Korean Job Discussion Forums

[miles123]

I will be coming to Korea within the month. My problem is this:

I play several instruments that I want to keep up with, but am limited by what I can bring with. I play Guitar, Slide guitar (Dobro), Pedal Steel, Banjo, and Piano/Keyboards. I lived in Austin, TX for years and want to keep my chops up while I am away so when I get back I am not too out of the loop.

My logic is that Guitars are available everywhere right.... and all of mine are too nice to risk bringing over on the flight, so I can purchase a cheap guitar to get me by while I am there right? rather easily?

I will probably bring my Pedal Steel and Banjo as I doubt those instruments or anything to do with them are easy to come by in SK correct?

Lastly, Since I play piano...are there any good keyboard shops in town and are there places to get easy access to a regular piano through renting or some grandmother that doesn't mind, etc...lol? My Hogwon has a piano, but I do not know how much access I will have to it.

I will be in Bundang btw....

Lastly, if anybody will be living in a reasonably close place to Bundang that wants to get together and play, whatever type of music, then please PM with your contact info and I will look you up when I get there. I am best at Blues, Country, Rock, Soul, but will play whatever you want. Just FYI....

Thanks for the help and yes I did search for this already...lol. Just wanted to be more specific.

Thanks everyone!

[luvnpeas]

Accoustic guitars are cheaper than in the US with a good range of quality. I haven't priced anything else.

[tzechuk]

For guitar, PM a poster named Harpeau. He sells guitar and is an enthusiast himself.

[Masta_Don]

As said, guitars are a plenty. I see banjos often enough too but, since I don't play, I don't know what the quality is like.

For keyboards I'd check out the same place as guitars, Nakwon Arcade in Insadong (Jongno-4-sa station or so). It's a building full of small businesses selling all types of musical instruments. Another option is auction.co.kr. I bought my Peavey bass off of there for 90,000 shipped. Need a Korean or Korean skills to navigate tho.

There are practice rooms but I'm not sure where the ones with pianos are. The guy who I play with was talking about up near here, Hyehwa, there a few due to the jazz bars around here but I don't think he knows where exactly. Nor do I know what a practice room is called in Korean.

Another idea, but have no clue if it's possible, is to try and rent some time at a piano hakwon.

[khyber]

I bought my banjo hear and I consider myself an "amateur enthusiast".
As much as I can tell, the banjo I got was not very good and I paid 180,ooo for with the (pretty damn good) hardshell case. Finger picks here are retarded expensive so whatever you decide, if you like metal fingerpicks bring them from home.

They ARE around dthough. In busan, strings are hard to come by but now and again some store here or there will have them. It's completely random though; I had to order 3 sets from home.

[luvnpeas]

[kitekid]

practice rooms galor and many schools, unis. will lend you their space. so no worries there.

as already posted, head to nakwon and/or pm harpeau

http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=668

BRING THE BANJO!!!

difficult to find and when you do, it will be extremely expensive for second rate stuff.

i miss my 5 string.

[Masta_Don]

[tyleranthony]

i just bought a piano online at g-mart for 300k. originally priced 1mil, and comes with a bench and headphones...got 88 weighted hammer-action keys. not a steinway, but, it does the trick.

they got sick deals on that website, i'd recommend checking it out.

[miles123]

Thanks for the excellent information everyone. Much appreciated.

Feel free to keep the info coming!

miles123