Anyone Play Guitar Here? And How Did You Get Your Equipment In Los?

[submaniac]

Any guitar players here? I am just curious how you got your equipment. I was going to leave my '62 reissue strat in Thailand, just to have something to play. I was also thinking what I was going to do with amplification. I was toying of getting a Fender tube combo amp and leaving it there, or even importing my Marshall half stack. I have no idea how much that would run with import and shipping costs. For anyone else that plays, where did you get your equipment? DId you bring it in, or did you buy in Thailand? From looking around the prices in Thailand are really high for the good quality stuff.

Oh yes, I was thinking of bringing in the Marshall head. I could get that on the plane, but would it be hard to buy a 4x12 cabinet. Does anyone know if you can get one locally? Thanks.

Edited September 28, 2009 by submaniac

[trompelemonde]

Any guitar players here? I am just curious how you got your equipment. I was going to leave my '62 reissue strat in Thailand, just to have something to play. I was also thinking what I was going to do with amplification. I was toying of getting a Fender tube combo amp and leaving it there, or even importing my Marshall half stack. I have no idea how much that would run with import and shipping costs. For anyone else that plays, where did you get your equipment? DId you bring it in, or did you buy in Thailand? From looking around the prices in Thailand are really high for the good quality stuff.

Oh yes, I was thinking of bringing in the Marshall head. I could get that on the plane, but would it be hard to buy a 4x12 cabinet. Does anyone know if you can get one locally? Thanks.

I bought all my gear here in Bangkok.

Overall I’m not sure that it is that expensive in Thailand to be honest. Depends on the brand, for Marshall read Toyota, Sony etc Thai’s think they are wonderful and worth paying a premium for. Even the cheap transistor Marshall amps are more expensive than any other brand. I am not sure of the price, but can almost guarantee that you will pay through the nose for a Marshall cab in Thailand

Fender amplifiers seem reasonably priced in comparison and a small tube combo (15w) would be in the range of 18 – 20,000 Baht.

[greytown]

I'm interested in the same thing. But reading some posts I found on the subject wasn't encouraging. Duty they might charge for importing instruments can be up to 100% of the price of the guitar or even more! (?)... I wonder what kind of selection there is in Thailand for decent instruments. Must be very limited I imagine. Anyone know the best music store in Thailand?

[Riley'sLife]

I just started to play and bought in Thailand. I don't use a dedicated guitar amp as I use my guitar with Gearbox and Ableton Live routed through a Line 6 interface direct into my laptop and then out to monitor speakers. There are loads of guitar and equipment shops in Bangkok...eg, Mall PinkLao, Zeers IT Mall Rangsit, for second hand gear there's top floor of Panthip on Ngam Wong Wan, ( just past Soi 23), etc, although I bought my acoustic in Songkhla Province. - the Line 6 KB37 I brought here from Canada.

In the basement floor of Zeers at Rangsit there's a good range of Pro Audio, Stage Audio etc..

Hope that helps.

[pluto_manibo]

I brought in a couple of Strats' as carry on from Europe. No problems. I brought a new Goldtop Les Paul from Singapore, no problems. I bought a New Marshall halfstack from Second Music behind Lucky Music on Ploenchit rd. for about 20% less then the official Marshall dealership in Thailand. I have seen a few cabs(Marshall) second hand and I believe a new one will cost you approximately 30,000 baht...I have a Fender '59 Bassman ltd(re-issue) for sale, mint condition. If I was you, I would bring in the head and buy a second hand cab from Lucky or anywhere. At the worst get one made with similar wood and custom grill and vynil and use the same speakers (celestion) or greenbacks.

Edited September 28, 2009 by pluto_manibo

[Toosetinmyways]

Have not tried my 57 Strat yet, but hand carried a run of the mill Gibson Les Paul with no problems or duty.

Hand carried a Falcon Flying 15 amp, Any one remember those? Ex Woolworths.{worth 10 bucks} Got done for 100 US dollar tax. Takes your chance pays your money.

[pluto_manibo]

If its' an original '57 , I would be very careful of the pressure changes and temperature changes it will be subject to. Definately carry on and maybe wait for it to acclimatise before opening the case...and then always in cool and not too humid surroundings.

[sendbaht]

When my wife and I moved here to Chiang Mai I hard carried my Martin D45. I walked though "nothing to declare" all went fine.

[Petsma]

I sent my amp, foot pedal and loads of other audio equipment via DHL (About 45 kg in total) no customs charge. Just declared they were personal belongings.

[Toosetinmyways]

If its' an original '57 , I would be very careful of the pressure changes and temperature changes it will be subject to. Definately carry on and maybe wait for it to acclimatise before opening the case...and then always in cool and not too humid surroundings.

Yes it is genuine. I would love to bring it here as I am sure this will be its last place of resting. I understand about aclimatisation. My concern has always been a customs official who is a guitar buff and knows serial numbers. You think that is impossible. I had a friend bring in a set of Ping golf clubs. Claimed they were 5 years old. Sorry as the customs said, due to the serial number made last month!

