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I was counting on us being able to compete with the States....I know that we have to pay a little more due to import duty etc but once again, this is impossible. Believe me, I'm as frustrated as the next man!!
That price jump was the nail in the coffin for me unfortunatly, I still have 2 awesome Charvels anyway, (EVH Art series in yellow/Black, and a 2006 San Dimas pointy)
But every cloud has a silver lining as I just landed a full endorsment with TTM Guitars. They are gonna produce 3 different sig models for me. with my artwork digitally screenprinted over them.
Still.. The Charvel production models are awesome things, I did try for a Charvel endorsment a little while ago, but after endless e mails they said no
Why we should have to pay nearly twice what the guys in the US have to pay is beyond me.
I was very interested even up to £600, but you can count me out now on principal.
Actually guys, I know it always feels as if we're screwed over here, but it's still not a bad price (and no I'm not a Fender employee, but a customer hoping to buy one).
I've looked into buying one from the US - at today's exchange rate, with all taxes (quote provided from HMRC) and postage, one of those $999 US guitars works out at £824 delivered to my door, and that was with cheap postage (one shop quoted double, which'd push it towards the 900 mark).
And think back to before these guitars were released, a US Charvel in the UK was like rocking-horse sh#t and you certainly would struggle to get one for under £1000. It's just that we've been tempted by a good exchange rate and early price quotes of 500/600 quid, which were almost too good to be true (at that rate they would have been cheaper than the Japanese Model series in real terms).
So I'm not too surprised that the price has gone up....not particularly happy, but not surprised
And think back to before these guitars were released, a US Charvel in the UK was like rocking-horse sh#t and you certainly would struggle to get one for under £1000.
I was lucky enough to get a first hand NOS USA Star last year for £600 The store had two, one white, one black. I got me the black one 'cos it was H-S-S. Could have had both for £1150 but student overdrafts don't stretch that far. Will never get a deal like that again i don't think
Update on colours.....
I have just been informed that the first batch of guitars to arrive on these shores will be from the second batch of finishes. Unfortunately, we will have to wait until the original batch of colours come round again!!
I can't speak with any authority on Jacksons, but I've bought two of my Mockingbirds new, both from the USA.
Even with a case, shipping, and import duty, they were still cheaper than buying from a UK dealer.
Is that generally the case with Jacksons too ?
As the Dollar has now recovered slightly, against Sterling, there is probably not a great deal in it. Also, any warranty issues will have to be returned to the USA as the warranty is not valid in the UK. Unfortunately, it's a simple fact that we, as UK dealers have to pay a considerable amount more than our US counterparts. It has been virtually impossible for us to compete as of the last few years due to the strength of the pound. If only our trade price was similar to elsewhere.
Even with a case, shipping, and import duty, they were still cheaper than buying from a UK dealer.
Is that generally the case with Jacksons too ?
No, I just flew in from the USA earlier today, yesterday I was stood in Chuck Levin's Washington Music Store (wow what a shop) with a Charvel I was considering buying, by the time you've added Maryland sales tax (6%) and UK import duty & VAT (around 23%) and considering the exchange rate, they are more expensive than in the UK.
Plus you have the warranty issue that Steve mentioned.
I went into Guitarguitar in Newcastle yesterday, and I was quite surprised to see a few of these guitars in there. I just hadn't expected to see any of these for a while. They had some of the non-black ones too. Unfortunately I was just having a quick look round so I didn't try one. I didn't even stop to ask one of the employees how much they were (as there were no prices on them). Just a wander around the shop, ogle the Charvels, ogle the Caparisons, then go to JG Windows with a friend so he could buy a banjo. :p
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