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NBD - Weird colour Mustang Bass


urbanx
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Preface:

I’ve always wanted a mustang bass in a pale blue / green. When they announced that they would be producing it in Sonic Blue my heart lept and with memories of the Sonic Blue Jagstang in mind, I went as quick as my hatchback could take me to the music shop to try it out. The spotty Saturday child proudly handed me the bass, proclaiming “Sonic Blue” in his squeaky voice. “Sorry Son, this might be your first day, but this is Olympic White”. He then handed me the Olympic White one, or was that the blue? They looked the same, far too pale. My tail drooped and I left the shop.

My Dream Bass:

2018 arrives and I notice Fender release an overpriced Seafoam Green Mustang. It’s not the green / blue I wanted, so I start getting quotes to buy a new one and have it refinished in the colour I had in mind. While surfing the web for colour codes I spot it…my dream colour. And hang on….it’s on a mustang bass, and it’s for sale from an actual shop!

 

Seconds later, it’s added to the cart and I hit check out. So end of story?

 

No. The retailer says that they aren’t willing to ship the item outside of the U.S as they “won’t be to promise their usual high level of customer service”. I mail them, offering them whatever costs they need to send it, with the promise I won’t cause a fuss.

 

They still refuse. Even more angering is the fact that this is an exclusive deal with Fender – They are the only shop in the world allowed to sell this bass and they wont ship it to me. I’m not willing to fly to Indiana. So the story ends.

 

Against All Odds:

A glass of wine or seven later (that’s only one in dog glasses) I have an idea and fire up Google maps. I find where Sweetwater are based and start looking for pawn shops / secondhand music shops in the area on the slim chance someone has part exchanged one. Highly unlikely as they have only been out a few months - Then the unthinkable happens…I spot one.

 

I mail them asking about it, they respond within minutes explaining that it had a ding in the back, and the shop selling them could no way put that on the shop floor as an exclusive, so let him have it. He attached a photo of the tiny ding. For the princely sum of £120 he would courier it 3,875 miles to my front door. Done and Done.

 

Customs:

 

Five days later I get  a phone call “Hello Mr Smith, it’s Customs and Excise here”. They had my guitar at the airport, it’s now only 30 miles away from me. They’re concerned that the fretboard is Rosewood (its not), and that it will need certification. They ask me to put it in writing that it is not rosewood, and that if I lie it’s a criminal offence etc. As she hangs up I swear her mutter something about Leroy getting a new twink for his cell.

 

Hours later the same number pops up on my phone, the lady is a bit more chirpy and thanks me for my confirmation. “And it’s just the extra tax to pay before we can release it”. What? Why did no one mention the 20% import tax! I finish reading out my credit card number through gritted teeth. “Thank you Mr Smith, now I just need to take our admin fee for that transaction”.

 

 

Arrival:

The next day I hear the postman whistling as he walks down the path, I run to the door, tail wagging. Instead of something the size of a bass he hands me a box about the size of a pizza box.

 

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Minutes later I get a call from the customs lady, “We’ve tested your neck, and it’s not rosewood, we can now release it”. Oh FFS! “We just need to take the import fee for this oh and our admin fee”. For the next 24 hours I made suggestions about what she should do with the neck, that I won’t repeat here. Then I hear the whistling from the path… Like some sort of weird sommelier the postman is holding  the neck like a posh bottle of wine, or the world cup.

 

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I bolt everything together, string it (hybrids) strap lock it (new Schaller S types) and it plays like a dream.

 

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Would I do it again? Not sure. But I now have my dream bass.

Edited by urbanx
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5 minutes ago, Daz39 said:

Now that's a love story ;0

Congrats, it looks nice. Questione: what does the toggle by the lower horn do?

Cheers dude! 

It's a three-way (Ooh Err)

  • Bridge Pick Up
  • Both Pick Ups
  • Bridge Pick Up 
Edited by urbanx
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That's a great colour and a good tale too. Even with the extra charges I guess it still worked out about half the price of a new one in this country? 