[Toosetinmyways]

Lets try to keep this thread alive. Vox AC 30 second hand 33,000 baht Bangkok. How much abroad?

[greytown]

Have not tried my 57 Strat yet, but hand carried a run of the mill Gibson Les Paul with no problems or duty.

Hand carried a Falcon Flying 15 amp, Any one remember those? Ex Woolworths.{worth 10 bucks} Got done for 100 US dollar tax. Takes your chance pays your money.

I guess this shows the uncertainty of the possible result. Pay no duty, or 1000%!...

[greytown]

If its' an original '57 , I would be very careful of the pressure changes and temperature changes it will be subject to. Definately carry on and maybe wait for it to acclimatise before opening the case...and then always in cool and not too humid surroundings.

Yes it is genuine. I would love to bring it here as I am sure this will be its last place of resting. I understand about aclimatisation. My concern has always been a customs official who is a guitar buff and knows serial numbers. You think that is impossible. I had a friend bring in a set of Ping golf clubs. Claimed they were 5 years old. Sorry as the customs said, due to the serial number made last month!

Bringing in an original '57 certainly would be a major cause for worry I imagine... Here I am concerned about bringing in a Gibson custom shop instrument... I take it you want to carry it on with you on the plane? What if the airline refuses to let you take it as carry on? Surely you'd want to insure it for it's actual value?

[greytown]

I just started to play and bought in Thailand. I don't use a dedicated guitar amp as I use my guitar with Gearbox and Ableton Live routed through a Line 6 interface direct into my laptop and then out to monitor speakers. There are loads of guitar and equipment shops in Bangkok...eg, Mall PinkLao, Zeers IT Mall Rangsit, for second hand gear there's top floor of Panthip on Ngam Wong Wan, ( just past Soi 23), etc, although I bought my acoustic in Songkhla Province. - the Line 6 KB37 I brought here from Canada.

In the basement floor of Zeers at Rangsit there's a good range of Pro Audio, Stage Audio etc..

Hope that helps.

Are these shop names or shop locations you listed? Any of the shops got websites? Thanks for all info!

[greytown]

Lets try to keep this thread alive.

Yes any info on the subject is greatly appreciated!

Edited September 29, 2009 by greytown

[JR Texas]

I brought in a couple of Strats' as carry on from Europe. No problems. I brought a new Goldtop Les Paul from Singapore, no problems. I bought a New Marshall halfstack from Second Music behind Lucky Music on Ploenchit rd. for about 20% less then the official Marshall dealership in Thailand. I have seen a few cabs(Marshall) second hand and I believe a new one will cost you approximately 30,000 baht...I have a Fender '59 Bassman ltd(re-issue) for sale, mint condition. If I was you, I would bring in the head and buy a second hand cab from Lucky or anywhere. At the worst get one made with similar wood and custom grill and vynil and use the same speakers (celestion) or greenbacks.

Second Music is the place..........really nice and knowledgeable people. If they don't have it, they can tell you where to get it. The place does not look great, but don't let the looks fool you. It is the kind of place real guitar players go to get stuff they need.

[vagabond48]

Glad I saw this thread. I left my Benge trumpet back in the US and I was thinking of asking my friend to ship it to me. It's a excellent quality horn that I bought used some 40+ years ago. It's worth about $500 to $700. I have never had anything shipped to me before. How should declare it to minimize any customs or duty tax?

[sabaijai]

Lets try to keep this thread alive. Vox AC 30 second hand 33,000 baht Bangkok. How much abroad?

What year was it made?

[submaniac]

Lets try to keep this thread alive.

Yes any info on the subject is greatly appreciated!

Alright let's keep this thread alive!!! If for nothing more than to irritate those non-guitar (or other musical instrument) playing heathens out there!!!!!!

As for the VoxAC30's, in the States there are two different models running from $1300 new to $1900 new. 33,000 baht in Thailand sound reasonable given their cost in the states. I, of course, am a Marshall man myself, so I don't know that much about Vox.

[pluto_manibo]

I got a couple Les Pauls for sale as well as a Fender amp. If anyone is interested pm me. Also a Fender Strat plus 1989 sunburst.

[ricklee]

I didn't read the whole thread (in a hurry) so sorry if I repeat anything anyone else said. I shipped a whole recording studio into Thailand and paid nothing in the way of tax or duty. It was all used gear. Tipped the inspector 1000B AFTER he signed me off. Keep in mind, since you're from the States (as am I), that the voltage is different here and if you're not in the city the power can be inconsistant. My Furman power conditioner that converts the voltage and protects my equipment against power surges and outages is the most expensive piece of equipment I have.

[greytown]

I didn't read the whole thread (in a hurry) so sorry if I repeat anything anyone else said. I shipped a whole recording studio into Thailand and paid nothing in the way of tax or duty. It was all used gear. Tipped the inspector 1000B AFTER he signed me off. Keep in mind, since you're from the States (as am I), that the voltage is different here and if you're not in the city the power can be inconsistant. My Furman power conditioner that converts the voltage and protects my equipment against power surges and outages is the most expensive piece of equipment I have.

