FDC484950

That’s not entirely clear at the moment. It’s likely that what was there before 31 Dec will continue, but despite a lot of searching I cannot find the specific guidance, perhaps because returns are a minefield of EU, local and individual company policies. Given how much information there is, and how late the agreement was struck, it may be as-is... or maybe not. Caveat Emptor.

Oh yes they do - buy a used bass from the US or elsewhere outside the EU and you pay duty and VAT on arrival. In the EU the same applies (except that I gather the trade deal agreed means no duty). Already many threads on here discussing it.

It’s not really about border holdups other than in the very short term as everyone gets used to the paperwork but the extra charges and the possible loss of return rights now we are no longer covering EU distance selling regs and vice versa. In reality for higher-cost new goods there won’t be much financial impact. As has already been said, it’s cheaper goods (requiring foreign sellers to collect UK VAT below £135) and used sales that now attract VAT that will be hit most. And prior to these changes there was no chaos as there was free movement of goods, so really not sure what point you are trying to make?

Further clarification (or not!): this is an example where the same note can serve more than one function. If you play C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C as an ascending line, most people would say it’s Root, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th scale tones. However if you played these same notes by alternating scale tones over a couple of octaves, so C, E, G, B, D, F, A, you have the same 7 notes, but in this context most would say this is Root, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th and 13th chord tones. 9/11/13 are called extensions because they’re thought of as chord tones above the octave. Another reason for calling them extensions is that they can frequently be altered above the same basic 3- or 4-note chord, so C7b9 or C7#9. The key difference is that you can’t generally change the major chord tones without changing the chord, whereas extensions are thought of as changeable. The 5th degree is changeable but is often thought of as either 11th or 13th, so a b5 (for example a C7b5 back in bebop times) would more often be written C7#11, and a C7#5 (usually indicating an augmented scale sound) may also be written C7b13 (more of a diminished or harmonic minor sound). Finally, the upper extensions of a chord can form a basis for more advanced harmonic ideas. For example, over a Cm7 chord you can play a C minor pentatonic scale as basic improvisation (R, 3, 4, 5, 7). For a more interesting flavour you can instead play a G minor pentatonic scale (in this case 5, 7, R, 9, 11 tones within C minor), implying a G minor sound over a Cm7 chord. Another interesting sound is to play a D minor pentatonic scale (9, 11, 5, 13, R tones within C minor), implying a D minor sound. The beauty of these is that you can just think of something simple (a pentatonic scale), but instead of starting it on the root, start on the 2nd note or 5th note of the scale. Even starting on the root of these other scales, you imply upper extensions and a more sophisticated sound. As Doddy says, when improvising you can play these extensions in any octave.

Not necessarily - I bought something recently because it was a) available only in the EU and b) to have ordered it from a UK shop would have been 25% more expensive. In our new world I just wouldn’t have bought it. Yes, we can seek alternatives but it’s because we will have no other sensible choice. And now UK business know that for such items we’re unlikely to go elsewhere, will prices drop? I very much doubt it. It’s more likely given current world situation that we will be paying more for less choice.

If my understanding of VAT is correct then from 1st Jan Thomann and other European sellers should be advertising prices to UK with no (local) VAT - it’ll be applied at customs entry as it is today for shipments outside the EU. If there is no duty then the only overhead (other than adding a week to transit times for customs clearance) should be the VAT rate difference between the EU country and the UK, and the customary (boom-rush) “handling” charge.

Stanford le Hope in Essex is their last depot for trucks going to and coming from Eurotunnel. If it has a scan into this warehouse for a delivery from Germany then thank your lucky stars it made it over the border before 1st Jan. I had a return to Thomann which has fortunately made it to Germany. They resumed std services that were already in transit on 30/12 (ignore what their website says). Getting a bass through customs from the US at Christmas is proving to be an even harder challenge (held up in customs - asking me to prove which rosewood variety the fingerboard is made from FFS!!)

We currently pay VAT on used goods from outside the EU above a small threshold (if that still exists?) We’re no longer in the EU, pending the details of the deal. It’s logical (but maybe wrong) to assume that buying used goods from the EU will require payment of VAT on arrival after 1 Jan. as has been said, until we get a definitive answer from the text of the deal the rest is just speculation. I think it is clear that duty won’t be levied, but that is only 3.7% for guitars (and basses).

Thomann uses UPS Standard service for deliveries and returns. The latest update from the UPS site this morning is that this service is temporarily suspended in mainland Europe, even though the border has been re-opened. Therefore I would imagine nothing will move now until January.

I’d have to disagree. I’ve played a number of Spectors (including owning a Euro LX and a US model) and don’t rate them I’m afraid. However, a good German Warwick up to the mid ‘90s is likely to be relatively cheap, be really solidly built and if a 5- or a 6-, have pretty much the best 34” B string money can buy. I’ve had an all-maple Streamer Stage 1 and a Corvette with ash body and ovangkol neck (and many others) and they sound remarkably consistent. The MEC electronics are rather modern so don’t expect to get a P bass tone out of them. The $$ configuration with the coil taps is quite versatile but personally not to my taste - I prefer the Streamer or Corvette with regular soapbars. The Thumb sounds wicked but has a very long neck and short top horn so can feel odd to play, but as it is all hardwood it has a very distinct tone that you may or may not like. The Infinity looks cool but to my ears sounds rather prosaic. Don’t whatever you do buy a new one as you’ll only get the inferior teambuilt series (no brass frets which IMHO significantly contribute the the Warwick tone) at more than s/h German Warwick prices, or the ridiculously over-priced custom shop models.

