Guitarshops in Osaka

[Outsider]

Me and my girlfriend decided to take a short notice trip to Osaka. Does anyone here know any good guitarshops with new and especially second-hand guitar gear in Osaka? I heard that used stuff is really cheap in Japan, is this true? Any help is appreciated. Also any general travelin tips are wellcome. We are planning to visit Nara, Kobe and Kioto. Thanks in advance!

 

[sneakyjapan]

no idea about Osaka...but prices depend on what you`re looking at. The days of getting old Grecos or Tokais for as couple of hundred dollars...and I mean Canadian dollars... are long gone. Used Edwards are about half of what they sell for new in this city...check into places like Hard Off...kind of the new type of pawn shops popping up in Japan...they`re like department stores for used goods... don`t know how long you`ll be here but I`d look every couple of days, I go to the only one in this city at least twice a week and one on the way to a job once a week. Luck plays a part in finding good deals and Osaka is a big city so lots of guys looking, the city I`m in is much smaller so I`ve been able to find some real steals over the years.
good luck.

 

[Outsider]

Thanks Sneakyjapan. We are leaving tomorrow, my first time outside Europe, I'm really excited! I don't really know what I might be looking for, I guess if I could find some reasonaby priced quality pedals, I would be more than happy... But if I find a nice second-hand MIJ telecaster for a right price, I might consider buying it. I kind of miss my 52AVRI I sold a few months ago.

Thanks again!

 

[Glamrockmegastar]

Hey Outsider,

I'm off to Osaka myself in November, my first trip to Japan. Yay!
When you get back let us know how the guitar shopping went, as I am keen to know the same stuff as you.
Have a great trip!

 

[Outsider]

Thanks Benny!

Today I found two shops in America-Mura district. Quite a good collection of second hand pedals and a nice 80s　ST-50 for 39500 yeni. What do you think? A fair price for a good condition 80s ST-50? It seemed all original with a Fender-style headstock and final prospect saddles. Seemed good to me...

I really like it here, people are friendly, food is good and ok priced and theres a lot to see. Very different from any other place Ive visited. Tomorrow we are going to see Bunraku-puppet theatre and then to the temple-city Nara.

 

[Outsider]

We got back from Osaka yesterday. One of the best trips I've ever had! Nice people, good food, a lot to see and great selections in guitar shops. I bought the ST-50 for about 250 euros, a great bargain in my opinion. The guitar is black with maple fretboard, deluxe tuners, final prospec saddles and U-stamped pickups. The frets are quite low probably due to recent filing, I will probably get them changed later. I also bought a MIJ Boss SD-1 and a Maxon AD-80 analog delay quite cheaply.

The guys in the shop agreed to write a receit for a lower sum than what I payed, just in case I would have needed to show some documents in the finnish customs. They didn't speak english very well, but I managed to explain the situation somehow. I'm not sure if they were very happy about my request, but eventually they agreed to do me the favor. I had no problems in either customs, I just walked through both of them. The service at the shop was anyway very nice, the clerk checked the guitar and the pedals before packing them in the included soft case.

There are a lot of shops in Osaka, Miki Gakki (where I bought the Tokai from) has at least 4 shops around the city: in America Mura, Shinsaibashi, Shinsaibashi-Sogo and Umeda. Near the America Mura shop there's also a Musicland Key, which had a huge selection of MIJ Fenders etc. My girlfriend went alone to Rinkutown outlet-mall near the Kansai airport and said that there was also some shop that sold musicgear. The Miki Gakki at America Mura had some real vintage stuff in the second floor, a real '52 Fender Tele for example. It was almost like a museum of great vintage guitars! The subway system is very easy to use and you can get everywhere by it, so going to places is no problem there.

The selection is huge in every shop I visited, but I didn's see many Tokai guitars there, mostly MIJ Fender, Fernandes, Burny, Edwards, Greco, Schecter and Ibanez. Don't know about Tokai there, the clerks at the shops didn't speak english very well and maybe I was a little shy to ask...

The trip was great, I definately want to go to Japan again, I want to see Tokio and more beautiful temples and gardens and countryside. From Osaka is a 40 minute train-ride to Nara, which is really worth a visit. There are parks where wild deers walk free, a huge buddhist palace and a lot more. Highly recommended. If you want to go to Kioto, I suggest you plan your trip better than we did, the size of the city and fairly inadequate subway system got us by suprise. Kioto has so many sights that you could spend weeks there and not be bored. We got to see only The Golden Pavilion and one zen garden... and it was raining all day... bad luck for us...

The happy Outsider with new stuff and great memories.

 

[Alpedra]

You tried to see Kyoto in only one day? Big mistake.. I wouldn?t go so far as saying that there?s enough things to keep a person busy for weeks.. but 3 days is minimum to get to know it.. and it deserves it. By far my favourite town in Japan after Tokyo (although I like Tokyo more because of very different reasons). The best way to get around in Kyoto is by bus (the bus network is quite efficient)... as for the the subway.. yes..I agree.. it?s not so good.... and you can?t use it to get to the major attractions..

