Good Buy in Korea
Daniel Cermak-Sassenrath
I'm going to fly to South-Korea, and I'd like to know whether there's a
good buy in guitars there.
Basically, I've got enough guitars and basses, but I think I could use a
nice acoustic guitar like a Lowden O or F23 or even a S25 Jazz (all with
pickup and cutaway). Or maybe a Jazz-bass style bass.
Let me know, thanks!
Please reply also via email.
--Daniel
Kevin McDermott
listed specifically, but i can tell you that Epiphone guitars are dirt cheap
here. I have two Epiphone Les Pauls, a Flame Top standard and a Gold Top
with P-90's, got them both brand new for less than $200 each. I've seen all
the other models(SG, 335, Explorer,etc.) for similar prices. I also picked
up a very nice acoustic with a built in pickup, for about the same. Top of
the line name brand guitars are very expensive and hard to come by, though.
Kevin
Daniel Cermak-Sassenrath <da...@uni-bremen.de> wrote in message
news:39AE6670...@uni-bremen.de...
T.M.GLASS
situations and limitations. You can get bargains in locally made
intruments but don't expect that if a company's intruments are made
in Korea, you'll be able to find them or buy them cheap.
The Korean Vox Pathfinder amps which sell in the US for about $100 are
selling here for twice that (200,000), if you can find them (and they
don't have all the features of the US models).
In Korea you can buy instruments at:
1. Franchise stores (de-ri-jom) which are usually quite small and are tied
to one brand (in much the same way that cars dealerships only sell one
brand in other parts of the world.) They tend to have a limited range of
instruments and are not really cheap places to buy instruments. The
franchises only distribute Korean brands such as Samick (and Vantage,
their export label), Youngchang and so on. They dont have the guitars that
those companies may make for non-Korean companies. (ie Samick dealers
don't carry Ephiphone - although I don't think Samick are the exclusive
maker of Korean Ephiphone. The offshore companies will look for the best
offer for a batch order.)
2. The big instrument market in Seoul. (nak won sang ga) This has dozens
of little stores (franchise stores and independent sellers boths. Prices
are cheap although many of the salesmen are trying to get a commission and
don't make it that cheap. Also it seems that a lot of the guitars in the
market are there because of some imperfection in finish or construction,
or somehow have escaped the export route. This is the only place I've seen
Ephiphones but there is NOT the full range that you can see on the
Ephiphone website. Hollow bodies and such are much harder to find and
some I've never seen. I even wonder if models such as the zepher and
regent are made elsewhere. One Korean friend got his Epi sheraton for
600,000 won (about 600 bucks I think) - hardly a bargain!
Also what's available seems to have something to do with the batches that
are ordered by Overseas companies. I remember about a year ago noticing
that it was very hard to find a set neck Epi Les Paul. Bolt-ons were easy
to find but the set necks had disappeared. The a few months later when I
visited the market, set necks were once again common. Similarly, a year
ago there were korina epi SGs. There are none around now.
There are also imported guitars available but they are quite expensive
unless you are extremely lucky.
There are a couple of music stores that have started up recenltly,
carrying a range of brands more in the style of music stores that are
familar in the us, England and Australia. One is called "Kimex" and I
don't know the others name but it seems to be selling mainly Cort guitars
and Labels I suspect Cort makes for overseas customers such as Hohner
and Hamer). That store also carries a few Fender and Guild.
Having said all that, there are some good bargains here. Just don't expect
too much.
\\\\\\\\\\\ Michael Glass \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
\\\\\\\\\\\ Sogang University \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
\\\\\\\\\\\ Seoul, Korea \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
\\\\\\\\\\\ True love is hard to fund. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Kevin McDermott
shops around here, and Epiphone Les Paul Standards(mostly set neck) are
plentiful. You are right about the other models, I've seen them in the
shops but not on a consistent basis. There is a shop near Nambu terminal
called Axtech that makes thir own line of guitars, including some very good
strat copies for around $300. When I went there, they had a bunch of PRS
guitars selling for $4000-5000!!! My Epiphones have some very minor and
barely noticeable cosmetic flaws, maybe that's why they ended up on the
local market. Despite popular opinion, every shop owner I've asked has told
me that Samick does not make any guitars for Epiphone. I didn't recognize
any of the companies they told me do make Epiphones, and can't remember the
names.
A poster on another group mentioned another thing to be wary of:
counterfieters. You may see a lot of guitars that say Fender on the
headstock for very cheap prices, and the shop owner may tell you they are
Fenders, but it will be easy to tell they are not if you look. Like
everything else in Korea, you can find a good deal if you look around and
shop carefully!
Kevin
T.M.GLASS <gla...@ccs.sogang.ac.kr> wrote in message
news:8oo0ss$jr7$1...@ccsun2.sogang.ac.kr...
T.M.GLASS
: There is a shop near Nambu terminal
: called Axtech that makes thir own line of guitars, including some very good
: strat copies for around $300. When I went there, they had a bunch of PRS
: guitars selling for $4000-5000!
but the prices are not great (especially compared to what you can get at
the big market in seoul.
: My Epiphones have some very minor and
: barely noticeable cosmetic flaws, maybe that's why they ended up on the
: local market.
From what i've seen, the extent of the flaws can vary greatly. Some should
got staight to the woodpile but many as you say may have very miniscule
flaws.
: Despite popular opinion, every shop owner I've asked has told
: me that Samick does not make any guitars for Epiphone.
Samick was the main builder of Epiphone around 5 years ago. I don't know
that the case is now. Certainly with other brands, it appears the company
just contracts out a Korean builder to do a batch and may change
contractors for the next batch. When i asked around I found Washburns were
built by at least 3 Korean companies.