I'll just leave this here - NGD

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  • paulphoenixpaulphoenix Frets: 141

    I thought it was a mail order bride until I saw the photo of the case opened up.

    I like how you photographed every stage of undressing and taking it upstairs and laying her down gently on the bedroom floor where you planned to make sweet sweet music together.

    Real guitar porn. Did you ever work for Razzle perchance? 

    HNGD
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  • rlwrlw Frets: 4670

    I thought it was a mail order bride until I saw the photo of the case opened up.

    I like how you photographed every stage of undressing and taking it upstairs and laying her down gently on the bedroom floor where you planned to make sweet sweet music together.

    Real guitar porn. Did you ever work for Razzle perchance? 

    HNGD

    How very dare you :)
    Save a cow.  Eat a vegetarian.
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  • richardhomerrichardhomer Frets: 24793
    Is there a particular style of guitar you’d say you favour?
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  • rlwrlw Frets: 4670
    edited July 2021
    Is there a particular style of guitar you’d say you favour?

    Bargains - well, sort of.

    Seriously, no, I like them all - except Teles. 
    Save a cow.  Eat a vegetarian.
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  • rlw said:
    Apart from Parcel Force being its usual inefficient self, the whole transaction was painless and, in my view, a great deal.

    As these aren't officially exported to the UK, the closest I can get to an official price is in AUD, which comes out at around £2650.00 and this worked out at far less.    I saw one in Spain which, by the time you added on the VAT, would still have costs far more than this.

    I think that there is a lot to be said for buying from Japan if you deal with a proper shop and buy wisely.  I would certainly do it again and am pondering a 335.


    Congrats on that particularly tidy looking Tokai. Love the finish & hardware.

    Are you saying that the Spanish one was just more expensive? I cant imagine the VAT or import duty being any different.
    I sometimes think, therefore I am intermittent
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  • rlwrlw Frets: 4670
    The Spanish one was a higher price to start with even adding the postage cost to the Japanese price.
    And the bastards wanted to charge £170 for delivery too.
    The import charges and VAT were around 21% although I’d have to confirm that.
    Save a cow.  Eat a vegetarian.
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  • PoboyPoboy Frets: 431
    Ooh, that is gawjus.
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  • NikcNikc Frets: 627
    Very nice indeed
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  • Devil#20Devil#20 Frets: 1910
    You're in an ideal position to give us the down and dirty of owning a Gibson vs Tokai. Something I'm sure many of us want to hear. Take the stage.....

    Ian

    Lowering my expectations has succeeded beyond my wildest dreams.

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  • SchnozzSchnozz Frets: 1926
    rlw said:
    Is there a particular style of guitar you’d say you favour?

    Bargains - well, sort of.

    Seriously, no, I like them all - except Teles. 
    *High Five*
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  • Devil#20Devil#20 Frets: 1910
    rlw said:
    Is there a particular style of guitar you’d say you favour?

    Bargains - well, sort of.

    Seriously, no, I like them all - except Teles. 
    You don't like Teles??? Did I hear you right...you don't like teles??? YOU DON'T LIKE TELES???? ARE YOU A MEMBER OF THE PRIESTHOOD AND BY DEFAULT ALSO A NONCE? Tele's are god's chosen instrument if he actually existed. It's a guitarist's right of passage. 


    Ian

    Lowering my expectations has succeeded beyond my wildest dreams.

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  • danishbacondanishbacon Frets: 2694
    Stunning. Hngd
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  • equalsqlequalsql Frets: 6084
    rlw said:
    Apart from Parcel Force being its usual inefficient self, the whole transaction was painless and, in my view, a great deal.

    As these aren't officially exported to the UK, the closest I can get to an official price is in AUD, which comes out at around £2650.00 and this worked out at far less.    I saw one in Spain which, by the time you added on the VAT, would still have costs far more than this.

    I think that there is a lot to be said for buying from Japan if you deal with a proper shop and buy wisely.  I would certainly do it again and am pondering a 335.


    Ishibashi?
    I picked up a beautiful used Tokai LS160-VF from them a few years ago. It was a bargain even after shipping costs , vat and duty were added.
    (pronounced: equal-sequel)   "I suffered for my art.. now it's your turn"
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  • rlwrlw Frets: 4670
    equalsql said:
    rlw said:
    Apart from Parcel Force being its usual inefficient self, the whole transaction was painless and, in my view, a great deal.

    As these aren't officially exported to the UK, the closest I can get to an official price is in AUD, which comes out at around £2650.00 and this worked out at far less.    I saw one in Spain which, by the time you added on the VAT, would still have costs far more than this.

    I think that there is a lot to be said for buying from Japan if you deal with a proper shop and buy wisely.  I would certainly do it again and am pondering a 335.


    Ishibashi?
    I picked up a beautiful used Tokai LS160-VF from them a few years ago. It was a bargain even after shipping costs , vat and duty were added.
    Kurosawa in fact.  They were brilliant.
    Save a cow.  Eat a vegetarian.
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  • rsvmarkrsvmark Frets: 1373
    @rlw How does the customs/tax thing work? Is it as simple as you having to pay Vat on its arrival in the uk? Presumably the vendor has deducted their native sales tax at source? 
    An official Foo liked guitarist since 2024
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  • rlwrlw Frets: 4670
    Tax free from Japan.
    HMRC decide upon duty and Vat, based on your invoice value, through the handling company who send you an invoice which you pay and they deliver.

    Save a cow.  Eat a vegetarian.
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  • rlw said:
    Tax free from Japan.
    HMRC decide upon duty and Vat, based on your invoice value, through the handling company who send you an invoice which you pay and they deliver.

    Had similar with a watch I ordered that was Japanese domestic market only, whole process was actually quite fast and straightforward actually. The only thing that does concern me doing it for a guitar is the chance it arrives and it winds up being one that doesn’t suit.

    Looks great and glad worked out for you though, enjoy!
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  • gordijigordiji Frets: 782
    Beautiful colour with the wood showing through. Is the tailpiece screwed down ? (if so the break angle looks good).
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  • rlwrlw Frets: 4670
    rlw said:
    Tax free from Japan.
    HMRC decide upon duty and Vat, based on your invoice value, through the handling company who send you an invoice which you pay and they deliver.

    Had similar with a watch I ordered that was Japanese domestic market only, whole process was actually quite fast and straightforward actually. The only thing that does concern me doing it for a guitar is the chance it arrives and it winds up being one that doesn’t suit.

    Looks great and glad worked out for you though, enjoy!
    It would be a colossal pain but I could return it for a refund.
    I was fairly confident that it would be ok based on the other two I have which are very similar.
    Save a cow.  Eat a vegetarian.
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  • rlwrlw Frets: 4670
    edited July 2021
    gordiji said:
    Beautiful colour with the wood showing through. Is the tailpiece screwed down ? (if so the break angle looks good).
    Like everyone else, I'd drawn to the Black Beauty idea, but with the wine red you can, as you say, see the wood underneath which, let's face it, is a big part of what you're paying for.

    Both the tailpiece and the bridge are pretty high in fact, as is the bridge pickup, but it plays so easily, the match between the pickups is spot on and the volume across the strings is so even it's amazing - no one string leaps out at you - and the sustain on the low strings is big and deep but in no way overpowering.

    Aesthetically, I would prefer the tailpiece right down but the setup of this so good I shall ignore the look.  It seems to be a feature of the way Tokai set them up as the Goldtopn is pretty much the same.
    Save a cow.  Eat a vegetarian.
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