Flying to the USA to pick up a guitar

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  • prowlaprowla Frets: 4896
    Incidentally, I've sometimes thought I'd like to go off to the US and bring back a guitar, if I happened to find one.
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  • skinfreakskinfreak Frets: 200
    Can you get a direct flight to the city/area where the guitar is?  I ask because the US has a "hub system", where direct flights within USA are non existent for distances over 1,000 miles or so.  If your flight lands first in NY city and say the guitar is in Atlanta, you will likely be flying from NY to Columbus Ohio, then to Nashville Tennessee, then to Atlanta Georgia, and probably not all on the same plane.   Throwing gas on fires is my specialty.......
     
    Direct flight to major city but the extras in terms of hotel and transfers make it less likely that I would go through with it.

    I'd like to thank nearly everyone for their comments. Nearly everyone... The piss on my parade contingent can kiss my ass. As I said initially it wasn't just trying to avoid a bit of tax. That a Fringe benefit to being able to ensure the guitar gets to my in o e piece, and it isn't caught up with CITES for weeks.

    And the level of narcissism in someone deliberately trying to pick a fight and then revelling in their moral superiority is quite amazing. Good for you MikeS. I don't care if you are shit at parties.

    At the bare minimum, I'm looking to buy an expensive instrument for the USA and do no t know the best way of doing that economically and safely.

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  • HattigolHattigol Frets: 8176
    skinfreak said:
    Can you get a direct flight to the city/area where the guitar is?  I ask because the US has a "hub system", where direct flights within USA are non existent for distances over 1,000 miles or so.  If your flight lands first in NY city and say the guitar is in Atlanta, you will likely be flying from NY to Columbus Ohio, then to Nashville Tennessee, then to Atlanta Georgia, and probably not all on the same plane.   Throwing gas on fires is my specialty.......
     
    Direct flight to major city but the extras in terms of hotel and transfers make it less likely that I would go through with it.

    I'd like to thank nearly everyone for their comments. Nearly everyone... The piss on my parade contingent can kiss my ass. As I said initially it wasn't just trying to avoid a bit of tax. That a Fringe benefit to being able to ensure the guitar gets to my in o e piece, and it isn't caught up with CITES for weeks.

    And the level of narcissism in someone deliberately trying to pick a fight and then revelling in their moral superiority is quite amazing. Good for you MikeS. I don't care if you are shit at parties.

    At the bare minimum, I'm looking to buy an expensive instrument for the USA and do no t know the best way of doing that economically and safely.

    A big fat +1 to all of that. 
    "Anybody can play. The note is only 20%. The attitude of the motherf*cker who plays it is  80%" - Miles Davis
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  • fandangofandango Frets: 2204
    edited June 2018
    Sporky said:
    prowla said:
    Suppose you took out an empty case, or maybe one containing a cheapie, and then brought "it" back - would there be any duties...
    How would you prove you took it out? 
    How would they prove the OP didn't? When was the last time you saw any customs officers either side of passport control?

    Edit: i should add that’s its very unlikely you’d see the same personnel on inbound/outbound flights. Duty roster would see to that. And they dont keep records of what people take through security.

    edit 2: security more concerned with confiscating your liquids
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  • MikeSMikeS Frets: 2133
    skinfreak said:

    And the level of narcissism in someone deliberately trying to pick a fight and then revelling in their moral superiority is quite amazing. Good for you MikeS.
    Sorry, In future if I have a conflicting opinion, I know now to sugar coat it for you, so it feels like a comforting cuddle and a softly whispered "there there" from your daddy.



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  • prlgmnrprlgmnr Frets: 3964
    This is getting like that episode of Columbo with Johnny Cash.
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  • AlexHunterAlexHunter Frets: 422
    If you’ve got the time, money and inclination then why not. With the exchange rate as it is I can’t believe it’s fantastic deal that will offset the cost of the flight so you must have the money, you’ve got the inclination as you started the thread and have endured the subsequent conversation. Therefore if you’ve got the time,  just do it.
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  • SporkySporky Frets: 27590
    fandango said:
    Sporky said:
    prowla said:
    Suppose you took out an empty case, or maybe one containing a cheapie, and then brought "it" back - would there be any duties...
    How would you prove you took it out? 
    How would they prove the OP didn't? 
    That's not how customs & excise work. The legal burden of proof is on you, not them. 
    "[Sporky] brings a certain vibe and dignity to the forum."
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  • MoominpapaMoominpapa Frets: 1649
    OP, this seems like a tremendous amount of trouble to go through just for a guitar. Unless it has some great sentimental value for you, I'm not sure it's worth two trans-Atlantic flights and the dubious business of avoiding customs duties.
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  • fandangofandango Frets: 2204
    Sporky said:
    fandango said:
    Sporky said:
    prowla said:
    Suppose you took out an empty case, or maybe one containing a cheapie, and then brought "it" back - would there be any duties...
    How would you prove you took it out? 
    How would they prove the OP didn't? 
    That's not how customs & excise work. The legal burden of proof is on you, not them. 
    Hmmmm ... but Customs have to initiate the enquiry (request proof). They will only initiate an enquiry if something prompts them. If one stays under their radar ......
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  • Hattigol said:
    Sounds like a very special guitar. One you'd need to see and play before buying? That is a sound reason alone. 

