Gibsonlp.....Props to you for scoring he 660 DCM! Actually, I should write props to your fiancée for getting you this b'day present. The price on the 360/6 DCM remains as advertised at that same store. It's a great price, particularly in light of the 2008 price increase. I just called the store to confirm. Someone has placed a hold on it. Again, congratulations on your new acquisition. Post some pics after you receive it. Best regards.....Goofyfoot.
Play on, pick often, jam with any Rickenbacker, and prosper.
Thanks guys.
The guys from Rumble seat are really nice, They can't charge international credit cards for some reason - so basically they are putting the guitar on hold based on my promise to purchase it (without putting the 20% downpayment yet).
I now have this dillemma:
I can have the guitar shipped to Israel, they charge $200 for international shipment. But then I will have to pay %15.5 VAT on the guitar + shipment which will bring the total price to $3118, the downsides:
I am really scared shipping guitars with a courier as it might get lost or damaged, Sid from Rumble music said they are sending thousands of them every year and only once a year he hears about a delivery problem, Sid says they pack the (original molded) case inside a big corrugated fiberboard box so it should be able to take the punishment of being shipped 10,000 miles....
I will have to pay 15.5% VAT on the full price...
I can have the guitar shipped to a friend of mine who visits NY in 2 weeks and he'll carry it with him on his way back to Israel, this will add NY sales tax on the guitar and will bring the total cost to $2750. The downsides:
I need to pay NY sales tax which is annoying because the guitar is leaving NY a day later without any tax refund...
My friend will pick up the guitar for me, Carrying a guitar in a hardcase to/from a plane is not the easiest task (however - he agrees).
I take the risk of my friend being forced to check the guitar with his luggage, he is not a well trained guitar courier and he might not be able to get it onboard
I take a small risk in which my friend will be stopped by the Israeli customs. In such a case I will be forced to pay DOUBLE the amount of taxes on it as a fine...
Currently I am inclined twards the option of shipping the guitar to Israel with fedex, what do you think?
I shipped a 325v63 JG to a fellow in the United Kingdom by FedEx from the U.S.A. and it went smoothly, but I don't know what other duties/customs fees the recipient had to pay. No experience with shipments to Israel, unfortunately.
Gil, whatever happens with this guitar, you can rest easy knowing that soon you'll have a wife who will make all of the tough decisions for you, whether you want her to or not.