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Importing Guitars


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[quote name='JimBobTTD' timestamp='1499706681' post='3333049']
Does anyone have experience of importing an instrument with an Indian rosewood fingerboard from the US? I am asking in relation to CITES. Did you need to do anything special? This is assuming that the US seller has already done the necessary for export.
[/quote]

The Dutch buyer I mentioned in my last post had to get his own import permit on top of the two separate US permits and the physical inspection I had to deal with. The whole process took just under 4 months. And yes, the bass in question has an Indian rosewood fingerboard.

Edited by Passinwind
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  • 2 weeks later...

[quote name='Passinwind' timestamp='1500269441' post='3336510']
The Dutch buyer I mentioned in my last post had to get his own import permit on top of the two separate US permits and the physical inspection I had to deal with. The whole process took just under 4 months. And yes, the bass in question has an Indian rosewood fingerboard.
[/quote]

Thanks for your answer! This is what I have suspected. The information on a number of (official!) websites is slightly ambiguous, making it seem like it is only needed if you are a company that will be selling it on but, at the same time, making it also seem that you (as a private person) are considered an official importer and, thus, a company.

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[quote name='bcbass' timestamp='1506271387' post='3377488']
Is it anyone recently imported basses from Japan?How much hassle is now with CITES regulation and the rest,is it worth it at all?
Cheers!
[/quote]

About a month ago, sailed through (rosewood neck) with no problems. I guess its down to luck, since they're basically unable to check each parcel etc internally. Some exporters in Japan do the necessary admin/paperwork though, but mine didn't.

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2 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

Tell me more about the lawsuit, please.

How I understand it......late seventies early Eighties the Japanese started making copies of certain guitars. The quality was so good that a cease and desist order was placed on them. I think Ibanez were taken to court by Gibson.

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On 21/12/2017 at 14:21, subdub said:

Hi have just imported one from Japan. Using jauce. Good experience. The bass all in cost £250.  Aria 1977 lawsuit p bass.

 

2 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

Tell me more about the lawsuit, please.

 

27 minutes ago, subdub said:

How I understand it......late seventies early Eighties the Japanese started making copies of certain guitars. The quality was so good that a cease and desist order was placed on them. I think Ibanez were taken to court by Gibson.

When I posted that comment, there was a degree of pedantry with concern to the original post.  You're correct in that Ibanez were the only Japanese company taken to task (and by Gibson), which pretty much prompted them to up the ante with their original models (and change of headstocks).  Fujigen and Matsomoku produced tens of thousands of guitars and basses.  The Aria Precise/Primary range were no more subject to lawsuits than the Tokai Jazz Sound or Hard Puncher basses.

People just throw around the word lawsuit like it's a badge of honour.  Look, I've no qualms about the Aria being a great piece of kit (I've got one of those P-bass copies from 1978), but lawsuit?  Nooooo.

 

 

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3 minutes ago, subdub said:

Oh Jesus. Yes pedantic. Why Bother. Think I will give TalkBass a try. Why bother typing that.

Why bother?  The lawsuit thing has been covered here a ton of times and over on Talkbass as well; if you think I'm being pedantic or harsh, then you'll find guys over there that make me look like Snagglepuss.

I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade and apologise if I got your back up, but it really does feel that at one time or another every Japanese manufactured guitar or bass from the 1970s that was copied from a Fender or Gibson design seemed to carry the the word lawsuit with it. 

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21 minutes ago, subdub said:

Oh Jesus. Yes pedantic. Why Bother. Think I will give TalkBass a try. Why bother typing that.

It is an inevitability of a discussion forum that someone will disagree with you. On this occasion, the disagreement was polite and informative; but you have reacted negatively. I think you should think it over a bit. Of course, you're welcome to post on a different forum if you want to though.

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  • 3 months later...

Just been looking at the Ishibashi music site. They have a fantastic amount of stock, but looking at the prices, once you have allowed for import duty etc, they are way more expensive than the equivalent are for sale at here. Unless you want something that may be rare over here like some of the Fender Japan models then given current rates of exchange they don’t stack up. IMHO

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  • 7 months later...

From 1st February 2019 the free trade agreement reported below kicks in. It may help to get basses from Japan, but there will still be VAT to pay at 20%. I read/heard that the VAT is assessed on the cost of the product plus the cost of shipping. Anyone know if this is true?

 

The European Parliament gave its consent to the EU’s trade agreement with Japan, the largest bilateral trade deal ever negotiated by the EU.

The Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and Japan, approved with 474 votes to 152 with 40 abstentions on Wednesday, will remove almost all custom duties adding up to €1 billion annually for EU companies. It represents a clear stance in support of rules-based, free and fair trade “at a time of serious protectionist challenges” .

Edited by Grahambythesea
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On 08/05/2018 at 17:31, Happy Jack said:

In fairness, Graham, most of the pro-Ishibashi posts on this thread were made before the UK voted for economic suicide and destroyed the value of the UK£.

;)

2015: an Aerodyne Jazz costing 55,000 JPY would have cost £282 pre shipping & tax. Today it would cost £392... something must have affected the exchange rate.

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