    Very very rare for Customs to randomly ask questions about guitars. Chances are you will avoid the VAT and duty.

    Sure it's 48 hours of your time but if someone on here can suggest a better and more exciting way of spending time than flying to get a dream guitar, I'd sure as hell like to hear it.

    Go for it!

    I like this guy
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  • BloodEagleBloodEagle Frets: 5320
    MikeS said:
    skinfreak said:

    And the level of narcissism in someone deliberately trying to pick a fight and then revelling in their moral superiority is quite amazing. Good for you MikeS.
    Sorry, In future if I have a conflicting opinion, I know now to sugar coat it for you, so it feels like a comforting cuddle and a softly whispered "there there" from your daddy.
    This guys just too real for me, he’s totally blowing my entire worldview to shreds 
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  • martin8708martin8708 Frets: 81
    I spent 6 months in the States about 15 years ago , I knew a girl in Dallas and I thought I'd make a go of it .
    I picked up a nice old Fender P bass and a Steinberger XL2 , which I brought back with me (unlike the girl )  Heathrow customs main concern was that the Steinberger was not a gun as it looked like a weapon in a gig bag . Once they were satisfied it was a guitar ,they waved me through no problem at all .  ( mind you that was 15 years ago ) 
    I have heard a story of a guitarist stopped at customs having to play a song to the officials to prove he was a musician , rather than a " guitar mule " 
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  • SporkySporky Frets: 27590
    fandango said:
    Sporky said:
    fandango said:
    Sporky said:
    prowla said:
    Suppose you took out an empty case, or maybe one containing a cheapie, and then brought "it" back - would there be any duties...
    How would you prove you took it out? 
    How would they prove the OP didn't? 
    That's not how customs & excise work. The legal burden of proof is on you, not them. 
    Hmmmm ... but Customs have to initiate the enquiry (request proof). They will only initiate an enquiry if something prompts them. If one stays under their radar ......
    I was pointing out the flaw in prowla's plan.

    One might well get away with just bringing a guitar back (and there is the Cites advantage), but the take-a-guitar-case-out gambit doesn't seem to offer any advantage.
    "[Sporky] brings a certain vibe and dignity to the forum."
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  • mr-macmr-mac Frets: 200
    If ya can find identical guitar here (not for sale) go have a photo taken of you holding it as if playing and post on your social media...

    take a shit, even broken, guitar with you that has similar looking case and flog it to anywhere for any amount.

    that way when you get stopped on way home you can go to your Facebook and see look there is me playing it last week before i flew out.
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  • musicman100musicman100 Frets: 1705
    Technically your not avoiding tax your evading it, there's a difference.
    That's not on at all!!!!!
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  • Fishboy7Fishboy7 Frets: 2178
    edited June 2018
    I've brought guitars back from the states a few times. No issues with customs but had to put it through the palette wrap thing and check it in. So no more secure than shipping. 

    Saved a few quid but that was back when the exchange rate was more in our favour.  

    Actually the shop made me up a dummy receipt for like $200 in case i got stopped (on guitar centre paper   )


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  • meltedbuzzboxmeltedbuzzbox Frets: 10337
    MikeS said:
    skinfreak said:

    And the level of narcissism in someone deliberately trying to pick a fight and then revelling in their moral superiority is quite amazing. Good for you MikeS.
    Sorry, In future if I have a conflicting opinion, I know now to sugar coat it for you, so it feels like a comforting cuddle and a softly whispered "there there" from your daddy.
    How did your latest, sight unseen Gibson purchase pan out by the way?
    The Bigsby was the first successful design of what is now called a whammy bar or tremolo arm, although vibrato is the technically correct term for the musical effect it produces. In standard usage, tremolo is a rapid fluctuation of the volume of a note, while vibrato is a fluctuation in pitch. The origin of this nonstandard usage of the term by electric guitarists is attributed to Leo Fender, who also used the term “vibrato” to refer to what is really a tremolo effect.
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  • dazzajldazzajl Frets: 5654
    Wow.... quite a thread. 

    I’m definitely on the go for it side here. It’ll cost you more for sure and if the customs folk want to stop you and you can’t prove it’s had it’s tax and duty paid they will charge you. But if you have the money for this caper and you think the guitar will be around more than a month or two, what an adventure and great way to start out the relationship. 
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  • merlinmerlin Frets: 6598
    The Blue Meanies don't like Music, so they may be rather nasty to you if they catch you. I bet it's a great guitar though and it'll be an adventure and a really positive experience, IF you get away with tricking the bastards. 
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