(small) Amp Import advice!!

DrGonzo

Hola compadres de Guitar Forum SA!

I have been on the small amp search for a while now d have read some lovely reviews of the Super Champ XD, it seems a nice small combo with great tones and low price.

As recent topics and just general a=consensus points out - we get way inflated prices here in SA.

The general price on this seems to be about $299, which at the current $rate is about R1700 brand new. thats great. I have payed that much for a pedal for F$# sake ?

How much duties and import tax/costs should i expect if I order an Super champ, or similar size small tube amp online?

[deleted]

DrGonzo wrote: Hola compadres de Guitar Forum SA!

I have been on the small amp search for a while now d have read some lovely reviews of the Super Champ XD, it seems a nice small combo with great tones and low price.

As recent topics and just general a=consensus points out - we get way inflated prices here in SA.

The general price on this seems to be about $299, which at the current $rate is about R1700 brand new. thats great. I have payed that much for a pedal for F$# sake ?

How much duties and import tax/costs should i expect if I order an Super champ, or similar size small tube amp online?

Do you really want to walk around with a step up transformer too???

VAT, suppose to be duty free, and shipping... I can't say how much shipping is, depends, I have a discounted rate for a 5w Swart on the way and the Swart AST Pro, its frightfully expensive still ? So you will have to phone and ask for a quote on the weight and box dimensions

Ray

Just recently I was like on the verge of pulling the trigger on a Deluxe Reverb from over yonder and I was so swept away by the price until they told me what the shipping would be and then I did a quick sum of the other costs and it was so bad I laughed it off. Dont do the straight 300*7 sum and take a decision. I mean I got a super champ xd here for 4.5 G's which I think is good.

[deleted]

Ray wrote: Just recently I was like on the verge of pulling the trigger on a Deluxe Reverb from over yonder and I was so swept away by the price until they told me what the shipping would be and then I did a quick sum of the other costs and it was so bad I laughed it off. Dont do the straight 300*7 sum and take a decision. I mean I got a super champ xd here for 4.5 G's which I think is good.

+1

The shipping on my Swarts costs MUCH more than what a brand new VOX AC15HW head and cab here in SA.... ?
Just to put it in perspective here... Same argument everybody has had in that Fender Princeton thread...
Everybody has so much to say about how cheap it is, until they get a REAL shipping quote... ?

Wizard

I'd suggest we don't restart the rampant "it-would-be-so-much-cheaper-if-we-lived-in-the-States" argument.
We live here.
It's a great place.
AND ...
... that's a great amp ?

StephenG

it-would-be-so-much-cheaper-if-we-lived-in-the-States BUT
We live here.

AND ...
... that's a great amp. nay, correction - thats an awesome amp.. a mate of mine got his brand new for R4K i think it was... he is a pretty hot blues guitarist and the tones he gets out of it are incredible.

Tokai-SA

It will cost you more to import yourself than you'd pay for one here.

First there's shipping, import duties, it's not duty free (only stringed instruments are), and 14% VAT.
Then you'll need to buy a stepdown transformer.

Btw, the Mustang 111 blows the XD series away.

Wizard

Tokai SA wrote: Btw, the Mustang 111 blows the XD series away.

Thanks for that.
I feel much better now.
(not)

DrGonzo

Hey guys thanks for your replies!

Eish, shortly after I posted that I realised I had forgot about the goshdarn 110V thing!!

Brentcgp wrote: Everybody has so much to say about how cheap it is, until they get a REAL shipping quote... ?

understood, but it is quite a eye catcher when you researching prospective products and you see Ahh! it only costs $350 or whatever and then you get a quote here and it is 3x that
I have been pulled in by the ebay bug unfortunately and I should get out of that habit of referencing prices from there! but the last couple of purchases I made were all super easy, efficiently delivered and ended up saving a buttt load of cash even after shipping and tax.

Tokai SA wrote: It will cost you more to import yourself than you'd pay for one here.

First there's shipping, import duties, it's not duty free (only stringed instruments are), and 14% VAT.
Then you'll need to buy a stepdown transformer.

Ok thanks man, thats pretty much exactly what i was trying to find out. I am quite a noob when it comes to these things hence why i post the question!

StephenG wrote: ... that's a great amp. nay, correction - thats an awesome amp.. a mate of mine got his brand new for R4K i think it was... he is a pretty hot blues guitarist and the tones he gets out of it are incredible.

Ok 4K thats not bad - I was half expecting about R6k or so. Do you know WHERE he got it at that price??

Wizard wrote: We live here.
It's a great place.

No argument there eh ?

Norman86

www.musicmadness.co.za

they have the best online price i have seen for the fender super champ xd!

but yeah, the mustangs are superb little amps too!
seriously... though they're only solid state. pity on their pricing. saw yesterday... R4k for a mustang II. i almost died!!!! but i wont say anything about pricing. thats the price, if you're happy to pay it, great!

