Now we're getting somewhere :)
Using my example from before, the difference on a new PRS Studio is:
UK = £2749
US (minus Kentucky sales tax, where Wilcutts is based) = ((1935/1.06 + 75(?) shipping)*1.037)*1.2 = £2365
A £384 difference, but I don't think the sales tax can be deducted in Kentucky? Therefore it's probably:
UK = £2749
US = (£1935+£75)*1.037*1.2 = £2501
£248 difference
There's no way a UK shop pays £2500 for the Studio, as only taking the VAT off makes it £2291.
So nfe can't be right. And £248 isn't that big of a difference in my eyes given the decreased risk of transporting it across the pond, and the ability to actually try the guitar before buying, which counters Dave's "very expensive in my country" statement.
Yup £248, on something that expensive, is well within the range of "If you think it's worth saving that, then go for it, but if not, that'd also be an easily justified judgement call". I normally work on the 10% principle... if i can get it locally (with all the increased customer safety etc. that that provides), and the price is within 10% of the cheapest online price (from an online store I trust) then I'd normally do it... that saving is just about sneaking in there.
As I said, though, the prices of the couple I checked were more like £400... which again, you could justify either way, but £400 is getting to a fair whack (I didn't take off any sales tax from the US price, I think the prices I saw didn't include any tax? :? ). And £400-£500 on a ~£2k guitar is getting on for 20-25%...
and as nfe says, you have to look at the full catalogue... those starla and mira xes are actually cheaper here, lol, but they're definitely an anomaly. I wonder did dv247 buy up a whole load of stock cheap once they found out they'd been discontinued?