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Could this happen with old Les Pauls?

thejaf

Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2006
Messages
527
Yes, and I predict these types of intrusive, government sponsored thefts will only become more prevelent in the future. Good thing there wasn't undocumented rosewood in that violin.....
 

JIMI55LP

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 28, 2005
Messages
1,588
God, this is even worse than that "jewelry up for grabs" thing at the morgue!
 
Y

yeti

Guest
The answer to the OP is yes. This is just a huge embarrassment for the German authorities, IMO. Hope they'll return the fiddle in good condition.
Makes you wonder what's next?
 

goldtop0

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 19, 2003
Messages
8,931
The violin would be classified as personal property so I don't see why the German authorities would grab it.
So in future she will need to carry documentation as to her ownership of it................she will get it back without any fines being paid..........bureaucracy gone haywire in this case for sure.
 

abalonevintage

Active member
Joined
Dec 31, 2002
Messages
3,186
"A spokesman for the German authorities has suggested that the violin might be returned if it is regarded as necessary for her job."

Translated: If it is not necessary for your JOB, it's ok to steal it! :rofl
 

danny2plus2

New member
Joined
Oct 19, 2002
Messages
697
Sombody 'round here said it best...If you leave the house, you're just asking for it.. The stewardess usta put my LP in her compartment. I'll never fly again.
 

dazzaman

Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2011
Messages
63
The violin would be classified as personal property so I don't see why the German authorities would grab it.
So in future she will need to carry documentation as to her ownership of it................she will get it back without any fines being paid..........bureaucracy gone haywire in this case for sure.

I am surprised this does not happen more often. In looking into perhaps buying a vintage guitar from the States it appears that the rule is that you have to be able to prove you have owned the instrument for a year to avoid duties. Personal property of less than a year is irrelevant, whether it is a 2012 made R9 or a real 1959LP. In this case she should be able to prove it easily enough one way or another.
Sounds like this is an over-zealous customs officer who thought, if he was right, he would be up for promotion or something.
 

Garincha

Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2005
Messages
385
I beg to differ from most people here I'm afraid.

I just imagined a scene that might have happened in Frankfurt already just without somebody taking notice:

Frankfurt international airport at a hot summer day:
A low-profile blues player from London walkes in at the Frankfurt Airport Customs.

Customs Officer: "Anything to declare ladies and gents?"
Blues Player: "Ugh, nothing Herr Wachtmeister."
Customs Officer: "What's in that brown case?"
Blues Player: "Ugh, that's me guitar. Pretty old one, got it in the 70s."
Customs Officer: "It looks like a plaintop Les Paul, double-whites at the neck and double blacks at the bridge, are you sure it never had Grovers at one point?"
Blues Player: "Ugh, blimey, I've got not fucking idea how to groove, I play the blues. I got the fiddle from a heroin addict at Denmark Street or maybe I was the heroin addict - how do I know, it was the 70s man. But I need it to play at the Blues Festival in St. Goar. That's somewhere at the Rhine and that's all I know."
Customs Officer: "Okay, if you need it so badly to play the blues, then be it. Have fun at St. Goar."

At the same time in a hotel room in the Frankfurt Airport Hotel:

Journalist: "Is there any guitar you are missing today?"
Eric Clapton: "Yeah, the one I recorded the Beano Album with. Never found one as good as that one. I still miss it."

Well I think you got the picture ;)
 

Mitchell

New member
Joined
Feb 20, 2002
Messages
3,012
I think that the German's have learned a lot from their history.

Accept - Scorpions... :dude: :dude:
 

Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Messages
42,567
I beg to differ from most people here I'm afraid.

I just imagined a scene that might have happened in Frankfurt already just without somebody taking notice:

Frankfurt international airport at a hot summer day:
A low-profile blues player from London walkes in at the Frankfurt Airport Customs.

Customs Officer: "Anything to declare ladies and gents?"
Blues Player: "Ugh, nothing Herr Wachtmeister."
Customs Officer: "What's in that brown case?"
Blues Player: "Ugh, that's me guitar. Pretty old one, got it in the 70s."
Customs Officer: "It looks like a plaintop Les Paul, double-whites at the neck and double blacks at the bridge, are you sure it never had Grovers at one point?"
Blues Player: "Ugh, blimey, I've got not fucking idea how to groove, I play the blues. I got the fiddle from a heroin addict at Denmark Street or maybe I was the heroin addict - how do I know, it was the 70s man. But I need it to play at the Blues Festival in St. Goar. That's somewhere at the Rhine and that's all I know."
Customs Officer: "Okay, if you need it so badly to play the blues, then be it. Have fun at St. Goar."

At the same time in a hotel room in the Frankfurt Airport Hotel:

Journalist: "Is there any guitar you are missing today?"
Eric Clapton: "Yeah, the one I recorded the Beano Album with. Never found one as good as that one. I still miss it."

Well I think you got the picture ;)

Sounds like fiction to me. :hmm

I don't think they have a Blues Festival in St. Goar. :wah :ganz


Please prove me wrong! :dude:
 

The Greek

New member
Joined
Jul 17, 2008
Messages
111
A spokesman for the German authorities has suggested that the violin might be returned :wah * if it is regarded as necessary for her job, the Yomiuri said.

*They should not only promptly return it to her but apologize for this harassment too_Oh and If I were in her shoes,I'd think if I might sue them after the apologies... :ganz
 

OKGuitar

Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2011
Messages
938
I have a client who is a concert pianist who went to France and bought an antique (1920's Erard) piano only to have it confiscated at Kennedy Airport because of the ivories. They said she could keep the piano if she removed the ivory. So she called her piano tech who carefully removed all the ivory and it was sent back to France. The French Government was so incensed that the Americans did this that they sent the pianist a personal note along with a package containing all the ivories.
 

hoss

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 1, 2004
Messages
6,748
I am now getting kind of nervous buying guitars with brazilian...
 
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