Thinking of importing a KV2 to the UK from USA...

[sam69]

Hey i'm new to this forum...
I really want to get a Jackson USA KV2 but the price of getting it in the UK is double the amount that I could get it in the USA
(£1900 UK - £949 USA) these prices are for the lowest price paint jobs

Anybody got any tip on gettin it into the country for as cheap as possible?
As far as i'm aware, its 3% import tax and then 17.5% VAT
However, apparently if its a gift then you don't have to pay this

My Uncle is always in the US working for Macafee so he would probably be able to bring one back
I was thinking just stick some stickers on the case to make it look used and get a co-worker to say he used to own it or something?

Also how much would it cost simply to order it in the USA and get a company to import it for me?

Any help would be great
Thanks

[kelly user]

see that big banner across the top of the page, that's a store. the owner is super cool guy to deal with, and always the best prices. I think he ships international, give him a PM or call or e-mail or anthing else.

[rjohnstone]

Start by looking here... http://www.jcfonline.com/dealers/
Ask one of the dealers. I know some of them will ship to the UK.
I know they will not lie on a Customs declaration form though.

[neilli]

The gift thing can work, but theoretically, you should still pay tax because it's still goods coming into the country. Going for a lower value on shipping can also work, but you are under-insured if you do that... and it's illegal.....

[sam69]

see that big banner across the top of the page, that's a store. the owner is super cool guy to deal with, and always the best prices. I think he ships international, give him a PM or call or e-mail or anthing else.

Is he on this forum?

[shobet]

IIRC it works out like this you have to pay 17.5% on the price of the guitar including the cost of shipping. You are then liable to pay up to 8% in import duty. I also think there is a limit to a value of a gift you can bring in, but I can't find the information at the moment as I've had a curry and am a bit drunk.

I've talked to Matt at Matt's music center http://www.mattsmusic.com/ about this already and I've found him to be competatively priced and will ship to the UK. Drop him an email and remember to mention you got his details from this forum.

Good luck and let me know how you get on with it. I'm looking to do this in the near future as well, and I'd be interested in how you get on.

[ken]

Hey sam69, welcome to the forum.

Shobet may be drunk (then again, when isn't he?), but he's right about the gift limit: in the UK it's the princely sum of 36 pounds! Matt's good, but I don't think his pricing is THAT competitive. Details in Section 2.3 of this:

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageTravel_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000014&propertyType=document

If you (or a friend) are taking the guitar into the country on a plane, I wouldn't fret about it. Just post the documentation (the receipt etc.) to yourself and carry it as normal. It's hard to tell a mint, well looked after guitar from a brand new one. Don't cover it in stickers, that's sacrilege!

Bare in mind that you can almost pay for flights over and back for the price of the customs. Why not take a holiday? Boston's a nice spot (Buddha's Delight in Chinatown - oh yes), if you fancy visiting Matt.

I brought this back from Boston (before I knew about Matt):




Shhh. Don't tell the taxman.

BTW, if you haven't already, I suggest you play a KV before you buy one. I love mine, and it's the best feeling guitar I have, but playing it sitting down took some getting use to.

[sam69]

Hey sam69, welcome to the forum.

Shobet may be drunk (then again, when isn't he?), but he's right about the gift limit: in the UK it's the princely sum of 36 pounds! Matt's good, but I don't think his pricing is THAT competitive. Details in Section 2.3 of this:

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageTravel_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000014&propertyType=document

If you (or a friend) are taking the guitar into the country on a plane, I wouldn't fret about it. Just post the documentation (the receipt etc.) to yourself and carry it as normal. It's hard to tell a mint, well looked after guitar from a brand new one. Don't cover it in stickers, that's sacrilege!

Bare in mind that you can almost pay for flights over and back for the price of the customs. Why not take a holiday? Boston's a nice spot (Buddha's Delight in Chinatown - oh yes), if you fancy visiting Matt.

I brought this back from Boston (before I knew about Matt):




Shhh. Don't tell the taxman.

BTW, if you haven't already, I suggest you play a KV before you buy one. I love mine, and it's the best feeling guitar I have, but playing it sitting down took some getting use to.

Cheers man that was really useful

My friend recently bought a jackson Marty Freidman Sig Kelly (signed!!) and I almost orgasmed when i played it lol and thats compared to my Gibson Les Paul Standard.
I presume that they're pretty similar in terms of neck and the low action you can get on them?