Nara on the other hand.. is a perfect one day destination.. interesting town.. but more than one day or two and a person gets bored.. not so many things to do or see besides the main buddhist temple, the park.. and one or two more locations..

Anyway.. I?m glad you enjoyed your stay.. and.. by all means... try to go to Tokyo next time..... besides.. Ochanomizu in Tokyo is a guitar lover?s paradise 8)

And give Kyoto a second chance too.. you will not regret it...

 

[Outsider]

You're right, we had way too little time for Kyoto and I really regret it. It's sometimes difficult to understand the distances in big cities, especially because here in Helsinki you can walk to almost any place you like from the center of the city. But it's one more reason to go back again! And yes I definately want to go to Tokyo next time. I even thought about the railpass option to travel around the country. Maybe next year...

 

[sneakyjapan]

haven`t been to Kyoto yet but will go before I leave here for good. Every city I`ve been to has beautiful shrines and temples, even small towns have em sometimes and I always have a camera with me. Until you get back to Japan...heres a few pics from in and around the city I`m in...

small town in Hokkaido...

 

[Alpedra]

You have to go to Kyoto.. 8)

What town?s that?

 

[Glamrockmegastar]

One of the best trips I've ever had! Nice people, good food, a lot to see and great selections in guitar shops.

I hope my trip is a that good!. Thanks for all the info Outsider.
Too bad about the lack of Tokais, but hopefully I can find myself another Burny.

It it the sort of place that customs will hassle you if you aren't sporting a respectable haircut?

Which city are you in sneaky. Great pics!

 

[leadguitar_323]

My hair goes down to my butt, so i suppose that counts me out haha.
Hope you all find what you want, i'm extremely jealous... :wink:

 

[ScottA]

I'll have to remember this.

My company has a partner facility in Kyoto. I just spent two days there the week before last and I'm bound to go again sooner or later. This time they put me up in the Granvia in Kyoto, basically attached to the central train station. Should be ideal for getting around!

No time to shop in Kyoto or Osaka this time, but I did spend an outstanding shopping day in Tokyo.

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=263725

 

[sneakyjapan]

I`m in Sendai, 2 hours north of Tokyo by bullet train on the east coast. Nice clean city but not much to do...one art museum, rarely do performers stop here, it`s a very concervative town according to the guys I teach who are sent here by their companies from the really big cities.
The last pic I posted is Otaru in Hokkaido, small port town with a lot of Russain signs...and I saw quite a few Russian sailors. Didn`t see any no foreigners signs in shop windows on that trip but have seen them in articles in newspapers.
The length of anybody`s hair will not be a problem `cause in the big cities you`re going to see it all...punks, rockers, hip-hop...you name it. Latest thing are the maid coffee shops...the girls dress up as French maids...things take longer to reach us up here though.
It`s been a hotter than usual summer...it`s the rainy season but it has hardly rained at all. Typhoon season isn`t for a few months normally but with the way the weather is these days who knows. Neighborhood festivals are about to start up here...may have already further south...kinda fun to see the kids in summer kimonos, lots of games for them and very colorful booths...bring a camera.
If you see any Hard-Off shops on your travels stop in...you may get lucky and find something used...these ahve cropped up in the last couple of years...kinda like a one stop shopping place for used gear.

 

[Alpedra]

This time they put me up in the Granview in Kyoto, basically attached to the central train station

Yep.. although near the station (except the station itself and a temple down the street.. don?t remember the name) there?s not so much to see.. there?s a big bus terminal outside.. and there?s the subway and train.. so.. it?s pretty easy to go anywhere in Kyoto from there. Just don?t expect to see many guitar shops in Kyoto.. because.. to tell you the truth.. there aren?t many (at least I didn?t see anything special on the 3 times I?ve been there).. :wink:

Well.. I saw your topic at the TGP.. you won?t find a better guitar shop area in all of Japan in terms of offer.... and probably anywhere in the world.. :wink:

 

[Alpedra]

I`m in Sendai, 2 hours north of Tokyo by bullet Latest thing are the maid coffee shops...the girls dress up as French maids....

Japanse girls in french maid dresses....otaku and perverts heaven? :lol: For me those kind of things always seem a bit creepy.. and I Always try to avoid places like Akihabara when I go to Tokyo because of those kind of things..

 

[sneakyjapan]

if there were no customers...there`d be none of those coffee shops. Nevermind...there`ll be another fad next month. I`ve seen documentaries about the high school gorls who sit outside the big city train stations waiting for the salary men with bar code hair to approach and offer a lot of money for their panties. The sex trade is quite seedy here and it doesn`t get talked about openly very much. You can find call girl cards in all the telephone booths every night...low level yakuza place them there at night and they get removed by local shop owners every morning. Seen a lot of what look like Russain girls in the city in the last couple of years...they walk around downtown in the afternoons in pairs or by threes and work the bars at night. The UN has been pressuring the gov`t here to do something about the sex trade but so far I haven`t seen anything different. Best way to deal with a problem here is ignore it.

 

[Deadman]

Just getting thhat porn crap off tghe top of the GD zone!