by Ken Byng » Sat Nov 19, 2016 10:58 am
Bob
Some of the guys from the UK have tackled the Yanks on the US steel forum as to why they won't ship outside of the USA. The vast majority of responders all came up with the same excuse - 'too much hassle'. Apparently they have a lot of rigmarole to go through at the US Post Office, or the shipping company in the case of a steel guitar. I tackled Bobbe Seymour on this subject on one trip to his store, and got the 'too much hassle' response. I told him that if he could afford to lose all of that trade then he was doing well. He just shrugged his shoulders.
Not all of the guys in the US are unhelpful when it comes to exporting to the UK and Europe. Billy Knowles, Tom Bradshaw, Clem Schmitz, Michael Yahl, Gary Sill, Jimmie Hudson and Live Strings company are just a few of the folks who are more than happy to deal with us and take the effort to get an actual shipping price from the shipper rather than conjure up a figure off the top of their head. There are many more over there, and it is worth while sifting through the many sellers of gear over there to find the good ones. A word of warning - few if any will try to help you get the purchased items through customs without you having to make any payment. We just have to swallow that one.
When I go to the Dallas Show each year I make sure that if there is anything on my shopping list that I buy it over there and bring it back. That includes strings, CDs, DVDs, PSG parts, accessories and the like. I buy 100 sets of strings in one go and get the best deal that I can. Once home I store them in a dry and warm environment. I last bulk bought strings 3 years ago and I still have a good supply here.
Having said all of this, Bob Adams' box of parts is brilliant for getting those 'hard to get' bits and pieces that we need from time to time. His Emmons fretboards are incredible and well worth a look.
Show Pro D10 (amber) 8 + 6, MSA Signature XL D10 (redburst) 9 + 6, Sho~Bud D10 (sunburst) Pro 111 8 + 6, Emmons D10 Push Pull - (black) 8+5, Zumsteel D10 (blue) 8 + 8, Hudson pedal resonator, 10 string lap steel. Telonics, Peavey & Webb amps,