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I hear horror stories all the time... my point is.. is it worth all the hassle during these times we're in right now?.. or can we wait it out a little bit or find a comparable guitar in the states? Yes, buying a guitar from Japan with a Brazilian rosewood (Dalbergia nigra) fretboard can cause a major hold-up at customs. Brazilian rosewood is listed under CITES Appendix I (the highest level of restriction for endangered species) and has no exemptions for finished musical instruments. Regulatory Risks and Hold-Ups Strict Permits Required: International commercial shipments of Brazilian rosewood require both a CITES export permit from Japan and a CITES import permit from the destination country (such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). Lacey Act Declarations: Shipments entering the U.S. require a precise declaration of all plant and wood materials; missing or inaccurate paperwork leads to immediate customs detention or seizure. No "General Rosewood" Pass: While standard rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia, etc.) has exemptions for finished instruments, Brazilian rosewood does not and is heavily scrutinized by wildlife inspectors. Best Practices Before Buying Verify Documentation: Ensure the Japanese seller already possesses and provides valid CITES export documentation or proof that the wood was legally certified/registered pre-convention (before June 1992). Expect Delays: Even with correct paperwork, processing through customs agencies adds weeks of inspection time. Never buy an undocumented Brazilian rosewood guitar internationally expecting it to breeze through.

My guitar broke a string, so I bought a new guitar. Someone told me you can just change the string. I wish they’d mentioned that about 48 guitars ago.

I'm not aware of any instance where a guitar has been held up by US Customs (or one of the carriers) due to an undisclosed CITES/Brazilian RW issue. I'm not suggesting that anyone should just ship or receive known Braz across international borders, but whether or not a guitar has it or not is not always 100% clear. It's only if the declared value is over $2,500 that a Lacey Form (declaration of all plant material) is generally asked for. And even then, I've been advised by customs clearing agents to just do the best you can in identifying all the different materials.

My wife used to give me a hard time about it. "Why do you need so many guitars? "Why do you need so many shoes and handbags?" "The shoes and handbags don't cost nearly as much as your guitars!" "Can you sell you shoes and handbags for a profit when you're done with them?" That usually ended the discourse.

I like ice cream, pretty much all flavors. I can't image only eating one flavor for the rest of my life (unless it was orange pineapple - maybe). Teles are orange pineapple to me, but I still enjoy Hamers, Les Pauls, Strats, and even basses lol. of course, if you are lactose-intolerant then this analogy probably doesn't work for you.

Technically, I do believe you are allowed to re-import USA goods and avoid tariffs, at least under older rules. However, good luck getting a Japanese shipper to properly fill out Customs forms so that it gets through without tariffs being applied. Perhaps buying directly from a store gives you better odds. But I would not count on it. I have been able to successfully get FedEx to remove import duties on a US Hamer, but that was years ago and I had been billed for those duties and chose to fight the bill. However, these days, duties/tariffs are paid upfront prior to being released. So now the fight is asking a company to refund tariffs already paid. Again, good luck. If I were buying this guitar (I'm not), I would just factor a 15% tariff (about $260) and, if the price was still acceptable, just plan on paying it. If after the fact, you were able to avoid the tariff or get refunded, good on ya.

47 guitars in a 1 bedroom condo??? Geez Louise, i thought i had too many in a similar living situation. 😳

there's a 347 fs near me locally that will probably go on sale soon

Kinda know what you mean. I have a friend , a 20+ year retired cop. He can be a little pushy at times, not hard sell tho'. I feel like I always have to censor some of the things I want to say so as to not push any buttons. Like I can't totally be myself, unless we're both drinking a little too much, then it gets relaxed.

Now reduced to $899 plus shipping.

Dayummmm, there aren't enough pissing matches/competitions amongst guitar players (not necessarily on here) for ya? Although a collaboration on the SSB might be interesting... 🤔

Please abandon your well-intentioned plans and do red-white-blue instead so we can see whether you or @diablo175 finish first and compare the results! Even better, then get you both playing Jimi star-spangled banner together!

I have noted information that in case it dies or glitches 😀 But seriously, tell him "good job" I really like it! Also I was basically gifted a Bugera V5 a couple of days ago. I realize it may not be comparable to the Carr except that both are small low-watt amps. Had that happened a week earlier I would not have gotten the Carr. To be clear, I'm glad it worked out that way! Studio apt w/thin walls and now THREE tube amps to choose from! 🧠

That guy made his mark on the guitar community for sure. I had one of his camo-painted, blood-splattered superstrats with a Kahler back in the 80s. RIP.

It broke my heart, but I sold my Zandard a few months ago. I've been meaning to make a post about it. I've also sold 4 other guitars from my collection and have 4 on Reverb right now.

I never interacted with him personally, but I certainly remember the name. I really hate to see it when ANYone from the HFC is having health issues or passes. I played for about 40 years (up until my strokes in 2024) and I had joined several guitar forums over the years but this is the only one I actively participated in, ever. The quality of the people here is unparalleled. May Ed rock on in a better place.

Good chance my band mate Dave wired it.

If you like the old school mechanical keyboards, these can get pricey, but they're also customizable: https://www.keychron.com

Men In Black. Please.

The trial of El Kabong should be relatable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EDkIjIBsVM

One of my pat answers is, I don’t have a Hot Rod, I don’t have a boat, I don’t have ex wives but I got a bunch of guitars. 😎👍❤️🏁

“The LPD EIGHTY7 was designed to deliver the great guitar sounds of the 80's. The aim of this design was to capture the modified Plexi and JCM800 tones that LA recording studios were tracking in that era. Two modes, Green and Red, deliver a wide array of gain and tone combinations.“

Apparently playing all of my MIB pedals to notice the one I missed.

40 guitars? Rookie. Needs to step up his game.

Jesus, man! Where have you been?