Piano World Home Page Forums Other Keyboard Instruments Organs - Electronic (B3 etc.), Pipe, Theatre, & Reed Importing a Hammond from USA to UK

Any UK members ever imported a Hammond to UK from USA? Am having difficulty finding out how much customs will charge.

The other thing you will have to be concerned with is the difference between the electricity here and in the UK. You will need to do a conversion on the organ and the Leslie. Trek II makes conversion kits..

Trek II Website

Sorry I can't help on the customs...

Hi again, Ken!
I'm still looking into eating one for the church. Moving to new premises with more space so now is a good time to start looking seriously again. Have liaised with Alan Dickson (Colorado) who refurbishes and installs the current conversion kit on both organ and speaker. That seems to be the easy part! Over here, I ended up transferred from department to department only to end up no further forward. . I just don't want to be presented with a bill that doubles he cost of the organ!

There are a few pointers I can offer. The first is to confirm the way that it will be described by the exporter. I imported a production station from the US to the UK a few years back. The production station is essentially a Windows PC with a few extra controllers including a 61-note keyboard. If I could have got them to ship it as a computer, I seem to recall that I would have paid less import duty. However, they were unwilling to do that. They shipped it as a synthesizer.

However, I don't thing there's much choice here. It's an electronic musical instrument. I think I started with this reference: Trade Tariff.

I remember I did find someone knowledgeable to speak to by phone. I've tried to remember or track the number down; but no luck. If it comes back to me, I'll put it here. It might have had something to do with the Chambers of Commerce.

Thanks for the tip!
After reading the link you provided, it seems you have to pay VAT and then another 3.2% duty?!

Ah, yes. I'm afraid there's no way of avoiding VAT; just as in the States I guess they'd pay sales tax. The only question is how much import duty you have to pay on top of the VAT, I'm afraid.

I guess it all comes down to trade protectionism. We're being penalized for not buying British. Which is doubly stupid, given the number of British manufacturers of Hammond organs!