Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: gwEm on December 17, 2007, 08:30:44 AM
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well, i just brought my first les paul - a burny les paul custom with chrome fittings and dual P90s... i assume MIK or MIC. its second hand, and frankly seen better days, but i paid the bargain basement price of less than 150 quid including hardcase! no issues playability wise.
http://www.fernandes.co.jp/burny/rlc/rlc45p_blk_index.html
not quite sure how i'll get this guy back to the UK though. thoughts?
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Can't you just take it on the plane with you, as your piece of hand luggage?
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no - i don't have enough hands ;)
also a les paul is too big for hand luggage
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Well in that case, bend over and prepare to be severely raped for import customs. :(
A mate of mine went to New York, saw a fit guitar in Sam Ash and just brought it back on the plane with him.
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I'd speak to the airline you're flying with. You may find they'll help you out.
Failing that, you can DHL it home.
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Yeah, ask the airline for sure.
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Don't you just pay an extra £10 to the airline or something for what they consider to be an extra suitcase?
May get a bit cold in the luggage compartment, but its not too bad
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I'd call the airline.
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worst case they charge you an extra seat.
If the case is good/strong you could try as luggage, but it'd be a game of chance.
Customs will not let you in without customs/VAT unless you can show that it's been yours before (or if it's looking old they won't bother you).
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Yeah you can just take it as extra luggage at a price, but note that you are supposed to officially import it UNLESS there is a certain amount that is duty free. Between most countries you can take a moderate amount of stuff with you without the need of importing it.
I hope you got the bill for it, if you dont youll have a big problem when you want to import it, mailing it to england would be a better option in that case, but then you also would need an adress in the US to post it from.
Youll get a guitar with a story in the end though, always nice i think.....
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Are you touring Japan with a guitar right now? Won't customs just think its your backup?
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Done this (from Texas to UK) so many times it's not funny.
Some Airlines (well the crew that day) will take pity on you and let you put it in the First Class storage up front.
Usually though it will go in the hold. I have never had to pay for extra luggage/weight but then I travel light. The cost for this is not high anyway.
When arriving (BTW, if going in the hold, which is safer assumption, put it in a well padded cardboard box in the hardcase of course with the strings slightly de-tuned) I always just pick it up with normal luggage and wander through GREEN customs channel with NO worries. I know I am in dif. situation with a UK Passport AND a US Green Card but have NEVER been stopped or questioned.
Good luck and am SURE all will be well.
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Done this (from Texas to UK) so many times it's not funny.
Some Airlines (well the crew that day) will take pity on you and let you put it in the First Class storage up front.
Usually though it will go in the hold. I have never had to pay for extra luggage/weight but then I travel light. The cost for this is not high anyway.
When arriving (BTW, if going in the hold, which is safer assumption, put it in a well padded cardboard box in the hardcase of course with the strings slightly de-tuned) I always just pick it up with normal luggage and wander through GREEN customs channel with NO worries. I know I am in dif. situation with a UK Passport AND a US Green Card but have NEVER been stopped or questioned.
Good luck and am SURE all will be well.
+1
I just stick guitars in the hold and walk through Green - Never had an issue.
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Usually though it will go in the hold. I have never had to pay for extra luggage/weight but then I travel light. The cost for this is not high anyway.
Sorry for my english but what means "the hold" ? Is that checked in luggage or sth else?
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Hunter the hold is where all the luggage/cargo is held.
:)
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One year I had to fly in a little express plane from D.C. to Pittsburgh. They wanted to tag my guitar, which was in a gig bag, to put it with the rest of the luggage in the plane. I told the lady that I couldn't let them do that cause I paid $1700 for the guitar and I didn't want it damaged. She told me to talk with the flight attendant when I got in the plane. The flight attendant didn't have any problems putting it in a closet in the plane.
Oh, btw....that's a nice guitar!
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I bought a second hand guitar in Vegas last year and got it through customs without paying any import duty. You should be ok. Nice looking guitar, there supposed to be good.
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I've always placed the guitar (in a gig bag) in the over-head compartment. I bought a guitar in France and traveled back to the U.S. with no problems. Guitar was in the over-head the whole time.
