Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Harpeau]

A friend and I crashed a Samick store the other day checking out guitars. Ever notice that when one enters most guitar shops, most acoustic guitars tend to have the following: strung with crappy 3rd rate strings; out of tune; plastic bridgepins, nut & saddle; sadly way out of tune. (I am happy to say that Big Cat in Hongdae and a couple shops in Nagwon are a few of the exceptions.)

I mean, don't they see the importance of putting their product in the best light possible?! I went to one of my favorite guitar shops with a friend a few weeks ago. He tried a nice solid wood guitar worth much money. He took one strum. Horrible fret-buzz. I asked the owner~ why the buzz?! He said that he needed to install apiazzo pick-up and that would rase the action enough to take out the buzz. I asked him, why not put something under the saddle to temporarily compensate it to make it higher and then take it out when he installs the pick-up. He just kind of scratched his head. I mean, it's chicken and the egg time. How is he even going to sell a guitar if people don't even get to here it with decent sound and action?!

In addition, putting crappy strings on a nice brand new guitar is not doing it any favors. Face it. Bad strings are going to make a great guitar sound like crap.

I like Peal guitars. They put Elixir light gague Nano-web strings on all of their products. I think that explains why they're selling like hotcakes. Having a the bridge pins made out of or indian rosewood or ebony and nut and saddle made out of buffalo bone, camel bone, etc. can really help to inhance the sound.

I believe that presentation is most important when putting a guitar out on the sales floor. End of rant.

[Benicio]

It's bizarre!

Except for one store, here in Busan, most places I go into don't really seem that interested in actually selling the items. They mostly act like you're bothering them by looking around and trying out the instruments.

My belief is that all these guys are musicians- not great musicians or they would be working musicians and not working in a store. They have no business sense and are bored with sitting in the store all day. They are awful salespeople.
Too many experiences with the music store people who just couldn't be bothered to even do a semi-adequate job!

[Benicio]

PS- it reminds me of how it used to be back home when I was a teenager.
All the instrument shops were small and were staffed by local musicians who acted like they were cooler than everyone else because they worked at the store. They were so full of attitude like they were cool and you were not.
Eventually, most of them were run out of business by the bigger, franchise stores- Guitar Center, etc.
They have people working there who come right to you and say like "Hi, my name is Tom. Is there anything I can help you with?/Is there anything special you're looking for?". Yes, they are local musicians, too, but if they act like jerks and don't work for the customer, then they don't get to work there anymore.
Also, the prices are much better. Big improvement, in my opinion.

[gsxr750r]

People who know nothing about teaching or owning a hagwon will get a wild hair and open a hagwon.

Wouldn't doubt the same thing happens with guitar shops around here.

[PimpofKorea]

What songs are a no-go to play in Korean guitar shops. Back in the states you get a nike print on your azzcrack if you play stairway or enter sandman. I haven't played in awhile..but I'd love to break out a little enter sandman for the natives. Anybody feeling that????

[gsxr750r]

Oh, another similar example...

Motorcycle stores in Korea will slap on an after-market exhaust pipe, which is meant to improve power, sound, speed, etc. Unfortunately, they don't bother to tune the engine to the new pipe. The result is worse performance, eventual engine damage, and worse sound. It's almost like they have no clue they have to adjust the carbs.

Drives me insane.

[Benicio]

It's like people who love food, so they get the wild idea to open a restaurant. Bad idea!
They f*** it all up because they have no idea how to actually run a business.

gsxr750r, the only thing I can guess about the bike shops is that it's not going to be their bike, so they don't care. They guess most people don't know anyway. If they do, they'll get it done themselves. They just don't care.
The thing I truly hate is when they drill holes in the exhaust pipes, so the bikes will be really loud- serious jacka$$ behavior!

[uberscheisse]

[ED209]

Put me off buying a guitar now

Guess I'll wait till I can go home and pick one up cheap.
Do the Korean stores charge considerably more?

[Harpeau]

Well it's interesting that you ask. The piezo pickup goes under the saddle and does raise the action a few millimeters. You can read more about it Here:
http://www.fishman.com/

[uberscheisse]

ahhhhh

i was always under the impression that bridge-mounted piezos were put on the inside of the body, not actually inside the bridge.

doesn't change the fact that any guitar shop owner worth his salt would be able to fix fret buzz without having to install a pickup.

[uberscheisse]

[Harpeau]

One thing people can look for is a guitar that is a "Factory Second". They usually "fall of the truck", sort of speak before they're shipped to the USA. Usually it is something extreemly minor like a dull sheen at the top back of the neck. You can easily buff it into a nice shine without much efforet. (Makes you wonder why the factory doesn't bother doing that.) Or it could be a very minor ding at the top of the head. In any event, you can usually buy them for a nice price.

In addition, you can buy some decent guitars around town. (Saw a beauty with a solid Koa-top the other day.) You can really fix them up nicely with a little bit of an investment.

About the lack of presentation, you really have to wonder sometimes. Are they in the Samick shop to simply drink coffee and play go/stop? Or do they want to actually sell something. Sure makkes me wonder.