Buying in America

Killaqueen!!!

Ok so I'm going to Boston soon and I did a bit of research and thisguitar shop looks pretty good. Kinda cheap as well. Do you think it'd be worth the stress of buying an amp over there (or maybe a guitar though I'm kinda set on buying off ishibashi) what with added customs? I'd be sh1tting myself that the goods would get damaged bringing them home (especially if I don't have a hardcase). And it is supposed to be a holiday! But I can't resist...just look at the site...:p

So what do you think?

feylya

You would be completely screwed with the price of excess package if you were planning on bringing an amp back on a trans-Atlantic flight. Plus you'd have to get a transformer for the amp which is extra cost and hassle.

Easy way to figure this out is have a look on the various websites, add up how much it'd cost you to get it back here and working and see if it's much cheaper than Thomann.

Killaqueen!!!

Yeah, I thought about that. Supose I got my hopes up too much. Surely checking in an amp/guitar on the way back isn't too expensive?

I forgot about the plugs and voltage difference as well..

Ah f uck it. Well I might buy a pedal then? Or do I need a transformer for that as well?

Royale with Cheese

You'd be fine bringing back a guitar. Just take it on the plane as carry on luggage. I got my last bass in America and brought it back no problems.

Karl Hungus

Killaqueen!!! wrote:

Ah f uck it. Well I might buy a pedal then? Or do I need a transformer for that as well?

Nah, pedals are ok, just buy an adapter over here if you need one.

feylya

Well, checking an amp - assuming it's a reasonable sized combo, it'll weigh about 20 kilos. That'll cost €68 extra with Aer Lingus. Guitars you'd probably have to check as oversized items but I'm not sure.

As long as you're powering the pedals with batteries, they'll be fine.

Killaqueen!!!

Royale with Cheese wrote:

You'd be fine bringing back a guitar. Just take it on the plane as carry on luggage. I got my last bass in America and brought it back no problems.

I never knew you could take guitars as carry on luggage. That's an option.. Still, would there be charges? Like in customs?

I'm terrible for buying guitars...I've been talking about ordering my strat off ishibashi for a year now..:rolleyes: At least if I'm over there I can try them and buy it there and then instead of putting it off.

Karl Hungus wrote:

Nah, pedals are ok, just buy an adapter over here if you need one.

Ok thanks. What sort of adaptor?

feylya

You will be charged customs. Take it as a given.

It'd be a simple power adapter like a Boss one if it's a Boss pedal.

Killaqueen!!!

Ok. And I suppose there's no way of working out how much it's gonna be?

Royale with Cheese

Customs would be 25% of the guitar's value.

I know talk of evading customs on this forum is a no no, but I think it's safe to say it's far from definite that you would be charged customs bringing a guitar back as hand luggage.

feylya

Somebody on this forum was stung by Customs for bringing a guitar back as hand lugguage. Had to pay the 25% tax and import and another 25% penalty.

Voodu Child

The only amps i could see carrying onto a plane would be small light heads. Not a lot springs to mind tbh, even a small valve head weighs a tonne.

You could always ship something back to yourself. If you bought it new, It would be packed up already, just bring it to a USPS depot and away you go.

Killaqueen!!!

Hmm...ok forget amps. With the weight of them, it's gonna be tough to send it back as baggage and I doubt I'll get it on with hand luggage. I was origionally gonna get a Strat but I think I'll buy a different electric over in America and then order a japanese strat off ishibashi when I get the money. I'm gonna see when I get over there. If I see a beauty of a bargain I'll go for it. If not, I'll just get a couple of pedals.

If I get caught with it as hand luggae, I doubt they'll charge a penalty for an innocent little girl like me I'll try my chances and if I'm stuck, I'm stuck. I'm gonna have to pay the 25%. (By the way, how are THEY going to work out the price? They won't know how much it cost me )

feylya

They'll stick a random price on it. And if they don't charge you, they'll charge your parents.

Royale with Cheese

I suppose if they were being very anal about it, they'd find out the Irish list price of the guitar and charge you 25% on that. You'd have to be extremely unlucky for that to happen though.

Killaqueen!!!

Okey dokey. Well maybe I'll be lucky. By the sounds of it about half of the people get caught on the way back. I have a 50/50 chance. (That's what I'm saying and I'm sticking to it).

Thanks for the info lads, and @Royale With Cheese - sent you a pm.

Illkillya

You can get a special guitar case for flights which has great shock absorption, feels like its made out of hard foam or something. My brother got a nice guitar in America, he told the salesman he'd be bringing it back to Ireland and convinced him to throw in the flight case for free.

unclebill98

Was in that very guitar shop back in 02 and got myself a MusicMan bass for around 900euros with hard case. Detuned the strings a little and you have to book it in. Will not be aloud to bring on as hand luggage. Customs will more or less stop you and question you about it, like they did me. Even doh theres tons of golfers walking past me laughing away....! The bass was over 2200 in Music Maker!! So its worth it even with the paying the Duty and Vat. The percentage is fixed and if you vat reg'd you can claim that back too. http://www.revenue.ie/index.htm?/leaflets/pn1179.htm

I got the shop mid sale and there very helpfull, even changed the strings on the guitar as I thought they were a little dull, brought it back and after another 30 mins i picked that one. They Had over 100 MM in stock compaired to Musicmakers/Musician inc's 1/2. The bass was about 1100 not in the sale which mean its normally 1000.

Going again next month, maybe get another one ;-)...

Killaqueen!!!

^ Ah, cool, it's nice to hear from someone who actually went to that shop. It looks pretty decent. Do you know any other guitar shops around the Boston area?

Too bad you got charged, I guess you were unlucky.

unclebill98

Killaqueen!!! wrote:

^ Ah, cool, it's nice to hear from someone who actually went to that shop. It looks pretty decent. Do you know any other guitar shops around the Boston area?

Too bad you got charged, I guess you were unlucky.

hi,

If you can get to this hostel? Its the one i stayed in.

http://www.bostonhostel.org/directions.shtml

right beside it theres a 2nd hand dealer, cracking stuff. I am a bassist so i only really looked at them. Had some 78 Musicman and Fenders.

Around the corner from there is an entire shop for drums, yes you heard that right. 4 storys of nothing but drums....

http://www.hihostels.com/affiliates/hiusa60002.php?himap=Y&affiliate=097060#book

If you can see where the hostel is...I think theres another shop on Mass Ave around the corner. Opp that one there a Micky D's and another one beside that, down a stairs. The drum shop is on Boyston St along with the 2nd hand place. Its not a bad place to start you search. I am 1000% certain about the guitar shop beside the hostel and the drum place is beside that and a great Pizza place. I asked in the 2nd hand shop and found out about the rest. Very helpful people.

If you follow this http://www.bostonhostel.org/directions.shtml
click on the Subway map...

you can see the general direction you should be heading.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/locations/store.cfm?store=550

As far as I remember its the Green T line route C or B heading out of town..The T goes right outside it and its on the left hand side as you head out to it..so eyes pealed.

The main reason theres so many guitar shops in that area is because of Berkeley Music College, you come out of Hynes Convention centre early in the morning and you'll feel very left out if you aint carring some kind of instrument!!!!

Even telling you now makes me even more happy I am going next month....when you heading?

Killaqueen!!!

^ I'm going next month too!

Thanks for the recommendations. I'll figure out where they are closer to the time. It's a pity I'm not going now, in July, to catch some of the sales offers.

Oh well.

I'm also going to Cape Cod. I doubt you know of any guitar shops in the area (if any, doesn't really seem like a musical place!)