Korean Job Discussion Forums

zeppelin · Joined: 08 Jan 2005

First of all let me say that I am not one of the anti-Korean brigade. I'm neither an apologist nor a whiner. However, I am angry enough that I feel justified in writing about my experiences this weekend on here to warn other 'non Korean' musicians who are thinking about spending money at the Nagwon Music Arcade at Jongno3 ga by insa-dong.

I was looking to buy a new American Standard Fender Stratocaster. It goes for about 1,600,000 won. It's not chump change. Since every guitar (even within the same make and model) is different it is important to try out the instrument before you buy it.

The majority of the guitar dealers there would not let us try the guitars.

"Saturday no! Too busy!"

There was no one else in the shop. We passed by later and they were happily allowing Korean kids to play the guitars.

This happened in a few different places. I'm on my mid 30s and my friend is in his early 40s and we're both experienced musicians. We are not high school kids trying to waste anyone's time.

I think the worst was when we asked to try a Strat in a shop and were told no and given a card for the owners other stall. In good faith we went there only to discover it was a stall which only sold guitars for under 200,000 won. Definitely not what I was looking for.

Again the Korean customers seemed to have no trouble trying out the non budget guitars.

Nagwon arcade is allegedly awash with fakes and rejects passed off as the real thing. They have been raided for fakes in the past. The dealers go out of their way to give you the impression they do not want your business and if you are daft enough to buy from them they will do their best to rip you off.

Even the shops which would let us try the guitars had signs up saying 3 minutes maximum guitar test time. Who buys a guitar on spec? Who parts with serious money after playing the instrument for 3 minutes? Who tolerates being treated like a nuisance?

As it happens I did find one shop willing to let me try some guitars for a decent period of time and I did manage to find what I was looking for and paid cash.

I guess it's up to each owner to choose how to run their business but I find discrimination completely unacceptable.

In future I'm going to do my best to import any music gear I need and bypass the prejudiced sharks of Nagwon Arcade.

eamo · Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.

You had the cash?

If you had pulled out the wad of cash in front of those guys and said, 'so you don't want this?', I think they would have got you a chair and a coffee right away.

But I know what you mean. Sometimes in various shopping or restaurant situations it really seems like the people there would rather you walk away than deal with a foreigner.

zeppelin · Joined: 08 Jan 2005

sadguy · Joined: 13 Feb 2011

i've been there on several occasions and have never had any problems trying out stuff.

the guys were always friendly to me and let me try everything out.

i'm asian american but i don't think that makes a difference since i can't speak korean.

cj1976 · Joined: 26 Oct 2005

If you are going to buy a Fender, there must be a way to find licensed retailers. I wouldn't trust some of the shifty-looking guys in Nagwon. There is an official Fender A/S place in Nagwon. Maybe they can help you out.

Mr. Peabody · Joined: 24 Sep 2010 Location: here

Haha...this thread reminded me of this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD1KqbDdmuE

DaHu · Joined: 09 Feb 2011

No one has ever turned me down as a customer.

fortysixyou · Joined: 08 Jun 2006

A dude I know had the same experience there as the OP.

He went in wanting to buy a '52 Telecaster. He said that when he would ask if he could play one, the shop owners would outright refuse him. "But I want to buy it. How can I buy it if I haven't played it first?" he would ask. After sighing loudly, the shop owner would begrudgingly let him play a guitar.

He did end up buying a '52 tele that day. He found a shop owner that wasn't a douche. Said there were a few of them.

The shop owners there at Nagwon probably assume that foreigners are adhering to the 'play any guitar as much as you want for as long as you want' policy that is so common in guitar shops back home. In Korean guitar shops, they don't just let any stranger from the street grab a $2000 guitar off the wall unsupervised and bang away on it the way Guitar Center does.

I like Guitar Center better. Buying a nice guitar here must be excruciating.

happiness · Joined: 04 Sep 2010

i used to import stuff for Nagwon from Japan ages ago. Alot of those guys dont like foreigners, some do. But they dont think you have the money to play. If you want to try things, wear a clean shirt and shave. Believe it or not, it works.

You have to look like youre going to buy. Why? Nagwon is going down the hole. Personally, I havent been there in 3 years (since my main buyer closed shop). Its supposed to be shut down in a year or two I think. People dont buy as much anymore (Mule and other online places gets the business). So they raise the prices, and have to sell cheap Chinese acoustics to make the rent. They dont want to waste their time when an Ajumma will come in with their kid wanting a ukulele or a Crafter acoustic to bang on.

Its not discrimination, I understand them. So, clean shirt and shave. Take a gf if you can have her tell them you want to buy a guitar.

my 2 cents.

man, back in the day, id buy vintage japanese fuzzes and analog gear for 20000-50000won easily. they didnt want it. those days are long gone there.

Paddycakes · Joined: 05 May 2003 Location: Seoul

A new term for the Dave's lexicon: Guitar-blocking

Popular usage:

(i) I went to the mart yesterday and got Guitar-blocked by this adjoshi.

(ii) I saw this really hot guitar that a Korean guy wanted to play, but the owner guitar-blocked me when I made a move for the guitar.

Seoulman69 · Joined: 14 Dec 2009

Sorry to hear about your troubles at Nagwon OP. I've always been treated pretty well in Nagwon and sometimes get a discount if I pay cash. In future you should check out http://freebud.co.kr/
They have a store near Sinchon station that has a lot of better gear than Nagwon. If you are looking to buy second hand, which i think is the best bet, check out http://www.mule.co.kr/

You may need a Korean to help you with the sites but it's a lot better than having to deal with asshole adjoshies.

Also avoid gcat for guitar work. They suck ass.

ThingsComeAround · Joined: 07 Nov 2008

In my experience, its the same with most salesmen here.

I walk into a bicycle shop, after mine was stolen, only to be told "You're too tall" or "They are too expensive for you". Okay... HiMart wasn't a problem.

Or when my phone broke and I wanted an iPhone, I asked about buying one outright- the first 3 stores gave me the ho-hum... well... we don't sell the Phone and buy the way my store is closing now so you have to leave routine. Back to LG for a Galaxy 2 and the salesman is polite & courteous~ professional. Guess its a sellers market here? (or the salesmen think so)

ZIFA · Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 6:54 am Post subject:

ThingsComeAround · Joined: 07 Nov 2008

Died By Bear · Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 7:31 am Post subject:

For that much money and that much uncertianty of what you're getting for your money, wouldn't it be smarter to have a friend or family member buy you a real one from back home and send it to you? Or even buy one on your next run home? Why would you trust Koreans? They're like the best copy cats in the world. Why even take a chance?