Bingo!
We have that bass in common. I hardly play it but love to look at it.
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Thunderbird Club
- Thread starter TBird1958
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Bingo!
We have that bass in common. I hardly play it but love to look at it.
That's the way I am. I've read enough posts on here to know that Thunderbirds don't neck dive but unfortunately, my red Epi can't read. I still play it a little but spend more time on my Jag shaped objects. I'm hoping the new Epi Tbirds will be a little better balanced. Not that it matters, I still need that black one. Only about a month to go!!
Has anyone seen any information on if or when the Epi Vintage Pros will be released in the UK? I've seen them available from Sweetwater in the US, but don't fancy adding the customs charge to the price tag...
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
It's all about strap button location. If it's on the vesigal top bout, then it's a diver like Captain Nemo. Move the strap button to the heel and the problem is either completely solved or almost completely solved. That's the first, and sometimes only modification I make to Epiphone Thunderbirds. Beats me why they ever sold a 'Bird with the strap button anywhere except the heel of the neck.
Lull 'Birds have the strap button in the "wrong" place, but they seem to be OK. I have never played one, so I'm not sure. I doubt it would rotate up like I prefer, but if it is balanced with the strap button on the vestigal upper bout, then it will hang much more like a FSO or Ric than the usual 'Bird.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
You pay the customs charge one way or another. It is only a question of transparency.
Until this forum, I had no idea "customs" was such a big hassle for you folks overseas! Were I a younger, more adventurous man, I would take a page from Stephen Stills' "Treetop Flyer", and apply it to the musical instrument "import/export" trade!
Haji
Supporting Member
His thing is competitive shooting, specifically three gun, and sports car racing.
I don't recall what his wife does; she's an executive that pulls six figures but she doesn't work herself to death either.
Possibly bigger issue now is the rosewood CITES issue. I'm sure a lot of shops won't bother with the documentation hassles anymore.
The thing that gets me about that is if I go buy a bass at GC or order a bass and have it shipped to an address in the states, me being close I do that often, that has rosewood I can go pick it up and bring it over the border with no problems according to the CITES.
Don't think CITES is going to be a problem for big instrument makers. Gibson, Epiphone et al will have the permits, documentation chains and certifications in place to negotiate CITES restrictions and prove that their rosewood is properly sourced.
It's mainly the smaller builders will be affected - in which case you might end up with an ebony fretboard instead of rosewood (I'm crying tears of blood here). Also, there will materials like Richlite and Ebanol which will become more and more common as fretboards.
[Supplemental:] Dunno about other countries, but here it's not individual shops have to worry about import pitfalls. In Australia there is a distributor who handles the import of a particular brand, in this instance it's Australian Musical Imports. They are the conduit for Epis and Gibsons coming in and they will have the mechanisms in place to deal with the CITES restrictions/certification.
It's mainly the smaller builders will be affected - in which case you might end up with an ebony fretboard instead of rosewood (I'm crying tears of blood here). Also, there will materials like Richlite and Ebanol which will become more and more common as fretboards.
[Supplemental:] Dunno about other countries, but here it's not individual shops have to worry about import pitfalls. In Australia there is a distributor who handles the import of a particular brand, in this instance it's Australian Musical Imports. They are the conduit for Epis and Gibsons coming in and they will have the mechanisms in place to deal with the CITES restrictions/certification.
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Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
Unless, of course, you are a company operated by Henry J. In which case you can screw it up to the point you get busted by the U.S. Government. And then you will whine that it's politically motivated, not a result of your own sloppy practices. Then you go with baked maple for a while.
I'll take ebony, thanks.
I'll take ebony, thanks.
I really like Rosewood, but if I had to pick an alternate FB material it would be wenge. The problem is it's a PITA wood to work with so I assume some luthiers would rather go in a different direction. Then again, I haven't read the import/export regs, wenge might be just as much of a problem as rosewood.
It is my understanding that any rosewood crossing borders is illegal without proper documentation... meaning the importer, which would also include individuals crossing borders, have to have the correct docs.
As far as someone like Gibson getting it, I'm sure it's no problem, but if I then go over to the States and try to bring a bass back over, I need the import clearance documents just for my purchase.
That's my understanding anyway.
As far as someone like Gibson getting it, I'm sure it's no problem, but if I then go over to the States and try to bring a bass back over, I need the import clearance documents just for my purchase.
That's my understanding anyway.
You might be correct about that, I'm trying to find where I read that you can personally bring it across the border.
Ironically I hypothetically may or may not have brought a guitar over this year without any hassle.
You might be correct about that, I'm trying to find where I read that you can personally bring it across the border.
Ironically I hypothetically may or may not have brought a guitar over this year without any hassle.
I'd be on pins and needles thinking that someone disguised as the rosewood police would try and reposes my bass.
Edit: I envision Graham Chapman dressed up in a Mounted Police uniform with tons of documents with a long drawn out explanation of why the bass would need to be handed over to him.
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Im happy to go Ebony. Regarding the other directions, I was interested to note that Maton in Australia are using Mulga for the fretboard and bridge on one of their acoustic guitars. Possibly not the correct tone for a bass, but an example of something different.
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I did buy a thunderbird in Buffalo in spring and carried it across the border. It was the toughest border crossing I have ever had; both coming and going all kinds of questions about why I was crossing the border to buy a bass. But, in the end, all that Canada Border Protection cared about was that I pay tax on the import.You might be correct about that, I'm trying to find where I read that you can personally bring it across the border.
Ironically I hypothetically may or may not have brought a guitar over this year without any hassle.
I had thought that because sonokeling (indian rosewood) is farmed in India, Pakistan and Indonesia, it would be exempt, but I'm not sure that is the case. I was going to say on that basis that forward looking manufacturers had already switched (I think it is what Yamaha has been using). But as I can't confirm that sonokeling is exempt, instead I will say that forward looking manufacturers have already stockpiled illegally imported rose wood.