I have an Olympic white one (yes, the sonic blue ones look virtually identical) and have ripped the pickup selector switch out and fitted a blend pot instead, it makes the bass way more versatile. It's a cheap and simple mod that really opens up loads of new sounds B|

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"Five days later I get  a phone call “Hello Mr Smith, it’s Customs and Excise here”. They had my guitar at the airport, it’s now only 30 miles away from me. They’re concerned that the fretboard is Rosewood (its not), and that it will need certification. They ask me to put it in writing that it is not rosewood, and that if I lie it’s a criminal offence etc. As she hangs up I swear her mutter something about Leroy getting a new twink for his cell."

What's the deal with importing rosewood fretboard necks?

(BTW Nice colour ... I had one of the "sonic blue" ones. Least blue thing I'd ever had - had to swap it for a red one... which is most certainly red)

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Oh the evils of Import  taxes.  When we crash out of Europe we’ll have to pay them on Warwicks and Hofners from Germany, Vigier from France, Maruszcyk from Poland and every where else. It’s a pity we are going to miss out on the removal of taxes on imports from Japan to Europe which goes free trade on 1st February.

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14 hours ago, Grahambythesea said:

Oh the evils of Import  taxes.  When we crash out of Europe we’ll have to pay them on Warwicks and Hofners from Germany, Vigier from France, Maruszcyk from Poland and every where else. It’s a pity we are going to miss out on the removal of taxes on imports from Japan to Europe which goes free trade on 1st February.

we do anyway, it's called VAT.

If they export it directly to you from, say, Germany. The German sale won't have German VAT (19% IIRC) but it will attract a duty and VAT charge in this country. But the price paid may be a little cheaper due to exchange rates.

We'll have to see what happens

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14 hours ago, Grahambythesea said:

Oh the evils of Import  taxes.  When we crash out of Europe we’ll have to pay them on Warwicks and Hofners from Germany, Vigier from France, Maruszcyk from Poland and every where else. It’s a pity we are going to miss out on the removal of taxes on imports from Japan to Europe which goes free trade on 1st February.

You still have a month to buy as much as you can though, so that is ok, with the added advantage it becomes more sellable here, plus foreigners can buy it back off you cheaply!

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18 hours ago, Fuzzbass2000 said:

"Five days later I get  a phone call “Hello Mr Smith, it’s Customs and Excise here”. They had my guitar at the airport, it’s now only 30 miles away from me. They’re concerned that the fretboard is Rosewood (its not), and that it will need certification. They ask me to put it in writing that it is not rosewood, and that if I lie it’s a criminal offence etc. As she hangs up I swear her mutter something about Leroy getting a new twink for his cell."

What's the deal with importing rosewood fretboard necks?

(BTW Nice colour ... I had one of the "sonic blue" ones. Least blue thing I'd ever had - had to swap it for a red one... which is most certainly red)

CITES: https://www.cites.org/

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8 hours ago, yorks5stringer said:

I was aware that Rosewood had become a restricted material and was being used a lot less on new guitars. 

i guess what I’m really interested in is how does it apply to importing (or exporting) older guitars with rosewood fretboards - which could be 50% of everything ever made.

 

 

Edited by Fuzzbass2000
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21 hours ago, Fuzzbass2000 said:

I was aware that Rosewood had become a restricted material and was being used a lot less on new guitars. 

i guess what I’m really interested in is how does it apply to importing (or exporting) older guitars with rosewood fretboards - which could be 50% of everything ever made.

 

 

Exactly this.

Mine (above) is Pau Ferro as its a 2018 model - Fender are starting to use that as its easier. But as you say there's so much rosewood in circulation, it's a nightmare. I have 5 basses, the other 4 are all rosewood. The law has gotta be simplified sooner or later, I don't think the spirit of it is meant to apply to a few grams of it in fretboards.

Edited by urbanx
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