturers and buyers are becoming more willing to consider different woods, and even embrace it (especially on a Parlor  ). I think too many are still being pitched as substitutes for Brazilian or Mahogany, instead of simply as unique flavors.

It sounds like the safe choice for travel is a Rainsong or Emerald graphite guitar. I don't know how much pollution is created by manufacturing the epoxy/polyester matrix resins or the carbon fibers, though. Nothing is as simple as it seems