Monday, April 23, 2012

Monday, April 23, 2012 - ,, No comments

Musical Instruments

When I first arrived in Korea, I was desperate to get my hands on a guitar.  I found a few places to look.  The place that everyone talks about is Nakwon.  It is right outside exit 5 of Jongno 3-ga (lines 1 and 5) subway station.  (See location link at bottom)



I found a few nice stores, but the whole experience is pretty overwhelming.  Few pieces even had price tags, which made it especially difficult for me as a foreigner.  I went there two days in a row and still didn't buy anything.  Later, I did find a Roland dealer who gave me a great price on a Street Cube (same price as US).

For online deals, there are a few good websites:

Mule  - Most popular online used gear and forum page. (no English ㅠ.ㅠ)

School Music - very popular online music store - also located in I'Park Mall inside Yongsan subway station. map & pictures

Angel Sound - This is the Roland dealer inside Nakwon that I found easy to work with. 

Music Force - The most high-end store I've ever been to, anywhere.  Located in Gangnam, it is a collection of several stores (one for bass, one for electric guitar, one for acoustic guitar, etc.) on the same block.  You will need to be buzzed in, but they are very friendly.  I did some sloppy research before I went the first time and ended up outside their locked main office instead of their retail space.  Be sure to look further down the street for big outdoor signs.

Craigslist  - Used gear sold mostly by English speakers.  Mostly low end with the occasional hard-to-find high end piece.

Interpark  - This site is a bit like Amazon.  For a special piece, find it here and look up the address at the bottom of the listing page.  I was able to get a powered Yamaha speaker for a cash discount even lower than the posted online price.

Location: South Korea, Seoul, Jongno-gu, Nakwon-dong, 48-3

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