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jonnycutlass

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Jul 9, 2023
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Hi - does anyone know what the lead time is for new guitar orders [ EBMM Cutlass RS SSS Vintage Tobacco ]? I have been told different things from various shops - 6 months , 9 months , 12 months+ !!
 

Epiplatys

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Mar 8, 2023
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Ordered and pre-paid a spalted maple majesty 7 1.5 years ago, and still waiting for it. Been provided the ETA 4 times and all four times it got pushed out. At this point I think I probably won’t be taking it if/when it comes. I mean you want to wait only for so long, and then you just get disappointed and mentally move on. As much as I like MM I certainly won’t be placing any new orders going forward.
 

jonnycutlass

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Jul 9, 2023
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United Kingdom
Thanks for replies. Found what I wanted in US but could find any of those sites that delivered to UK. Couldn't find the exact model/config I wanted on reverb in Europe/UK (much more expensive at least £700+ more) and if I am spending that kind of money, you want to get exactly what you want right? Found some HT Cutlass models in UK but they way too expensive. I have been speaking to dealer/shop in UK but they were extremely non-committal - basically said it could be 9 months -12 months but could be longer could be shorter. I suppose the quicker I order it the quicker it get here but waiting for 18 months must be torture.
 

jonnycutlass

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Jul 9, 2023
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United Kingdom
Thanks Glenn - I did notice they ship internationally - I nearly went for the '58 Cutlass but it was just out of my price range and what sealed it was the shipping when I added it to the basket - more than $800 to ship to the UK (which I can understand) but simply couldn't afford that. I will keep checking out the vault though. Thanks again.
 

DrKev

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Somewhere between Paris, Dublin, and Buffalo
800 $.
Well with a VAT of 20%, custom taxes (2 or 3%) and the shipping ... it's what we pay in Europe.
Brexit did not change a thing for English people ;)
Yes, figure 24% on the combined cost of the guitar *and* the shipping. In both the UK and Europe nobody gets away without paying any more. Those days are long gone. And remember that sales tax is almost never included in US prices, so they are are in a sense artificially low compared to Europe. (The same is true in a restaurant, and it's a rude awakening when you forget, and that's before you add 20% for a tip).
 

PeteDuBaldo

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Jul 16, 2004
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Central Connecticut (Manchester) USA
Hi - does anyone know what the lead time is for new guitar orders [ EBMM Cutlass RS SSS Vintage Tobacco ]? I have been told different things from various shops - 6 months , 9 months , 12 months+ !!

It depends on the model and where EBMM currently has "bucket dates" (build slots) available. There might be room for a freshly ordered Cutlass to hit production in 6 months, while a Stingray bass might be scheduled for 9-12 months out.

Right now EBMM is shuffling production around to better manage their backorders, in some cases this means an instrument suddenly comes through earlier than expected, while in some cases it could be delayed by a few months.


800 to the UK is insane. Guitar I had shipped from CME last year was 250 dollars

I recently shipped a guitar to the UK via FedEx and it was around 600 after the insured value was added. A smaller guitar/case (dimensional costs for shipping are terrible) and a lower declared value would have cost less.

Yes, figure 24% on the combined cost of the guitar *and* the shipping. In both the UK and Europe nobody gets away without paying any more. Those days are long gone. And remember that sales tax is almost never included in US prices, so they are are in a sense artificially low compared to Europe. (The same is true in a restaurant, and it's a rude awakening when you forget, and that's before you add 20% for a tip).

Yes, BP has said in the past that import duty/taxes/distribution/warehousing adds almost 1/3 to the cost of the instrument.

Sales tax over here varies from 0-9% with my state of CT being 6.35%. As a bonus savings for my customers I don't have to collect sales tax on direct orders placed/shipped outside CT, but the major/chain retailers do have to collect tax nationwide.
 

DrewH

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Joined
May 23, 2012
Messages
226
Ordered and pre-paid a spalted maple majesty 7 1.5 years ago, and still waiting for it. Been provided the ETA 4 times and all four times it got pushed out. At this point I think I probably won’t be taking it if/when it comes. I mean you want to wait only for so long, and then you just get disappointed and mentally move on. As much as I like MM I certainly won’t be placing any new orders going forward.

Never ever do that. Some shops can be quite predatory on the whole pre-order concept and totally lie on delivery times. Always best to just keep scanning reverb and shop web sites and hope what you are looking for pops up eventually.
 

jonnycutlass

Active member
Joined
Jul 9, 2023
Messages
33
Location
United Kingdom
Thanks for the info guys.
PeteDuBaldo - in your experience, how often should I expect the factory and therefore my dealer to give updates on the ETA of the order? One of the guys who posted said he has been waiting for 18 months which is definitely a worry.
 

morsecode

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May 21, 2007
Messages
453
Location
British Columbia, Canada
I had a quote from another company from Germany and the wait time was sometime between the Spring and Summer of 2025.

Outside of the big 3 companies, wait times appear to be long everywhere. Even the wait time for some models of the big 3 are over a year out while some have been put on hold altogether. I assume reliably sourcing parts is still a major challenge in the industry as it is everywhere else. Not sure if this is the new status quo but I don’t see things getting much better anytime soon.
 
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PeteDuBaldo

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Jul 16, 2004
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10,189
Location
Central Connecticut (Manchester) USA
Thanks for the info guys.
PeteDuBaldo - in your experience, how often should I expect the factory and therefore my dealer to give updates on the ETA of the order? One of the guys who posted said he has been waiting for 18 months which is definitely a worry.

EBMM factory to dealer updates are not automatic, they need to be requested by the dealer. Fortunately I talk with the factory frequently, either while placing orders or paying for orders, and that is generally when I ask for updates - if time permits.

I'm not at all surprised by the 18 months on a Spice Melange, they have been taking a long time to come out. I am still waiting on some, as well.

After the recent maple top Majesty guitars were announced there were some major changes made at the factory to improve and streamline production, but unfortunately those changes required some shifts in production and unforeseen delays. When guitars are suddenly pushed out a few months, and then normal production delays happen (holidays, vacations, weather, supply chain issues, etc), it can be frustrating for everyone - factory - dealer - customer.
 
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