It is what it is. If the borders shut both sides then no road transport is getting through, so in that context food and medicines are probably more important than music gear. I gather they’ve opened the borders again but a 2-day delay is probably more like a 10-day delay to get back to normal - and with 31 Dec fast approaching it’ll likely be total chaos until end of January. And I speak as someone who has returned something to Thomann, which is stuck this side of the border and in all likelihood won’t make it through Eurotunnel before 1st Jan. Goodness only knows what’ll happen with customs/duty/tax etc. But that’s life

If you think it might be the Mk1 pickups at fault take my advice and don’t drop in the US Bartolini equivalent. I did, and although it cured the overly loud low B string issue on the Ibanez BTB I had at the time, the Mk1s actually sounded better. I think that American bass forum has a thread comparing the two with sound clips - to my ears the US one sounds scooped and more compressed, whereas the Mk1 (or maybe Mk2, can’t quite remember) was richer and a touch fuller and more aggressive. The problem with swapping out electronics is that you can spent a fortune with little or no difference, so it can be expensive and frustrating.

Sold my Sterling 5 HH to Werner. Excellent comms, payment etc. Very trustworthy. Great doing business with you!

Just had a parcel delivered from Thomann. Picked up from them on Monday lunchtime, delivered Wednesday lunchtime. Probably just very very busy with Christmas, COVID and Br***t

Personally I would never, ever pay for anything by bank transfer unless I can see the item in person. You have very little chance of ever getting the money back. I’ve never bought anything from here via bank transfer and never will - and this is relatively trustworthy. There are just too many chancers and scam artists around. This seller may not be dodgy but once you’ve sent the money via bank transfer the seller has zero incentive to actually send the goods. I use PayPal as goods and add a bit on top so the seller gets the agreed sale price. I’m aware there are lots of scammers that can say not received or damaged etc but at least it balances the risk a little more between buyer and seller. I guess speaking to them on the phone to gauge whether they’re sound helps, but you can never really tell.

Well mine is due for delivery tomorrow. 1st world problems etc and I shouldn’t moan but it took them as long to get it collected as it spent in transit from Germany to the UK. I guess this is the penalty of being a large warehouse retailer, Christmas, COVID and Br***t all coming together. fingers crossed it’s undamaged as goodness’ knows what returns will be like Edit: it arrived a day early and was boxed with packing material inside another Thomann box. Excellent!

There seems to be an element of this with all couriers. A parcel I sent recently bounced back and forth between two warehouses for a couple of days before finally being delivered. The joys of large scale logistics - stuff does get loaded on the wrong lorry...

Feeling rests is down to your internal clock. If you can internalise that constant pulse, and feel the subdivision of that pulse (into 2, 3, 4 or heaven forbid, 5!) and most importantly continue feeling that when there is no beat to play along with, then you’re going some way to developing your internal clock. Session drummer Bernard Purdie (he of the Purdie shuffle) is quoted as saying he could tap a beat out to the radio in his car, go through a tunnel where the radio cuts out and be perfectly in time when he comes out the other side and the radio kicks back in (but take that quote with a large pinch of salt as this was the guy that purportedly put a card up next to his drums on sessions saying “Congratulations, you hired the hit maker!”) - but a very much more basic version of that is the order of the day - when the music cuts out your internal clock takes over. Hit Me... has an accent on the 4th 16th note of beat 4, which may be what’s throwing you, as you start playing the bass line on the 2nd 16th note of beat 1. as others have said, in this context the rest is really important.

Mine is on its way to the UK so they clearly are picking up from Thomann...

I think everyone that quoted you knew exactly what you wrote and can read quite well. Maybe you’d like to ring them and tell them your thoughts - see what they say

Yes, it is kind of hard to tell what will happen. Leaving the politics aside, something bought in the EU will have local VAT paid. Should it not arrive until after 31st December, I wonder what would happen as a parcel shipped after this date should in theory not have local VAT paid and will attract 3.7% duty then 20% VAT on top (pending a trade deal, which likely as not won't affect this amount). Common sense would dictate that import authorities will recognise the VAT was paid and only levy the duty and other import charges; reality will probably mean levying the full whack and leaving the recipient to try and recover the local VAT off the original sale. Looks like my parcel has hit Frankfurt and says "on time". Fingers crossed. I would have purchased in the UK but unfortunately Thomann were the only retailer I could find for my item in the desired spec (and were £300 cheaper than UK prices, to boot). To be fair they have been in touch regularly; I have no reason to disbelieve what they've told me, perhaps it's just the worst possible time of year (or any year!) to buy from Europe to UK...

Hmm, ordered mine last Wednesday first thing in the morning. I’ve been told mine was collected on Friday but UPS tracking updated this morning to say “Shipper created label, UPS has not received the parcel yet”. My item is quite expensive. Had I known an in stock item takes nearly a week to be collected I wouldn’t have bought it. Now very concerned this will get stuck in Germany through Christmas...

I initially thought of get Linear, Intervallic, Dissonant and Lugubrious... sorry for the shameless supermarket plug