Solar Guitars by Ola Englund

[Moongrum]

I love all the contrasting experiences and opinions in this thread. Everthing from "Solar Guitars, NEVER AGAIN!" to "I'm on my 85 Solar and I just ordered 15 more"

The Kiesel experience

 

[Tisca]

Yeah, except they look like this via the DHL Customs Tarriff and Duty fees page:

"Any imports that are above USD 800 will have to go through a conventional clearance at the customs; whereas eCommerce purchases that value between USD 800 and USD 2,500 (MYR3,720 to MYR 11,625, approximately) could enjoy a simplified clearance which involve minimal intervention from customs.

The import tariffs vary between 0% and 37.5 %."

Via the ITA at the trade.gov page, it says it's around 21%, but it can vary.

That's a large enough differential that I don't wanna fly blind into it...

I don't even understand so, good luck I say to you.

 

[Flick]

I think I found info that should clear up the VAT question. A Solar guitar should fall under an electric fretted stringed instrument, resulting in a 5% tariff.

 

[Hollowway]

Also, plan on paying state sales/use tax. When these imports are recorded, they are passed on to the relevant authorities, and you'll get a tax bill in the mail. Or, like me, you won't get the bill, but you will, a year later, get an "overdue" tax bill, with interest and penalties, because you're supposed to declare that purchase and pay the tax on your own, as part of filing your regular taxes. *Sigh*

 

[Hollowway]

Oddly, the "Harmonized Tariff Schedule" also applies to stuff that has no ability to harmonize.

Those government bureaucrats probably write parallel fifths anyway, amirite?

 

[GÜMERSINDO]

Hi, I´m thinking about grabbing one of the models listed in the Summer Special discount. Checking the features seems like there is two different type of Solar pickups, one version crafted by Seymour Duncan an another just Solar branded. Am I right?

Can anyone tell differences between the Duncan version against the regular ones? Thanks.

 

[CleansingCarnage]

Hi, I´m thinking about grabbing one of the models listed in the Summer Special discount. Checking the features seems like there is two different type of Solar pickups, one version crafted by Seymour Duncan an another just Solar branded. Am I right?

Can anyone tell differences between the Duncan version against the regular ones? Thanks.

I believe they're both "Duncan Designed" style imported pickups. I think they're both pretty similar but based on different Duncan pickups, with the Duncan Solar + being higher output. My A1.7 came with Dimarzios so I haven't personally used either but I would expect them to be just decent stock pickups and I wouldn't make them my final deciding factor when choosing which model to buy.