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I've always placed the guitar (in a gig bag) in the over-head compartment. I bought a guitar in France and traveled back to the U.S. with no problems. Guitar was in the over-head the whole time.
Oh yeah, I forgot about the overhead compartment. That is where I would usually put my git but the express plane didn't have overhead compartments.
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ok, thanks for the advice. i'll simply call the airline and turn up with the new guitar.
problem is i have now 2 guitars, a suitcase and a laptop bag. thats a lot to carry around with just two hands - i'll probably take a cab to the station when i leave and really struggle the rest of the time.
main concern is i'll be certainlly over the weight limit. hope theres not too much extra to pay.
case is good quality indeed, and because the guitar was rather cheap, i'm hoping i'll be able to import it without duty.
Oh, btw....that's a nice guitar!
yay! first person to like it :) i wanted a p90 black beauty for ages. i'll change the hardware to gold gradually.
previous owner appear to have drilled an extra strap hole, and holes for a pickup ring around the bridge p90. i reckon i should be able to disguise these pretty well. i'm pleased with my bargain.
mahogany back appears to be one piece. the maple top about 7 pieces though ;)
neck is easy playing - its not bad acoustically, and sustain is decent.
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...previous owner appear to have drilled an extra strap hole...
That's very common on used Japanese guitars. I believe it's down to the native Japanese being naturally smaller than us westerners and adjusting the guitar to balance on a strap better.
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i'll make a little question in tech about the holes, but heres some pics ;) i've removed the scratchplate for now - i'll put it back though.
chrome hardware is growing on me. thinking about a chrome scratch plate and black speed knobs.
so i counted the pieces of wood - its a 5 piece mahogany back and a 6 piece maple top. tuners and switch are very strong, nice rosewood fretboard, top notch wood working, plastic nut, minature alpha pots. changed the lame 9s on there for my favourite feline 11s and they suit the guitar much better.
surprisingly though despite the multi-piece body its bright with really good sustain. pickups aren't bad - but i like even really cheap and nasty p90s, always think they sound ok. these ones are very microphonic, and lack a bit of life. i think something new would really benefit this guitar... maybe something like the cool wound BKP90 for jazzy stuff.
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Looks really nice dude, the case too!
Hope you get it hope without issue! :)
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Looks great! :D Shame about the holes around the bridge pickup, but at least a black finish is relatively easy to do spot-repairs on.
...previous owner appear to have drilled an extra strap hole...
That's very common on used Japanese guitars. I believe it's down to the native Japanese being naturally smaller than us westerners and adjusting the guitar to balance on a strap better.
I'm naturally smaller than you westerners (and northerners), but I never thought of that one! :lol:
I have noticed in quite a few pics of older Japanese LPs that the strap button has been relocated, but close to the original hole. I assume it's because the mahogany (or far-east equivalent) is softer and the original hole got stripped? Being a paranoid sort, I've taking to using extra-long screws when I fit my straplock buttons.
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Thats really nice.
I'd leave the chrome on.
Whats the neck profile like and is the weight comfortable?
I'd love a P90 LP at some point, hopefully with a gold top.
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nice to see my bargain liked! think its a bit nicer than an epi, and it was a real steal at the price :)
Thats really nice.
I'd leave the chrome on.
Whats the neck profile like and is the weight comfortable?
I'd love a P90 LP at some point, hopefully with a gold top.
weight is really comfortable in fact, i think the guitar is towards the lighter end of the les paul spectrum. i love the sound of the guitar, its got the rich les paul thing going on, with single coilness and long sustain. i think it will be a perfect studio guitar. neck profile is thin-ish. i think i'll definately stick with the chrome after all.
btw, its definately real mahogany - very strong smell in the control cavity.
i always wanted one of these:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Gibson-1954-Les-Paul-Custom-54-Black-Beauty-ReIssue-EC_W0QQitemZ230206747910QQihZ013QQcategoryZ47072QQcmdZViewItem
the 'alnico' neck pickup has magnet pole pieces and sounds fendery. i got to try philking's once. i'd really like to put something like that in the neck of this burny instead of the normal p90