UK based?

[wilkinsi]

if it helps, there's PJ Guitars in Portsmouth. I'd love to go, but it's 6-8 hours on the coach from nottingham!

[neilli]

Steve at PJs is a great guy, and they do actually have some Jacksons in stock...

[ilbianconero]

There's a site http://southpawguitars.com/
You can check to see if the have import lefty's.
As for going around customs, I've never tried the below method on a guitar yet (I've always gone to US and picked them up from there and brought myself and nobody said anything on the airport and even if they did, I would've said: it's my own guitar and I'd gone for an audition, etc), so, here is that method:
If you can find someone who's prepared to send it as "other than merchandise" and can also put down a lower price on the customs sheet , then you should be OK . Alternatively, you can get them to label it as it being a repaired, refurbished instrument being returned to you (you the original owner).
These are only suggestions.
thanks

[wilkinsi]

the only thing customs wanted from me was to put it thru the xray conveyor. that was donkeys years ago. i've no idea what to expect these days what with all these bomb scares. but my guess is the money spent on a holiday to usa would soon compromise the cheaper cost of a usa guitar.

[metal_bob1]

For those of you who've bought guitars in the US and shipped them to the UK how have you gone about finding which dealers have the guitar you want without having to order it? Is it just a case of phoning round, or have you sticked to online dealers' inventories?

[ilbianconero]

For me it's been using the net.
I did phone around once as well but nothing came of it.

[neilli]

I just use the net, but I've only bought guitars from a few dealers. Matt's a great guy to deal with, so drop him a mail with details of what you want...

[Tiddles]

Neil – yeah, over past 5 years I’ve bought around 20 guitars from US &/or Japan, and about 10 got through without any bill for tax at all (neither Import Duty, nor Vat), there was no special arrangement to avoid tax eg no false claims from sellers labeling things as “gifts” etc. If you’ve always paid tax then I can only think your Post Office is more efficient or more strict than mine in West London (I say “post office” because although the charge is actually made by Customs, it’s the Post Office who write out the bill & collect the money). Smaller items like guitar parts have always got to me without any tax bill (regardless of item cost/value), eg inc. Tele Body, neck, control plates, pickups etc. etc…no tax on any of them (full tax should be charged on anything over about £13, iirc). All that’s for imports from outside EU. Importing within EU has no tax charges afaik.

Slash – thanks, that’s interesting, & confirms what I said about actual postage cost. Well done to you for using a reasonably priced method & not trying to make extra profit on the shipping. Unfortunately if guys check eBay they’ll find most US sellers want $250 to $300, that’s too much & usually kills the deal. Japan is a bit more reasonable, typically $110 to $150, but again it depends how much the seller is adding to actual shipping cost.

Ilbianconero – do be careful with the methods you list, they won’t always work, because in fact UK Customs have seen all the tricks a thousand times lol … they know exactly what guys do & if they let you through it’s just because they can’t be bothered to check everyone/everything, but if you are stopped then not only will you have to pay the full tax but you can also face a hefty fine, ouch! The only method which really works and which Customs cannot stop, is if you get a US citizen to bring the guitar in claiming it’s his own.

Sorry I seem to have taken this thread a little OT from left handed Jackson’s, though if Daveb or anyone does want to consider eBay from US or Japan then I guess this thread covers most of things he need’s to take into consideration.

Ian.

[Zerberus]

There's a site http://southpawguitars.com/
You can check to see if the have import lefty's.
As for going around customs, I've never tried the below method on a guitar yet (I've always gone to US and picked them up from there and brought myself and nobody said anything on the airport and even if they did, I would've said: it's my own guitar and I'd gone for an audition, etc), so, here is that method:
If you can find someone who's prepared to send it as "other than merchandise" and can also put down a lower price on the customs sheet , then you should be OK .

Works, but I wouldn´t necessarily recommend this. Simply because if it gets broken then you just fucked yourself over ten times harder than any customs official could

Alternatively, you can get them to label it as it being a repaired, refurbished instrument being returned to you (you the original owner).
These are only suggestions.
thanks

Unfortunately, this doesn´t work unless you can forge a bill that proves that the guitar DID already belong to you and was already in the country at some point

For those of you who've bought guitars in the US and shipped them to the UK how have you gone about finding which dealers have the guitar you want without having to order it? Is it just a case of phoning round, or have you sticked to online dealers' inventories?

Technology is your friend, embrace the communicative advantages of the telephone and completely change your life

[RacerX]

Technology is your friend, embrace the communicative advantages of the telephone and completely change your life

BEST SARCASTIC REPLY EVER! :ROTF:

[metal_bob1]

Technology is your friend, embrace the communicative advantages of the telephone and completely change your life

Actually I have called Guitar center, Sam Ash, etc, but they don't have the one I'm looking for, surprisingly. So if they have 300 stores between them, I'm wondering whether it's worth going to the Jackson dealer page and systematically calling all the dealers in the USA until I find one with my guitar. So where should I start, Manhattan, San Francisco?

[Zerberus]

Well, calling Guitar Center is your first Mistake, calling Sam Ash your second

But in all seriosity, there´s a link at the top of the page that says "Dealers". I´d suggest starting there

[daveb]

Interesting posts guys!!
It is a bit limiting playing lefty but it just feels more natural playing this way...i've had trouble before getting what i want at my local guitar store...
A lot of them won't order one-offs unless it's from someone like Fender,they say it's a case of you get what's given to you and that's it....i'm not talking about Jackson here though,it was another distributor.

I might have better luck online so i'll have a look around and let you know how i get on...
I don't really have too much time to keep checking on stock at the local guitar stores..


Thanks for the replies.
d

[ilbianconero]

Dave
Like I said earlier try http://www.southpawguitars.com/
cheers

[Tiddles]

“Seriosity”??? Jeepers, how the English language has been mangled lol...just kidding…except that is the best invention I’ve seen for while :ROTF: .

Dave – you said " left handed a bit limiting, but just feels more natural this way "… I know what you mean of course, but here’s a funny idea - I’m right handed, but I’ve often wondered if it wouldn’t have been easier for me to learn fretting with my right hand ie using the left for the less complex tasks of picking … ie just because some licks are very tricky & yet right-handers deliberately choose to play them with their left hand, OK it’s probably a crazy thought & certainly way too late for me to change anything now lol (I’ve been playing 30 years!…err, not continuously!!) .

Ian.