SpruceTonewood.com

[sam]

I've subscribed to Mario DaCosta's web site above. Has anyone had experience with
his products?

[Allen]

Oh brother. Are you in for a ride.

[kiwigeo]

+1

[WaddyT]

+2

[sam]

Thanks, chaps, for helping me get that one sorted. Martin has been kind enough to put me in touch
with several suppliers. S

[lauburu]

Check out this guy. Brilliant. I'm sure Martin would have included him.
viewtopic.php?f=34&t=3754
Miguel

[kiwigeo]

Check out this guy. Brilliant. I'm sure Martin would have included him.
viewtopic.php?f=34&t=3754
Miguel

I didn't actually.

For the record Shane Neiffer, Graham Hein and Tim Spittle are the only people I buy tonewood off.

[sam]

Wow,

Brent has a very impressive operation going over there.

I would welcome a bit of coaching on getting some tops.

Does one need to do anything special for entry of forest products into Australia? Fumigation charges?

I know that on some goods, an exemption form saying the contents originate from the USA, is used to avoid a tariff
at this end.

Is a customs agent needed?

Other gotchas?

Thanks for the good oil.

S

[Bob Connor]

Sam

Most tonewood from reputable suppliers gets straight through AQUIS and Customs without additional paperwork required.

You just need to keep the amount under $1000 otherwise you may get hit with GST.

In the past anything arriving from the USPS seemed to get through with very little fuss. At most AQUIS would open the box, have a squiz, leave a note that they had inspected the consignment and it would duly arrive at the designated postal address.

USPS will arrive in 10-20 days from the US.

I don't know if it is still the same but items sent via FEDEX and DHL seemed to attract extra charges in the past. I know that DHL deliveries from Stewart MacDonald are getting through quickly and at no extra cost. Maybe someone can help me out here as I generally just get wood sent by USPS.

If you buy from Canada their postal charges are horrendous and you will pay the same for surface as you will air freight from the US.

Surface takes around 3 months but a couple of our preferred suppliers in Shane Neifer and Graham Hein are in Canada and their products are definitely worth the wait.

Regards

[ernie]

I/ve bought sitka from brent, who lives in craig alaska, His wood has to go out by float plane, it took 2 weeks and I/m in the central usa.Either usps or ups .

[Allen]

I get wood from all over the USA and Canada as well as India. As Bob said, nothing difficult about getting it in to Australia as long as it's under the $1,000 AUD threshold including the shipping cost. As well the wood needs to be dry, free of bark, dirt and obviously traces of bugs. About 1 in 4 packages I order in will be opened and inspected by AQUIS. I've only ever had shipments come in via the Post Office. And I've never had a problem as everyone I've dealt with follows those guild lines.

I have a mate that is a wood turner and has had his run ins with AQUIS after a client was sending him wood to turn into some ear piece cups for audiophile headphones. Even after repeated warnings by my mate the client was sending green wood that looked like it had just been picked up off the forest floor. Needless to say AQUIS was very diligent in drilling holes into the pieces and then fumigating. He doesn't do any work for this guy any more. And now every single parcel he gets from overseas is inspected. Seems his name is on a watch list.

[Nick]

You just need to keep the amount under $1000 otherwise you may get hit with GST.

Lucky bastards $400 in NZ & they've just started including postage into that figure as well I used RC tonewoods a fair bit but now a couple of sets & I have to consider things closely what with the increase in USPS rates, exchange rate & GST, once it's in the country it makes what was a reasonably priced set of back & sides a bloody expensive proposition for a customer choosing their wood of choice.

I use Brent for 90% of my spruce purchases (brace stock & tops) & I've never been dissappointed.

[nnickusa]

+1 for Brent Cole Sr.

8 days for our group buy to arrive. 12 tops and bracing for alot more guitars than 12, worked out to less than $40 a top. I'll definintely be calling Brent again.....

He also has other tops that look inviting, like red and yellow cedar. Great pricing and service and reasonable(from the US) postage, and I'm a believer.

[charangohabsburg]

You just need to keep the amount under $1000 otherwise you may get hit with GST.

Lucky bastards $400 in NZ & they've just started including postage into that figure as well

In Switzerland the tax threshold is ca. $60 (sixty) merchandise value, including postage!
The bad thing here are not only the taxes but the ca. 30 $ customs transaction minimal fee which transport companies are eager to charge.
Yes, lucky bastards you Down-Underers!