Here you go:
http://www.musicmadness.co.za/amplifiers/amplifiers/fender-super-champ-xd

Jack-Flash-Jr

Super Champ = AWESOME VALVE AMP.

Max

Tokai SA wrote: It will cost you more to import yourself than you'd pay for one here.

First there's shipping, import duties, it's not duty free (only stringed instruments are), and 14% VAT.
Then you'll need to buy a stepdown transformer.

Btw, the Mustang 111 blows the XD series away.

I was reading the latest SARS Duty schedule for 2011 and according to Section 85.18 and 85.42 amplifiers are duty free. Tokai SA are there duties over and above the SARS schedule? The reason I'm asking is to find some clarity on items imported.

Norman86

afaik, only amplifier parts carry duties, but not the amps themselves. they do get vat though.

DrGonzo

Max wrote:
Tokai SA wrote: It will cost you more to import yourself than you'd pay for one here.

First there's shipping, import duties, it's not duty free (only stringed instruments are), and 14% VAT.
Then you'll need to buy a stepdown transformer.

Btw, the Mustang 111 blows the XD series away.
I was reading the latest SARS Duty schedule for 2011 and according to Section 85.18 and 85.42 amplifiers are duty free. Tokai SA are there duties over and above the SARS schedule? The reason I'm asking is to find some clarity on items imported.

Bump on this!

DrGonzo

BTW.... I went amp testing all day today and had a lengthy Jam on the Super Champ XD - and I have to say i am very impressed, It really does sound great! I eventually plugged it into a big Mesa 2x12 cab and wow it was orgasmic.

I also had a jam on a Laney VC15 small (Full Tube) 1x10 combo - and am now completely torn between the 2. I really digged this little amp, it had a nice organic sound and quite a few tonal options, bass mid treb as well as tone cut to get some nice bright or even darker jazzy tones.
The fact that it is a full valve (3x12ax7 and 2 el84's) might help giving my tonal psychology a rest, even if the super champ sounds just as good.

It is more pricey by about a grand tho.

Also I got a quote for R3900 brand new on the Super Champ XD, so thats a well decent price!

Gonna go for round 2 with my pedals and cab tomor to get closure!
WHoop whoop ?

AlanRatcliffe

The Super Champ has the edge on flexibility. The VC15 is a very cool and great sounding little amp with some upgrade options (valves, speakers). Which is more important to you.

DrGonzo

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: The Super Champ has the edge on flexibility. The VC15 is a very cool and great sounding little amp with some upgrade options (valves, speakers). Which is more important to you.

Hmmm not sure exactly - I want a satisfying tone and good recording tool...

- i really like a few things from both: on the super champ I like the clean channel and about 4 of the 'voices' - the jazz and acoustic were really sweet as well as the overdrive tweed. i played this amp with a Voodoo Labs sparkle drive, which i am DEFINITELY getting - it really worked so well, what a great OD pedal.

On the VC 15 i like the sound, its nice. lacked a bit of low end, but was a lot better through a fender 112 cab. The reverb is really nice as well as the tone cut option. I really like the fact it has a Send and return so i can use the preamp and power amp seperately which is a big plus for me...

One other concern about both would be, would it be loud enough to gig and practise with a drummer? will i be able to get quite high gain like tool kind of metal sounds out of this, a great high gain dist pedal and a 2x12?

hmmmm

well tomor i shall do much more physical evaluation!

Wizard

DrGonzo wrote: One other concern about both would be, would it be loud enough to gig and practise with a drummer?

A recurring theme on this forum.
We need quieter drummers ?

Jack-Flash-Jr

DrGonzo wrote:
Alan Ratcliffe wrote: The Super Champ has the edge on flexibility. The VC15 is a very cool and great sounding little amp with some upgrade options (valves, speakers). Which is more important to you.
Hmmm not sure exactly - I want a satisfying tone and good recording tool...

- i really like a few things from both: on the super champ I like the clean channel and about 4 of the 'voices' - the jazz and acoustic were really sweet as well as the overdrive tweed. i played this amp with a Voodoo Labs sparkle drive, which i am DEFINITELY getting - it really worked so well, what a great OD pedal.

On the VC 15 i like the sound, its nice. lacked a bit of low end, but was a lot better through a fender 112 cab. The reverb is really nice as well as the tone cut option. I really like the fact it has a Send and return so i can use the preamp and power amp seperately which is a big plus for me...

One other concern about both would be, would it be loud enough to gig and practise with a drummer? will i be able to get quite high gain like tool kind of metal sounds out of this, a great high gain dist pedal and a 2x12?

hmmmm

well tomor i shall do much more physical evaluation!

We gig with the Super Champ on 2-4, un-miked. Have no fear.

giggsy

Just checked here but no luck - www.wwbw.com - I ordered a guitar from them with the delivery cost of 20 dollars. And guess what? It cost me 20 dollars and arrived 8 days after I placed the order. I see they offer free international delivery on orders over 299 dollars. Admittedly they dont stock too much, but you may find something you like.