Al Krow

Graham I'm a BIG Spector fan. But why is an "unsaleable" bridge pup a good thing? 😁

Congrats! Great choice - you'll struggle to find better for the money. PS as you've already failed, recommend you steer clear of any bass gear abstinence threads 😁

Very neat thread summary. Not sure what I'm going to do with rest of my evening now that's all sorted? Maybe time to go play a Japanese bass made in Indonesia, bought from a store in London...😁

Entirely fair. "Whilst good news environmentally" is not a point to be dismissed lightly is it? And the suggestion of buying goods produced locally (where we can) is both good for the local economy and good for the environment. Nothing in this discussion is black and white.

Now you're just echoing the wise words of this particularly impressive-in-his-bass-playing mod...

Haha, believe me that's not a full recap! 😎

Big and valid question. You'll need to revisit the previous debate and arguments as to the pros and cons - I think they've been mentioned once or twice before, so I won't recap! (Other than encouraging folk to read the excellent article I previously flagged). Btw small section = 52%, most of whom don't buy fancy bike gear or boutique basses, but have had to fork out £350 per household** each year for the past 48 years for the privelege of EEC membership which was originally voted for (and subsequent EU membership which was not). They decided the cons outweighed the pros. For the other 48% their view was the opposite. Time is going to tell who got it right. **on an approximate inflation adjusted basis, and taking account of EU rebates.

I think there are two separate points here: 1) about supply chains - which is the point Grangur made, where businesses will simply need to get used to filling out an additional Customs form when routing via the EU (obviously they are doing this for the rest of the world already); 2) retail consumption for us BCers via the likes of Thomann (which is what this thread is about). Agreed that Bax, Thomann etc. may decide not to sell to the UK - my wager is that they probably still will, but let's see. If they don't want our money there is no shortage of UK bass online retailers and frankly other products for us to spend our money on. @LukeFRC - the UK's trade balance with each nation is well documented. Just search online.

Thank goodness you said that 😁 What has definitely got my attention about this thread, is exactly how many of the bands mentioned I have never heard of before!

The irony of your example is that China trades with the EU on WTO terms i.e. with customs barriers and taxes which importers in the EU and exporters in China (and vice versa - as you rightly say they will need to have stuff to take back to make the several thousand mile trip worth while) have totally got their heads around. But EU trading with the UK with ZERO tariffs on goods over much shorter distances is going to be a massive issue? Nah, I don't buy that line of argument at all. You do realise the UK already does more trade with rest of the world than it does with the EU and often on basic WTO terms? Those businesses involved in import / export have all managed to get their heads around the relevant Customs forms. I think you are massively underestimating the ability of businesses to learn and adapt. And if they don't, others happily will. It's going to be just fine.

What had you got in mind in relation to items coming only via the EU? But if EU retailers really don't want our money, I'm sure I'll be able to find something else to spend it on...apparently Yorkshire Gold tea is a good way to deplete our bank accounts.

The same goes for Zoom MS-60Bs. Actually Stew's collection is slightly bigger than Thomann's...

Yes I'm very privileged to have the likes of Wunjos on my doorstep and it's unquestionably true that online retail has been crushing the physical store. But Woody, I don't think your comment is right: there are still a bunch of decent music stores open all around the country.

Don't believe all the fake news you read BRX. Unlimited quantities still available via the Amazon monopoly. Being a peasant, I'll stick to the cheap stuff...

It was me daughter, who brung it home, honest guv! My old man loves his posh teas, I'm totally content with my PG tips 😁

Awww bless 'im guv. Those Yorkshire brew tea drinkers will be well pleased. PS tbf the net cost of being in the EU after we got all those nice funds back was only about £350 per household (including single parents).

Really sorry to hear about the health issues, Stew. I actually managed to sell more gear by value than I bought last year, which was a first in a long time for me. And paradoxically I'm actually happier with the overall shape of what I've got left. I'm gonna to treat myself to a 2021 launch multifx, to complement my Zoom B1-4s, if the feature set / price-point is right, but otherwise no major GAS at the mo for me either. Apart from each time I look in the basses for sale...😁

Ah Swinton...that explains why we have this said brew in the house, brought down here (with appropriate Customs declaration forms completed) by daughter who's currently up in Manchester. PS btw where did the EU get those "EU funds" from that it kindly gave us - was it a Brussel's magic money tree? 😁

What we need is a Free Port regime where we can go and collect used goods up to our personal "duty free" allowance of £390. "Borris (dock of the) Bays". You heard it here first 😁

I think bondage at warehouses is not going to end well.

He is. Needs to go straight back to Lidl..

What, its NOT?!!! Dammit this is going straight back to Aldi then 😁

More choice is definitely good. But every time a local music store is shut down, to me that represents a loss of choice and a loss to the community, in exactly the same way that every time a local music venue shuts down.

A very good question. My educated guess is that the UK and Germany are the two largest pop / rock music markets in Europe, so by itself the UK is a (very) important market for bass gear. However the online competition in the UK for Thomann was already strong - I can of think of Andertons, PMT, Gear4Music, DV247, RichTone, GuitarGuitar, Hot Rox, Bass Direct, Bass Gallery off the top of my head based in the UK (and I'm sure I've missed some off that list?), combined with other EU retailers e.g. Bax, Muziker, Kytary and it may well be that the introduction of the additional hassle of dealing with the UK will shave the margins sufficiently to make it difficult to compete with the UK based retailers. Set against that - the retail mark-up on goods is pretty hefty. But if the end result of all of this is more local music stores surviving, in my books that may not be a bad thing. Sorry, just had to pick myself off the floor, given that we just agreed on something 😁 Yup, choice - good. Monopolies - bad. Except where they are held by the public to be good (e.g. the NHS) Sorted.

Their loss. If our money's not good enough for them, I'll buy elsewhere. End of 😉