"MIJ" Bargain of the day!

[Roxy13]

With Ishibashi you have to weigh the extra cost of the DHL shipping against paying the 10% sales tax that you would pay if you bought using a proxy.

A guitar going straight from Ishibashi to another country won't incur sales tax.

A guitar going from Ishibashi to a proxy (looks like a Japanese buyer) will incur the tax.

 

[DannoG56]

I live in Oregon, which has no sales tax. Do the proxies and stores take that into consideration?I guess I might have missed it, but think they do.

 

[Roxy13]

I live in Oregon, which has no sales tax. Do the proxies and stores take that into consideration?I guess I might have missed it, but think they do.

It doesn't matter what state you live in. It's a Japan sales tax. As long as the buyer is not in Japan Ishibashi won't charge you the sales tax.

On a $1k guitar that tax is $100. So chances are the DHL shipping is not $100 more than FedEx or EMS shipping from the proxy. I always look at what is the tax I would pay using a proxy compared how much more the DHL shipping would be from Ishibashi and usually it's in my favor to buy straight from Ishibashi and pay the DHL.

 

[Roxy13]

If the guitar is $1500 or more it should definitely be in your favor to just buy straight from Ishibashi and pay for DHL.

 

[currypowder]

Another consideration when factoring in total cost will be import duties. For US importers, if the value is greater than $800 you will pay around 6-8% in duties if you use DHL or FedEx. However, I have rarely been assessed duties when using EMS, especially for guitars valued under $2,500.

Add in the general PITA when dealing with DHL and FedEx, and I typically use EMS these days, even though it's a little more expensive than FedEx and takes a few days longer.

 

[jim777]

I was looking at a guitar that Ishi had on Reverb for $883 + $70 shipping. I got it off Ishi's site for about $845 all told, and DHL shipping was about 3 working days.

Ibanez RG2750Q TAB (09/11) | Reverb

Fujigen prestige series RG2750Q has arrived. <br><br>Quilted maple top, alder body, maple & walnut 5P neck, rosewood fingerboard. The pickup is equipped with DiMarzio as standard. <br><br>Currently, there is a missing binding on the 1st string side horn. <br>The ...

reverb.com

 

[zombywoof]

For another couple of hours.....

FROM JAPAN

www.fromjapan.co.jp

 

[charlesrock]

For another couple of hours.....

FROM JAPAN

www.fromjapan.co.jp

Hey Zombywoof - how does one purchase through fromjapan? Have you done so and any watchouts to be aware of?

Chuck - Rocking the Aloha Ken from Edwards still

 

[zombywoof]

Hey Zombywoof - how does one purchase through fromjapan? Have you done so and any watchouts to be aware of?

Chuck - Rocking the Aloha Ken from Edwards still

Their site is relatively easy to navigate.

Sign up, read everything and then if you have questions post them. You can find threads on purchasing direct from Japan which will likely answer your questions also. @currypowder is the resident FJ expert.

 

[charlesrock]

Their site is relatively easy to navigate.

Sign up, read everything and then if you have questions post them. You can find threads on purchasing direct from Japan which will likely answer your questions also. @currypowder is the resident FJ expert.

Thanks Z.

 

[Eagle X]

FUJIGEN Expert FL

98,000 JPY is a good price in my opinion, if you don't mind cosmetic damages. In case you want a les paul shaped guitar for modern heavy metal this is probably the best you can get. I haven't tried Expert FL but I own an Expert Elan. I can confidently say Expert Elan is at least as good as, if not even better than, Ibanez Prestige and ESP E-II. So I believe Expert FL won't let you down as well. I can hardly find them for 10,000 JPY or less.

 

[currypowder]

FUJIGEN Expert FL

98,000 JPY is a good price in my opinion, if you don't mind cosmetic damages. In case you want a les paul shaped guitar for modern heavy metal this is probably the best you can get. I haven't tried Expert FL but I own an Expert Elan. I can confidently say Expert Elan is at least as good as, if not even better than, Ibanez Prestige and ESP E-II. So I believe Expert FL won't let you down as well. I can hardly find them for 10,000 JPY or less.

