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The Official MARUSZCZYK CLUB!

#7,441
Now I'm thinking a little more (dangerous). Never (ever) considered a short scale bass but funny enough, one of my all time favorite songs is Blue Orleans by Michael Manring. It's been years/decades since I read an article about it, and I think I even talked to Michael about the song before a show in the mid 90s. IIRC Michael recorded it with a piccolo/short scale bass strung with a light gauge/alternate tuning.

Has anyone ordered a short scale from Adrian and strung it like a piccolo?

 
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#7,442
Shibata said:
What a great NBD post. Much better than the one sentence " It arrived today and I love it" posts I write. I guess i can use the this thing is so good I'm speechless excuse. Seriously, great job sharing your thoughts about your new bass. It looks amazing. Congrats!
Click to expand...
Haha. I totally did one of those NBD posts with the full intention of doing a more comprehensive review, that I've been slacking on...

Sorry to have disappointed...

I promise I'll get to it. Please forgive me. :rolleyes:
 
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#7,443
gln1955 said:
Let me rephrase. I'm looking for a new bass that will give me something different than my solid body basses, including my Jake. I've listened to youTubes of the hollow-body Joker and like what I hear, but am looking for more opinions from those who actually own one.
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I'd be tempted to shoot a very short question over to Adrian. Give one or two examples of the tone you are looking for and ask how the joker compares.
 
#7,444
swartzfeger said:
Has anyone ordered a short scale from Adrian and strung it like a piccolo?
Click to expand...

About a year ago, I commissioned a 27" bass, assuming it would be a Cazpar, but Adrian insisted on a Frog body. But instead of using it as a piccolo bass, I have it tuned in fifths (GDAE) in order to deal most easily with the Baroque cello repertoire.

I was thinking of including a photo with this post, but as it turns out, my bass is virtually identical, in every respect, to this bass, currently in stock on the Public Peace website, including the Cazpar headstock, which was an explicit custom request of mine:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Feel free to PM me for more details (we're actually in pretty much the same neck of the woods).
 
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#7,445
I am feeling a little bit frustrated at the moment.
It cost me 300 euros to have my bass shipped from Germany to Australia.
300 euros is approximately $500 Australian dollars.

Screenshot_20221221_130532_Messenger.jpg


Then I just received this text that it is going to cost me another $308 Australian dollars in duty and taxes before they will deliver my bass.
 
#7,446
Danger McLovin said:
I am feeling a little bit frustrated at the moment.
It cost me 300 euros to have my bass shipped from Germany to Australia.
300 euros is approximately $500 Australian dollars.

View attachment 4909202

Then I just received this text that it is going to cost me another $308 Australian dollars in duty and taxes before they will deliver my bass.
Click to expand...

Maybe it would just be cheaper to emigrate? :woot:
 
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#7,448
Rocket Queen said:
About a year ago, I commissioned a 27" bass, assuming it would be a Cazpar, but Adrian insisted on a Frog body. But instead of using it as a piccolo bass, I have it tuned in fifths (GDAE) in order to deal most easily with the Baroque cello repertoire.

I was thinking of including a photo with this post, but as it turns out, my bass is virtually identical, in every respect, to this bass, currently in stock on the Public Peace website, including the Cazpar headstock, which was an explicit custom request of mine:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Feel free to PM me for more details (we're actually in pretty much the same neck of the woods).
Click to expand...

Excellent find, thank you for that!
 
#7,449
Danger McLovin said:
I am feeling a little bit frustrated at the moment.
It cost me 300 euros to have my bass shipped from Germany to Australia.
300 euros is approximately $500 Australian dollars.

Then I just received this text that it is going to cost me another $308 Australian dollars in duty and taxes before they will deliver my bass.
Click to expand...

Were there no Australian "dealers" (like Randy at Bass Spotlight here in the US) that could handle the imports and shipping side of things?

That truly sucks McLovin, sorry you're dealing with this. I just had an Elwood land at my door for $1450 USD total. Your 608 euros is nearly half of what I spent on my bass.

When I lived in Hawaii, I bought a bass here on TB and the seller was east coast US. Even then the shipping was around $120 USD.
 
#7,450
Import taxes are standard across nations unless countries have free trade agreements.
Some companies bundle it into the cost and some companies have export prices.
I assume Bass Spotlight factors it into their prices but I do not think if taxes are due when importing, there is any way around it if they come calling for it.
 
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#7,452
Danger McLovin said:
I am feeling a little bit frustrated at the moment.
It cost me 300 euros to have my bass shipped from Germany to Australia.
300 euros is approximately $500 Australian dollars.

View attachment 4909202

Then I just received this text that it is going to cost me another $308 Australian dollars in duty and taxes before they will deliver my bass.
Click to expand...
This is a lot of money! Feeling with you… Was the shipping quoted upfront by Adrian? Even sending around a bass in Europe can get expensive as the package hits the sizes for "oversized" easily. DHL quotes me EUR 214 for a 20 kg parcel of 120x60x60 cm max. These Dimensions are not enough for a bass, so extra charge is added. I can see why it goes to 300,- Euros for yor delivery.

Import taxes are of course predictable for all purchases outside the country if no trade agreements are in place. Since Britain chose to leave the EU we even have import duties on goods from the UK… If you'd import a bass say from USA to Germany, you'd have to pay import duties of 3.6% plus Import VAT of 19% on all cost including transport. This is why it's most often cheaper to buy the imported Bass from a german reseller than importing it on your own…
 
#7,453
I have always checked upfront the shipping costs.
Been quoted upto $100 for lower 48.
My custom build maker gave me a standard price in Euros..can't recall exactly, but it was what he said it was.
Taxes and inport charges should be assumed..which is why you ask for an export price.

Not sure how it works on pre payment but I was always advised that customs would be due so an export price meant I didn't pay tax twice.
I do not think it is rocket science for companies to bill and take care of the charges themselves if they do it often and know the system but the buyer should always know which one to adhere to.

What gets my goat is when retailers will not quote export prices which means if they don't do the necessary, the buyer pays 2 lots. The seller 'claims' back their 19%..so i refuse to buy off those guys.
And ime, its easier to name the ones that discount for the tax you are liable yourself.
 
#7,454
pepj said:
I have always checked upfront the shipping costs.
Been quoted upto $100 for lower 48.
My custom build maker gave me a standard price in Euros..can't recall exactly, but it was what he said it was.
Taxes and inport charges should be assumed..which is why you ask for an export price.

Not sure how it works on pre payment but I was always advised that customs would be due so an export price meant I didn't pay tax twice.
I do not think it is rocket science for companies to bill and take care of the charges themselves if they do it often and know the system but the buyer should always know which one to adhere to.

What gets my goat is when retailers will not quote export prices which means if they don't do the necessary, the buyer pays 2 lots. The seller 'claims' back their 19%..so i refuse to buy off those guys.
And ime, its easier to name the ones that discount for the tax you are liable yourself.
Click to expand...
So did you buy your Maruszczyk direct and have it shipped to the US or did you go through a dealer?
 
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#7,458
mallninja said:
When I last used the builder on public-peace (about 6 months ago), the VAT was removed from the total when I provided a US shipping/billing address.
Click to expand...
Yep actual customers have been through this. A dealer can help wrap all the costs into one price. Shipping is a bummer now days on everything, I've had custom fees on other builds but usually not that costly.
 
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