The Sushi Box FX Secret Society

[mmbongo]

As we're talking about shipping here . . . Is USPS a good carrier in the US?

Yes, USPS is our mail system so they deliver every day to our doorstep. A SushiBox pedal will get to anywhere in the USA basically in 1-3 days. It's not perfect, but I've never had an issue with them. But generally you don't use them to ship large packages like guitars/amps and such.

However if you use USPS for international shipping it's a different story. Once your package leaves the US, they have nothing to do with it. Can't track it, they don't know where it is, and it will show up when it shows up. That's because once it leaves the US, it goes through whatever mail systems are in that country.

 

[Derek Williams]

Because I don't save money buying from the US. The Polish zloty is weaker and weaker. The conversion rate from dollars and euros kills me every time.

That’s fine, and a different issue. But that is unrelated to import duty (which was doing the “reaming”). My first pedal from Sushi squeezed through customs with zero added fees, so that was a nice bonus saved a good £40 on that one.

 

[Sushi Box FX]

Thank you. I'd also like to know the difference between the SMD and HW Space Heater.

As noted the handwired versions use higher voltage components which allow them to be run internally at 350V instead of my typical 240V. This results in more headroom, and a "fuller" sound. I won't conjecture on the differences between carbon comp vs. metal film resistors or film vs multi-layer ceramic capacitors, but if you're looking for a rabbit hole there are plenty of discussions on that elsewhere online.

As we're talking about shipping here . . . Is USPS a good carrier in the US?
When I buy from the States and have the parcel shipped to Germany, I always dread the moment I get the tracking info for fearing it might be USPS. I recently acquired a Damnation MBD-2, which also comes via USPS. According to the tracking the parcel has been posted on Thursday, received by USPS on Friday and has not moved since.
When Mr. Sushi sends one, it's basically the same. They go to a hub (or facility) in Chicago, lie around for two days, then move to Dallas, lie around for another day, then fly to Frankfurt, hit German customs where they stick for 2-4 days and then get delivered by DHL, the total runtime of the parcel is a week in ideal circumstances, more often it's 10 days.

OTOH I bought a Heather Brown Overdrive, which was sent with UPS. It was kind of a late Christmas present from me to me, and I pulled the trigger on the 27th, in the afternoon. I was visiting Family then. On the 28th, I had to swap cars to head back home on the 29th, where I arrived in the evening only to find that UPS had an unsuccessful delivery attempt earlier that day.

IIRC, the Heather Brown pedal's shipping cost was in the ballpark of $20-30.
UPS somehow circumvents the standard customs office and they seem to do it on their own, within their system where speed is everything, whereas being a German customs clerk is a job, where you will, after doing it for a while, find it a stressful experience to watch a sloth in action.

I would be very interested to know how they get international UPS at prices that low, I'm wondering if they have a special account with them. I use USPS because they are the least expensive international option. I recently have looked around at other options as USPS has halted most service to Australia, so I sent one package to Australia via UPS ($40 for one pedal) and one via DHL ($65 for two pedals).

Every time I order from the US I get reamed with import tax, about 25% of the total value. I only do it when there are no alternatives.

I just realized I missed quoting where someone asked about taxes within the US. I could set up the website to charge sales tax on purchases which would get paid to me and I would then be required to send the government all the sales tax I've collected. Instead I set the website to not charge tax, which means when customers do their taxes each year they're "supposed to" include usage tax on out-of-state purchases that they hadn't paid tax on yet. Most people don't do this, but nowadays it seems like most online retailers collect sales tax regardless of selling between different states.

Internationally I used to mark everything as "gift" so customers didn't have to pay import duties, but I was graciously informed fairly quickly that falsifying information on a customs declaration could be investigated and result in a fine up to $200,000, so for fairly obvious reasons everything is marked as merchandise, unless it's a repair or modification in which case it's marked as "returned goods" and should be exempt. In the US we're spoiled in that we don't have to pay import duties on goods less than $500 (last I checked), but I'm aware that it happens and I unfortunately can't do anything about it aside from try to keep my prices generally low.

 

[andare]

As noted the handwired versions use higher voltage components which allow them to be run internally at 350V instead of my typical 240V. This results in more headroom, and a "fuller" sound. I won't conjecture on the differences between carbon comp vs. metal film resistors or film vs multi-layer ceramic capacitors, but if you're looking for a rabbit hole there are plenty of discussions on that elsewhere online.

Thanks a lot.
One last question: for the HWSH, the simple artwork is black lettering on raw/white enclosure and full color is the wood texture, right?

 

[Sushi Box FX]

Thanks a lot.
One last question: for the HWSH, the simple artwork is black lettering on raw/white enclosure and full color is the wood texture, right?

No, the wood texture was only for the special edition, I won't be doing those anymore. The full color will look more like this:

 

[andare]

No, the wood texture was only for the special edition, I won't be doing those anymore. The full color will look more like this:

View attachment 4613955

Cheers!

