Importing an Alembic back to the USA

[Spoilers!]

GAS has become an issue for me during the wait for my custom fretless.  As I've mentioned in a Dreaming thread, I'm taking a leap of faith that the basic specs for Japanese export Spoilers from the late 1980s will be the best match for my needs in terms of ergonomics.  Last weekend I stumbled across a 1987 Spoiler for sale in Japan and managed to arrange a transaction with the seller over eBay.  The bass just made it to LA and should reach me on the East Coast by the end of the week.

When I checked the shipping status with DHL this afternoon, it had this note:

Further Detail
A clearance other than standard Customs entry is required for this shipment.

Next Step
Further processing will occur as instructed by the regulatory authority. A DHL representative will attempt to contact the consignee/importer or shipper if further information is required.

I'm curious if anybody here has recent experience on what that "further processing" might involve or if I should be tracking down any documentation about the build.  There's plenty of advice about getting guitars through Customs, but it's overwhelmingly from the days of more stringent CITES restrictions in 2017-2019.

From the seller's photos, it looks to be typical Alembic materials for the period: cocobolo top over mahogany, ebony board and a five-piece maple/purpleheart neck.  As I understand, none of that should be a show-stopper under CITES.

I'd appreciate any suggestions on what to expect from the Customs process!

Ken

[g-dude]

GAS has become an issue for me during the wait for my custom fretless.  As I've mentioned in a Dreaming thread, I'm taking a leap of faith that the basic specs for Japanese export Spoilers from the late 1980s will be the best match for my needs in terms of ergonomics.  Last weekend I stumbled across a 1987 Spoiler for sale in Japan and managed to arrange a transaction with the seller over eBay.  The bass just made it to LA and should reach me on the East Coast by the end of the week.

When I checked the shipping status with DHL this afternoon, it had this note:

Further Detail
A clearance other than standard Customs entry is required for this shipment.

Next Step
Further processing will occur as instructed by the regulatory authority. A DHL representative will attempt to contact the consignee/importer or shipper if further information is required.

I'm curious if anybody here has recent experience on what that "further processing" might involve or if I should be tracking down any documentation about the build.  There's plenty of advice about getting guitars through Customs, but it's overwhelmingly from the days of more stringent CITES restrictions in 2017-2019.

From the seller's photos, it looks to be typical Alembic materials for the period: cocobolo top over mahogany, ebony board and a five-piece maple/purpleheart neck.  As I understand, none of that should be a show-stopper under CITES.

I'd appreciate any suggestions on what to expect from the Customs process!

Ken

When I bought a classical guitar from Spain, I didn't end up having this happen - I suspect that perhaps because it was made in the USA that standard tariffs may not apply, and it's causing an exception.

That's just a guess, though.

[Spoilers!]

When I bought a classical guitar from Spain, I didn't end up having this happen - I suspect that perhaps because it was made in the USA that standard tariffs may not apply, and it's causing an exception.

That's just a guess, though.
[/quote]

That would be fine by me.  I have read that tariffs don't apply for US-built instruments being repatriated.

The latest update had it in Cincinnati.  Crossing fingers that the rest of the trip is just as smooth.

Here's proof of existence:

[Spoilers!]

This is my first time having DHL as a shipper.  I've been very impressed so far.  It's only been two days since the seller handed it over to DHL in Japan, and the bass is already here on the east coast of the US and slated for delivery tomorrow.

I did get an unpleasant surprise this morning in the form of notice that import duty was owed, but a call to DHL got me a live customer service rep who was able to check the shipping papers and determine that it should have been exempt from import duty.  About two hours later she called me back to say that US Customs had fixed the error.  All it took for the duty exemption was the seller listing USA as the country of origin on the customs declaration.

Now it's just a matter of crossing my fingers and hoping nothing goes wrong on the delivery truck in the morning.  There's a good chance I can be playing the new Spoiler at band rehearsal tomorrow night.

[hammer]

Yes, the repatriation of goods made in the U.S. let’s you avoid import duties. It’s always great to have the original Alembic paperwork to prove that but typically a letter from the seller will suffice.

[cozmik_cowboy]

Lovely instrument!  If by chance it is of the rare Spoilers with a crown headstock, dern near perfect, in fact!

Peter (whose wife worked for DHL for several years after they bought Airborne Express, where she'd been for about 30; good company)

[Spoilers!]

It arrived yesterday afternoon, ahead of schedule.  Fortunately I had turned notifications on, as the driver left it in driveway without a signature.  Oh well, I've come to expect that anymore.  I was just pulling up early for band practice and had time to go back home for it.

The seller had described it as having "minor scratches and dull parts due to use", "some thinning of the paint at the fingerboard joint" and about 80% fret life remaining.  I'd beg to differ.  This bass appears to have spent the last 37 years behind glass.  There is a little narrowing of the fret board  just in front of the nut, which seemed unusual for an Alembic but not worth noticing if this was from any other builder.  It almost looks like somebody carefully planed a tiny amount off both sides.  It still has the paper on the control cavity cover, without a single mark on it.  The body is probably the reddest mahogany I've ever seen, and it blends seamlessly into the cocobolo top.  Speaking of which, now I understand why colobolo gets so much love.  I guess I just had to see it in person.

The feel of the bass is interesting.  My closest frame of reference is my short scale Series I with a small Standard body, but this 3/4 Spoiler is a bit lighter and has less of of tendency toward neck dive.  I do feel a little bit of neck dive though, which I don't get with my full size Spoilers.  A little bit of pressure from my right forearm seems to take care of it.  I haven't played around with different strap lengths  yet but my first impression is that my right hand position and left hand reach to the nut are both very comfortable.  I'll need to check with calipers, but it feels like the neck has a thinner profile than any of my other Alembics.  The nut is the same 1.75" but it really feels like I can wrap my hand farther around it.

I don't usually get comments on my tone at practice, but my band's drummer (who is a very proficient bass player) immediately noticed that this bass sounded different than my others.  Some of that might have been the fresh set of rounds instead of my usual low tension flats, but overall there was more of a hi-fi sound - more punch and clarity than I'm used to.  Given the bass's pristine condition, I suspect this was my first time hearing factory settings instead of 30-40 years' worth of previous owners' trim pot and pickup height adjustments.

Enough typing.  Time to start the weekend right by bonding with the new bass...

Ken

[dela217]

That's great to hear!    Pretty bass!

[edwardofhuncote]

Congratulations & Compliments. That paper (or whatever it was) is a major PITA to get off the brass backplate after being on there 40 years. Took me all evening to get it offa' my '85 Distillate.

[rv_bass]

That’s a really beautiful bass!

[Camel]

What a fine bass! And it looks very well taken care of are you sure it's coco bolo on the top? It looks almost like bocote on this photo. Anyway, it looks amazing indeed.