Thanks for the post. Interesting information since I am considering doing the same thing. Shipping (and / or carrying) recording equipment and guitars. Do you mind going in more details about your experience? Total value of goods, declared values, shipping method etc. Not sure I understand about "tipping the inspector after he signed you off"... Were you at the customs office to receive your shipment? Thanks for your input!

Edited September 30, 2009 by greytown

[submaniac]

+1 Greytown. For those who have successfully done it, I would love to know more details. There's no way I can stick a Marshall half stack on a plane, and with the horror stories of getting mailed items taxed and/or confiscated i do not want to risk sending it that way.

[sbk]

Sub, not sure about the other stuff, but just asked Boo's husband what he does when he travels with his guitar and he says he takes his guitar back and forth with him every time he goes to Thailand. He says he carries it on, and usually they put it up in the galley. Never been pulled by customs with his guitar in Thailand either (and he is Thai).

[LuckyFive8888]

all personal effects including guitar, personal computer, camera, diving equipments, golf equipments, etc. are free of tax (nothing to declare). i brought my fender american standard with its hardcase and walked through the custom without any problem. just be careful of the handling tho, don't check it in, hand carry it yourself.

[LuckyFive8888]

+1 Greytown. For those who have successfully done it, I would love to know more details. There's no way I can stick a Marshall half stack on a plane, and with the horror stories of getting mailed items taxed and/or confiscated i do not want to risk sending it that way.

buy amps here, it's not that expensive than farangland and sell it when you leave thailand. hassle free...

[greytown]

all personal effects including guitar, personal computer, camera, diving equipments, golf equipments, etc. are free of tax (nothing to declare). i brought my fender american standard with its hardcase and walked through the custom without any problem. just be careful of the handling tho, don't check it in, hand carry it yourself.

Interesting. Does that apply to goods being shipped also? I imagine there's got to be a limit depending on the quantity / total value of what is being sent. Some of the posts in the thread below show good reasons to be apprehensive...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Moving-Thail...ro-t255542.html

If the stuff I need was at all available to purchase in Thailand I would certainly consider buying there and selling when leaving. But I doubt any of what I need could be bought locally.

[ricklee]

I didn't read the whole thread (in a hurry) so sorry if I repeat anything anyone else said. I shipped a whole recording studio into Thailand and paid nothing in the way of tax or duty. It was all used gear. Tipped the inspector 1000B AFTER he signed me off. Keep in mind, since you're from the States (as am I), that the voltage is different here and if you're not in the city the power can be inconsistant. My Furman power conditioner that converts the voltage and protects my equipment against power surges and outages is the most expensive piece of equipment I have.

Thanks for the post. Interesting information since I am considering doing the same thing. Shipping (and / or carrying) recording equipment and guitars. Do you mind going in more details about your experience? Total value of goods, declared values, shipping method etc. Not sure I understand about "tipping the inspector after he signed you off"... Were you at the customs office to receive your shipment? Thanks for your input!

Sure. I shipped it from Vietnam on a ship, in two large crates. Recording gear, a Yamaha keyboard and a few guitars, as well as some other personal items. Everything was listed by the shipper with vastly deflated values attatched to each item. The declared value turned out to be something like $1800. Actual value of everything was more like $15,000. (Whether or not that made any difference I don't know. The inspector must have known the declared value was BS but didn't seem to care.) Before that I had carried some of the smaller, expensive things (mics, some tube compressors and preamps) through the "nothing to declare" line at the Bangkok airport, figuring I'd have a better chance of sneaking it through that way. It turned out to be unnecessary as I wound up paying nothing for the shipment. My wife and I went to customs to receive the shipment and I let her handle the whole thing. It was her idea to slip the guy 1000 baht, I guess as "tea money," but before she could do that he signed off on it anyway. She went ahead and gave him the money as a gratuity, or whatever you want to call it. I suppose it was more of a show of appreciation than anything else. It wasn't necessary.

I originally shipped the stuff from San Francisco to Saigon and had a totally different experience there. They took my things hostage and I had to pony up $5000 to get them back. Much better here.

[submaniac]

eep. It almost sounds like 'luck of the draw'. I care too much about me gear to want to risk that.

And, as to 'why not buy in Thailand', well, the price is cheaper else where. But more importantly, my gear, the guitars and amps I like, I am particular about. Even in the states where there is orders of magnitude more available instrument, it takes me a long time to find a guitar that I really enjoy. Yes, I can go to BKK and buy some cheap samick or even a genuine US fender strat. But, the vibe, color, feel means all the world to me, so it is hard for me to find the right equipment to have.

and yes, I am keeping this thread alive.

[aehn]

If its' an original '57 , I would be very careful of the pressure changes and temperature changes it will be subject to. Definately carry on and maybe wait for it to acclimatise before opening the case...and then always in cool and not too humid surroundings.

My concern has always been a customs official who is a guitar buff and knows serial numbers. You think that is impossible. I had a friend bring in a set of Ping golf clubs. Claimed they were 5 years old. Sorry as the customs said, due to the serial number made last month!

hehe, dam_n!