[kiwigeo]

90% of US/Canadian tonewood dealers are ok...until you get a load of wood that's not up to scratch. 89% of dealers are happy to replace the wood.....as long as you cough up for the freight to send it back to them. Most of them know that you're not going to do this because the cost is just too prohibitive and take advantage of this.

[sam]

I interviewed Montreal builder, Michael Greenfield, at Healdsburg, August 2011. I asked him about his concerns with acquiring suitable timber. I loved his reply: 'When I order from a new supplier, I ask him/her to select 100 of their
very best sets....then send me the 20 sets I won't be returning......' S

[charangohabsburg]

I loved his reply: 'When I order from a new supplier, I ask him/her to select 100 of their
very best sets....then send me the 20 sets I won't be returning......' S

Nice joke.
If I was a wood supplier my answer would be that I only serve polite people.

[kiwigeo]

I loved his reply: 'When I order from a new supplier, I ask him/her to select 100 of their
very best sets....then send me the 20 sets I won't be returning......' S

Nice joke.
If I was a wood supplier my answer would be that I only serve polite people.

I'm polite...until someone tries to screw me. There are a number of dealers who's modus operandi is as follows:

1. First determine if customer is a). a complete newbie or b.) a well known luthier.
2. if a). then send him/her cr*p wood knowing that theres a high chance he/she will not pick up the defects in the wood.
3. If the defective wood is picked up by the newbie customer then its time for Plan B. Proudly parrot off your "return the wood if not happy" policy. Try not to mention that THEY'LL be paying for freighting the wood back to Canada or the US. Also best you dont mention that the freight will be equal to or greater than the cost of the goods. And dont mention that US/Canadian quarantine boys will have a field day when they spy the black mould all over the spruce top sets.......the wood will go straight to the nearest incinerator....where it belongs.
4. If the customer actually sends the wood back then send them some more cr*p wood......if you keep doing this eventually the customer will give up and you wont hear from them ever again.
5. The well known luthiers...you send them your best wood with a generous discount thrown in if they agree to endorse your business. That way youll always get a steady flow of green newbies to screw over and boost up your profits.

There you go...easy.

[Shane Neifer]

I interviewed Montreal builder, Michael Greenfield, at Healdsburg, August 2011. I asked him about his concerns with acquiring suitable timber. I loved his reply: 'When I order from a new supplier, I ask him/her to select 100 of their
very best sets....then send me the 20 sets I won't be returning......' S

I have actually been selling Michael most of his top wood for the past few years. And he did use that line when he first called, or something along those lines. He has never returned any wood and we just talked about what was important to him and I only send that wood. No smokin' deal just the same as all other volume buyers get. I tried sending samples out when I first started and it didn't work well so then I just established a firm price list and a policy of grading fairly and it has made my life easier and I think a bit easier for those buying the wood as well.

After just over a year of not doing much but looking after the family I have recently started processing again. I am still well behind (almost feeling like I am first actually) but am working away at the back order list (including all of those cedar sets Martin! ).

Thanks
Shane

[nnickusa]

Take your time. From all accounts, Martin has much too much timber already.

[Bob Connor]

Nice to see you back Shane.

Regards

[Paul B]

Yeah, what Bob said.

Good to see you back. Hope things are improving for you and yours.

[charangohabsburg]

I loved his reply: 'When I order from a new supplier, I ask him/her to select 100 of their
very best sets....then send me the 20 sets I won't be returning......' S

Nice joke.
If I was a wood supplier my answer would be that I only serve polite people.

I'm polite...until someone tries to screw me. [...]

Of course. I never said someone here, or someone mentioned here had been impolite, but ordering something only using the quoted joke (which it is - I heard it first in my childhood, from a small fruits and vegetables retail dealer about 40 years back when he talked to his supplier ) would be quite rude as this would be an implicit accusation the supplier usually would not fulfil with his customers requests. But as Shane pointed out he and Michael Greenfield talked "about what was important to him" (by phone), the joke being a side note - c'est le ton qui fait la musique.

[Kim]

Shane!

Good to see you here mate.

Cheers

Kim

[lauburu]

Another caveat for NZ wood importers. If you order a large quantity the Customs people can assess it as being "for commercial purposes" which means you have to go through a customs agent with all the ensuing costs and drama. The MAF guys generally don't open and inspect wood from the US but a little bit suspicious of stuff from Sth America or Asia. Not sure if this is CITES related or just caution regarding bugs and stuff.
Miguel