 

[johnk_10]

unfortunately, it turns out that Nathan told me that my handwired Dr. Wattson that i sent back for having a few issues is going require a newly designed PCB. i can't wait til he gets it sorted cuz i loved the sound of it.

 

[Sushi Box FX]

Yup, unfortunately HW Dr. Wattson wasn't as ready as I thought it was, I fell for the old "initial tests look good so let's rush it out the door" again. HW Dr. Wattson is going through a round of revisions and I'll hopefully be able to offer it soon with the rest of the HW lineup.

 

[johnk_10]

Yup, unfortunately HW Dr. Wattson wasn't as ready as I thought it was, I fell for the old "initial tests look good so let's rush it out the door" again. HW Dr. Wattson is going through a round of revisions and I'll hopefully be able to offer it soon with the rest of the HW lineup.

well, if it's any consolation, it did sound awesome, and i liked its punch and clarity quite a bit more than the smd version which was already very nice.

 

[ahbass2500]

well, if it's any consolation, it did sound awesome, and i liked its punch and clarity quite a bit more than the smd version which was already very nice.

I had myself convinced I was happy with my smd Slampegg. This comment pushed me over the edge to ordering a handwired Slampegg. Likely selling the smd one, after comparing the two versions of course.

 

[MTN.bass72]

Yes, USPS is our mail system so they deliver every day to our doorstep. A SushiBox pedal will get to anywhere in the USA basically in 1-3 days. It's not perfect, but I've never had an issue with them. But generally you don't use them to ship large packages like guitars/amps and such.

However if you use USPS for international shipping it's a different story. Once your package leaves the US, they have nothing to do with it. Can't track it, they don't know where it is, and it will show up when it shows up. That's because once it leaves the US, it goes through whatever mail systems are in that country.

^^^^ THIS^^^^

As a mail carrier, this is spot on. Inside the states, we can track down anything. But outside the states, it's out of our hands.

 

[MTN.bass72]

No, the wood texture was only for the special edition, I won't be doing those anymore. The full color will look more like this:

View attachment 4613955

I need this in my life.

 

[bonin in the boneyard]

I am ready for a hand-wired Dr. Wattson whenever they are ready for me.

 

[Jamie Hale]

^^^^ THIS^^^^

As a mail carrier, this is spot on. Inside the states, we can track down anything. But outside the states, it's out of our hands.

I am glad you are one of the good USPS carriers. I know there are some out there. As for me, it took three weeks of almost-daily postal office visits before I found out through Congressional staff intervention that my delivery carrier had indeed run into my mailbox and tore it down. I didn’t blame him — he was trying to deliver in a snowstorm with balding tires on an aging truck— but it shouldn’t take that long to find out that it was indeed him. So I don’t plan on receiving anything from Dr. Sushi until Spring, when I can install a new post.

 

[MTN.bass72]

No, the wood texture was only for the special edition, I won't be doing those anymore. The full color will look more like this:

View attachment 4613955

Is this the full color artwork?

 

[Sushi Box FX]

I need this in my life.

I should mention that the handwired version will have the tube offset to the side like the rest of the single-tube handwired versions, but the HW space heater is the same size enclosure as the regular Space Heater. But yup, that's the full color option.

And yes. It is attractive.

I am ready for a hand-wired Dr. Wattson whenever they are ready for me.

Yup, we'll see. I'm going to get the redesign done within the next week (hopefully), so I'm optimistically hoping to have a working prototype by the end of the month and have it ready for the May batch along with HWUA and HW Finally.

 

[MTN.bass72]

No, the wood texture was only for the special edition, I won't be doing those anymore. The full color will look more like this:

View attachment 4613955

I need this in my life.

I should mention that the handwired version will have the tube offset to the side like the rest of the single-tube handwired versions, but the HW space heater is the same size enclosure as the regular Space Heater. But yup, that's the full color option.

And yes. It is attractive.


Yup, we'll see. I'm going to get the redesign done within the next week (hopefully), so I'm optimistically hoping to have a working prototype by the end of the month and have it ready for the May batch along with HWUA and HW Finally.

Welp, I broke down and ordered for April..
Snagged the last HWSH.. Full color artwork, silver knobs, and blue LED...

FINALLY!! I'm getting my own box of Sushi!!

 

[TTPbass1]

Was about to order a space Heater only to found out that there's no shipping to Peru...

 

[Sushi Box FX]

Was about to order a space Heater only to found out that there's no shipping to Peru...

Just got Peru added to the website, let me know if you have any problems with it

 

[andare]

Welp, I broke down and ordered for April..
Snagged the last HWSH.. Full color artwork, silver knobs, and blue LED...

FINALLY!! I'm getting my own box of Sushi!!

You beat me to it Good job!
I'll try to snatch one for May.