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I'm going to be doing some traveling from the USA to the UK, and I'd like to carry a redwood guitar top set with me, packed in my checked luggage. Is this a bad idea, should I expect any trouble with UK Customs?

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

Jon,

Not unless they interpret it as a WMD It's not on CITES and it can quite happily come into the UK on a cargo plane. It might be an idea to take any papers with you from when you bought it to provide proof of what it is. The Customs men may be curious about why you are bringing it in - eg to sell and avoid VAT and duty (you have to appreciate how their minds work)

You'd better pack it well as baggage handlers are definitely WMD's.

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

Thanks, Dave. I think I'm having someone make me a guitar with it, so I hope that wouldn't incur a fee, as I'm not selling it and it's ultimately for my personal use. I'll probably just say it's for personal hobby use and leave it at that. I'm sandwiching it in 1/8" hardboard, so hopefully the luggage gorillas won't destroy it.

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

Jon, I'd go thicker than 1/8. Your bags will, Murphy being Murphy, end up on the bottom of a big pile or throw on to the corner of something. I'd want something that I knew wouldn't bend or dent without serious pressure. But that's just me.

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Aoibeann

Jon, customs won't care if it is for your personal use or not... who carries a piece of wood around when traveling?
Their concern, if any, will be to determine wether that is a legal wood allowed to be brought into the country. I suspect you are an Amrican citizen, so there won't be duties or anything like that... just a concern if it is a legal wood to enter in. So if you bring the purchase invoice with you, that will make things alot easier.

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

Thanks for the tip, that sounds wise to bring the invoice with me to prove it's not illegal. I think I have to pay VAT, though, if they think I'm going to sell it to someone there, so I'm trying to avoid that. I know they're going to ask, because you're right... Who flies around with pieces of wood socked away in their luggage?

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

Jon, I grew up in Europe and travel abroad quite often. VAT is only applied when a native/resident from that country brings in an item to then use or sell.
That is their way to get taxes on an item otherwise tax free if brought into the country.

If that was the case for you, then you'd have to pay VAT on you watch, Laptop, clothings and etc... not saying that they won't say that the wood is to be sold or used their country and try to charge you, but its highly unlikely.

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

I travel a bit also and have brought wood back in my suitcase from just about every corner of the world. I always TRY to get a statement put on my invoice that the wood has been kiln dired and fumigated....just in case. I never declare it upon entry and after a dozen or so times....never challenged. Not to say you'll be so fortunate but that has been my experience.
I did try to carry some 4/4 ziricote on board one time and security prompty made me check it. They said it coud be swung like a weapon.....now why would anyone want to get a nice piece of ziricote bloodied?

Never having taken a finished guitar with me...how do you go about that? That would be a real dilemma for me.

Good Luck,
Tom