That's an interesting model, the Dark Evolution. They made them in black and white (with a maple fretboard) around 2013. I had a white one for a short period. It was a very well made guitar that played great. But I didn't like the Duncan Blackout active pickups and didn't want to take the time and effort to swap passive pickups in it.

FWIW, my more traditional Expert FL is one that I've kept the longest, one of the very first I imported from Japan. It's a fabulous guitar, light, resonant and plays as well as anything.

I agree that the one listed is an absolute steal if you want those active pickups in a light, super playing guitar.

 

[currypowder]

Speaking of an FGN at a good price, here's a Masterfield semi hollow.

FUJIGEN(FGN)／Masterfield MSA-HP (Antique Sunburst)【USED】【Weight≒3.21kg】／中古／¥121000／状態：B+

／イケベ楽器／デジマート支店／【イケベUSEDギターズ ゲット取扱い（木曜日定休）】

www.digimart.net

The body is a little smaller than a 335, but not quite as small as a 339. I have 2 or I'd be all over it.

 

[currypowder]

Crews Maniac Sound／KTR HRM 2019 Limited K&T NFS WEEP BB/ZB Cherry Sunburst／中古／¥0／状態：A

／Vintage-Style by MG Co., Ltd. - ヴィンテージ・スタイル／／国内楽器店のオーダーシリーズとなるフレイム・ハードロックメイプルトップ＆マダガスカルローズウッド指板にK&T NFS WEEPピックアップを組み合わせたコストパフォーマンスの高い国産LPスタンダードモデル

www.digimart.net

Someone really needs to buy this so I don't have to! At the current exchange rate, it's right at $1,800 and probably about $2K delivered to the US. This is a Custom Shop level instrument with phenomenal pickups as a bonus.

 

[zombywoof]

Crews Maniac Sound／KTR HRM 2019 Limited K&T NFS WEEP BB/ZB Cherry Sunburst／中古／¥0／状態：A

／Vintage-Style by MG Co., Ltd. - ヴィンテージ・スタイル／／国内楽器店のオーダーシリーズとなるフレイム・ハードロックメイプルトップ＆マダガスカルローズウッド指板にK&T NFS WEEPピックアップを組み合わせたコストパフォーマンスの高い国産LPスタンダードモデル

www.digimart.net

If I'm spending $2K on a Crews LP I'm getting one built by Terada.

 

[Puck Luck]

Someone snatched it up, who makes the KTR crews guitars? Deviser?

 

[zombywoof]

Both Terada and Deviser have. The LS and LC 01 and 02 were Deviser.

 

[Puck Luck]

Thanks Zomby.

 

[zombywoof]

Someone snatched it up, who makes the KTR crews guitars? Deviser?

that one was Deviser

Crews Maniac Sound／KTR HRM 2019 Limited K&T NFS WEEP BB/ZB Cherry Sunburst／中古／¥0／状態：A

／Vintage-Style by MG Co., Ltd. - ヴィンテージ・スタイル／／国内楽器店のオーダーシリーズとなるフレイム・ハードロックメイプルトップ＆マダガスカルローズウッド指板にK&T NFS WEEPピックアップを組み合わせたコストパフォーマンスの高い国産LPスタンダードモデル

www.digimart.net

 

[DannoG56]

Fugigen USA has a sale on now. This links to one example model.

NLS10RFM

Construction Set-in Neck Body Flamed Maple Top / Chambered Mahogany Back Neck Mahogany U-Shape Fingerboard Rosewood Scale 24.75" (628mm) Frets 22F Medium Jumbo C.F.S. Tuners GOTOH® SD90-SL Bridge GOTOH® GE104B Tailpiece GOTOH® GE101Z Hardware Color Nickel Pickup (Neck) FGN Alnico 5 Pickup...

fgnguitarsusa.com