Shipping from Mx to US?

[CoffeeBass]

Hey all,

I am looking to enter into the world of Doublebass and have been doing research. I have several friends and conections in Michoacan Mexico (home of Paracho) and it looks like I can get a all real wood Bass from $300(cedar) - $600(maple and spruce). I might be going down to mexico this winter to vacation and would go and check these out or I may have a friend of mine that will be down there go and check them out for me, but either way I will need to get the thing up here (washington state). There is a slight possiblilty that my friend can bring it back if he drives up, but I want to look into shipping. Does anyone know who would be a shipping carrier to look into? Are there airlines that will do freight service as well? What are some things that I should keep in mind about shipping doublebass'?

Now, I know that this plan seems a little shaky at the moment, but it is still developing and whether or not I go down there myself, I may need to ship this bass, so any advice is much appreciated.

thanks,

Coffee

[Martin Sheridan]

Boy, I'd like to see those spruce and maple basses from Paracho. Send me pics if you can.

I have yet to see a Paracho bass that is what we would consider a true bass. Down here they play what they call "tololoches". No one I've talked to seems to know what that means but it's kind of a nick name or pet name like "dog house bass" would be for us. In the early part of the 20th century they had a bomber here they called a Tololoche, but I don't know if the bass was named for it or the other way around. I'm not sure where the design first came from (you would think Spain), but they are terrible instruments and not designed for classical or jazz playing. The tops are almost flat and the neck angles aren't right and can not be made right. Also, they are closer to 1/2 size than to 3/4. I haven't been to Paracho for awhile so maybe they're doing something new there, but I wouldn't count on it.

I know of one good Mexican bass maker (besides myself) and I know he gets at least 10 grand American for a bass. Remember the old saying, if it's too good to be true....etc.

Good luck but beware. Also, I would not consider trying to ship a bass out of Mexico and have any faith that it will wind up anywhere in the states. Have your friend take it back for you in his car, but I wouldn't count on getting a bass from Paracho that is a what you or I would consider a bass.
Oh, and the cheap cheap ones are not cedar, they are plywood. I've only seen one very old teloloche that was carved and it was a really strange top wood, I wrote down the name, but I can't remember where I filed it. The back was cuanacaxle(sp).

Oh, and one more thing. They do have some maple here but it's not very good and I haven't seen any native spruce although they have a lot of pine. The only tone wood that I know of that is sold down here is three times as expensive as anything you can buy in the states; another reason I would be very cautious in believing they are making spruce and maple basses. If you find out differently, I'll drive down there in a heartbeat and buy every one of them.

[CoffeeBass]

Thanks for the reply martin.

I will take everything that you have said into careful consideration. I did some more research and I am sure that shipping is no longer a real option.

Coffee

[Martin Sheridan]

I forgot to even mention shipping costs. Very high from here, and also expensive to ship to Mexico. Several times I have ordered in the neighborhood of $300 in supplies, the shipping was about the same and the import taxes were also about the same, so I would end up paying 900 bucks to get 300 worth of supplies.
It might be cheaper to just take it to an airport but I don't trust baggage handlers in any country to get a bass on or off an airplane. I remember about 15 years ago they dropped Gary Karr's bass out of an airplane and onto the tarmac and busted the neck out. That was his old "Amati" which might just be the most valuable bass of all time?