Could you by any chance post a pic of you standing up with the guitar on the strap and let go of the neck?
Just so i can see the angle that it balances at naturally as this is important
either that or just explaining will probs do lol

About the holiday
as i said, my uncle works out there so as a poor and impoverished student i'll probs save my pennies and let him bring it back lol
oh yeah and i meant cover the case in stickers not the guitar lmao
that would be illegal i swear lol

[shobet]

The customs are more switched on than they used to be, good luck!

[ken]

My friend recently bought a jackson Marty Freidman Sig Kelly (signed!!) and I almost orgasmed when i played it lol and thats compared to my Gibson Les Paul Standard.
I presume that they're pretty similar in terms of neck and the low action you can get on them?

On any guitar that costs as much as a USA Jackson, after a good set-up the action will be awesome... have no doubt. You'lll probably need to take it to a tech. in the UK when you get it. The temperature change effects the neck shape.

Someone else will confirm this for you as I don't have KE1: the frets on a KV2 are medium jumbo, but jumbo on most other USA Jacksons. Personally, I prefer the medium jumbo, but I think I'm in a minority on the board in that regard. The KV2 has the "speed neck", but I think the KE1 did too. I love it.

Could you by any chance post a pic of you standing up with the guitar on the strap and let go of the neck?
Just so i can see the angle that it balances at naturally as this is important
either that or just explaining will probs do lol

Eh, Shobet's not the only drunk here. Radeberger: it'd be me diving rather than the guitar... The balance is as good as any other guitar I've played. No nose-dive at all.

About the holiday
as i said, my uncle works out there so as a poor and impoverished student i'll probs save my pennies and let him bring it back lol
oh yeah and i meant cover the case in stickers not the guitar lmao
that would be illegal i swear lol

I wouldn't bother with the stickers. I don't have them on any of my cases. There's nothing to stop me taking a guitar to/from other countries without paying VAT.

Of course, if your uncle can't play guitar, they may catch him out.

Incidentally, if you don't *need* the Jackson logo, you could probably get Ran Guitars to build a KV for you. As they're based within the EU (Germany), there's import duty or VAT (well, apart from what's paid in Germany).

[ken]

The customs are more switched on than they used to be, good luck!

They're getting tetchy here too, for example with posted amazon.com packages.

However, if his uncle travels in with a guitar he owns, Customs can't do anything; you're allowed travel with guitars without paying VAT. I take it UK Customs haven't started making sure that people leave the UK with what they brought in?!

[shobet]

I have a friend who travels with his guitars back and forth to the US a lot and it's a pain apparently.

I'd chose a flight that came in at a really inconvenient time for them. IE middle of the night or when they are really busy when the internal commuter flights are landing.

[ken]

I have a friend who travels with his guitars back and forth to the US a lot and it's a pain apparently.

I'd chose a flight that came in at a really inconvenient time for them. IE middle of the night or when they are really busy when the internal commuter flights are landing.

That's terrible.

If he could cope with the rubbish planes, he could always fly Ryanair to/from Dublin and Aer Lingus to/from the US. I don't think I've ever seen anyone at Customs at Dublin airport. Once he's within the EU, there's no tax issue in the UK.

[neilli]

I've had many guitars shipped to me in the UK (from Matt and elsewhere), and I've also brought 2 or 3 in with me from holiday. Some points to remember are:

1: Remember that customs can impound your guitar.
2: Customs have a reference list of items with prices - if they're suspicious, they will check, and they will find out that your USA Jackson didn't only cost 150 quid.
3: If you go for a lower value receipt, make it sensible, and DON'T have any incriminating papers on you. Sounds obvious, but one time they went through my wallet and found a receipt for a camera we'd bought on that trip as well.
4: If you go for the "I took it with me" approach, I believe it can fall to you to prove you actually did take it with you, and that you had the guitar in the UK. Then, see point 1!

[JACKSONWOLF]

Hey i'm new to this forum...
I really want to get a Jackson USA KV2 but the price of getting it in the UK is double the amount that I could get it in the USA
(£1900 UK - £949 USA) these prices are for the lowest price paint jobs

Hi Sam,

Who is quoting £1900 for a Solid Finish? The RRP is only about £1699....... Discounts are available to soften the blow a little!! Even so, at the moment it is impossible for us UK dealers to compete with the US. I wish that we could buy them in for £950, let alone retail them at that!!! Just remember though that if you have any problems, Fender UK will not honour any warranty issues, you will have to return it to the States.

Cheers
Steve