Korean Job Discussion Forums

smitchlovesfunk · Joined: 14 Apr 2008

I'd like to take my guitar with me to korea, any ideas on the best way to do it? should i take it with me and put it in the hold, or get it shipped over sepperate. or maybe just buy myself a new one when i get there!?

thanks in advance

JustJohn · Joined: 18 Oct 2007 Location: Your computer screen

You'll get a bunch of people arguing about this. Basically it boils down to something like:

A: Check it in a hard case. Fast, safe, easy.

B: Don't trust it even in a hard case, carry it with you everywhere, ask them to stow it somewhere when you come on the plane.

I personally don't think you need to worry about checking it if it's in a hard case, but if it's a really nice guitar or if you're short on luggage space it may be worth the effort to go route B.

shifty · Joined: 21 Jun 2004

This is my earnest advice. Keep it in its soft bag and check it in as fragile luggage. It gets plastered with fragile stickers and you have to be a real jonah for it to be damaged. Worked for me everytime.

If you teach students songs using the guitar, this is where the real risk emerges. They make sudden grabs at it, as if it they've never seen a guitar before. If it's left on standby in the staffroom, they'll stealthily sneak in and turn the tuning knobs to glory.

An alternative is to buy a guitar in Korea for the bargain of a lifetime.

JustJohn · Joined: 18 Oct 2007 Location: Your computer screen

I would NOT risk checking it in a soft case. Check it in a hard case AND mark it as fragile. Better safe than sorry.

butlerian · Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Location: Korea

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

Harpeau · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Location: Coquitlam, BC

I guess it depends on how important it is to you. I originally brought my Seagull over 11 years ago. A friend of mine is still strumming it today. I'm really glad that I did.

If it were me, I would buy a Godin tric case with a cover They are very light-weight, yet durable:

smitchlovesfunk · Joined: 14 Apr 2008

i've got a fender (mex) strat. not amazingly special but i'm quite attached to it.
would quite like a new guitar tho, i like your "buy a guitar in korea for the bargin of a lifetime" coment shifty, is that really true??
if i was to buy a guitar i'd want a fender jazzmaster, would love a vintage but don't really have that kind of money (although i'm intrested to know what i would have to pay for a vintage tho)
any ideas on prices for the japenesse made ones or the new american vintage reissues??

thanks

Harpeau · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Location: Coquitlam, BC

Sorry, but I'm strictly acoustic and the odd classical.

Anyone else want to chime in on the Fender? Best of luck to you.

teacharoundtheworld · Joined: 16 Feb 2008 Location: Michigan, USA

ernie · Joined: 05 Aug 2006 Location: asdfghjk

guitars in korea are rather OVERpriced, IMO, unless you fancy no-name korean brands with no resale value... you're going to have a hard time finding instrument rentals in this country, for some unknown reason - 'culture' perhaps?