Maude

And if so are the folks saying the couriers handling fee is to handle the VAT collection on your (the buyers) behalf wrong? I guess the definitive answer for someone like me is time will tell, but that's no help to small business owners.

Thanks for the explanation. As someone who's never had to deal with any of that it's all stuff I was unaware of, I can see why it's probably just not worth it. But being an annoyingly 'glass half full' type, if we have effectively made trading with the EU a no go for businesses like yours, and vice versa, then hopefully your UK sales might pick up a bit and fill the gap a little. Obviously the UK isn't as big as the EU though.

I just want to add, incase you were to go and buy one from Thomann, and I didn't realise at the time, the price is low from them now due to the new VAT rules. 20%VAT plus handling/import charges need to be added to that so probably cheaper from somewhere else. They're not as light as you'd expect either, it's a big body for a short scale.

I'm a little confused, and I'm quoting your post but it's not just related to your wife's business. A few people have said business won't be bothered /don't have the time for all the extra paperwork involved in the new way of collecting VAT. Yet others are saying the handling fee the couriers will be charging is a payment for them handling the VAT collection. If the couriers are handling the VAT collection, don't businesses just sell the goods and move on with no extra hassle?

Yeah I went round his house and quizzed him about that. Turns out we don't get along as much as I thought we would.

The returns part is something I hadn't considered. What happens if you bought an item, paid the UK vat, then had to exchange the item due to fault, or just return for a refund? I assume the VAT is not paid to Thomann so they won't be refunding it?Will you have to claim it back yourself, or do we not know yet?

Blackeyed Blonde - RHCP

If I understand what you mean, and I think I do, then no the thread should not protrude out of the bridge. If the thread is sticking out then the bridge contact to the body is only the tip of the threads (unless it pushes into the wood as yours sounds to have done). The bridge to body contact should be at its maximum by having the entire bottom of the bridge sitting firmly on the body. The phasing is probably from the kink in the string, where it was sitting on the bridge previously.

Union City Blue - Blondie

Ibanez Talman TMB30, and stick the £465 change in the your piggyback, or upgrade the pickups if so inclined. So much better than the price would suggest. https://m.thomann.de/gb/ibanez_tmb30_mgr_talman_short_scale.htm?glp=1

Big Balls - AC⚡DC

I've got LaBella flats on my Club. They're the set designed for the Violin bass so will definitely fit. Not too high tension but definitely not low either. I really like the feel but I do prefer a stiff flat to a flexible round. They sound great though. https://www.labella.com/products/760fhbb-beatle-bass-stainless-flats-50-100/

100 Mile High City - Billy Ocean Colour Scene

The Hills Have Eyes - The Meteors

Great little basses. I like how they 'encourage' me to play differently than a standard bass. Enjoy the your bass, and France. BTW, that fizzy pop you spoke of, if that's the empty box in the outdoor picture then you might want to go easy on it. 😉

Love Missile F1-11 (Sigue Sigue Sputnik)

Stick one if these in there and wire it through a three way switch to give single coil and a humbucker in series and parallel. Warman make absolutely fantastic pickups for very little money, and this should have plenty of power for less than twenty quid. https://www.warmanguitars.co.uk/product/jazzbar-bass-humbucker-13-31k-8-56-h-4-wire-overwound/

On My Radio - The Selecter

See my posts earlier in the thread. 🙂👍

Down in the Tube Station at Midnight - The Jam

Happy Birthday 🙂👍

On A Rope - Rocket From The Crypt

I got my copy before Christmas but as it was to be a present it went straight to the gifter for wrapping. I then got six books for Christmas so as with Ped, it's in the queue. Although I haven't started any yet and it might well be first. 🙂👍

I took the bridge and tailpiece apart today to give them a little clean. When the string holder part was separated from the baseplate I found, possibly, initials etched into it. It might be M. G. Quality Control? More mysteries never to be solved. The string saddle and its baseplate appear to be cut from sheets/slabs of brass which are chromed before the parts are cut out as, on the baseplate, the edges are brass and the faces chrome, and the saddle the opposite way around with chrome edges and brass faces.The brass surfaces are too clean to just be worn away chrome. Presumably they use large pre-chromed slabs of brass and cut/stamp out the pieces before machining. They've cleaned up nicely, even the brass screws.

Whilst I've no idea how this sort of thing works, a thought relating to that had crossed my mind. All these separate reports to Action Fraud need to be linked to the case. I'd worried that they might all get treated as very small individual cases and somehow slip through the net. Hopefully they'll all be linked as this is clearly bigger than individual cases would suggest.