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UncleZZZ

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Joined: Sep 08, 2003
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Posted: Jan 16, 2009 - 09:35 AM
Post subject: Bassboy

For bass guitars check out Talent, Kramer and Epiphone, they are Gibson owned brands and I have found them to be surprisingly good. Everything depends on the setup though, in Shanghai you need to adjust the neck couple of times a year to compensate for the weather.

In most stores the setups are quite a bit off and for good reason, the necks are warped and the frets not even, so they set the strings way too high on purpose. Gibson seems to have pretty good quality control even on those cheaper brands.

Warwickbassman

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Joined: Mar 23, 2009
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Posted: Mar 23, 2009 - 07:16 PM

For Warwick basses or Rockbass,.,.. come to see us (Warwick), we got a show room in Shanghai.
Zhao Jia Bang Road No 108, 3rd Floor, got guitars also, pedals, bags, cases.. picks.. strings..
lots of things...

Swiss-James

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Joined: Jan 05, 2007
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Posted: Mar 24, 2009 - 11:15 AM
Post subject: Re: know any guitar luthiers?

Joey.asher wrote:

Hi everyone,

I know my reply to this thread is 2 years late. =) But at least I found it with goggle.

Summary:
1. Fengyang = classical instruments
2. Jinling = contemporary instruments

I assume that if I want to find a guitar luthier, I should head to Jinling. I won't consider myself an expert at fixing guitars so I think I better leave my precious guitar to the experts... =)

Any particular shops anyone can recommend?
1. They can dialogue in English
2. They are reliable and skillful
3. They won't rip you off

Help, help. =)

Well since we're digging up old threads-

I like a guy called Jerry at 316 JinLing Lu. He's always been friendly and fair with me. If he can't fix your guitar, he'll certainly know someone who can

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Otool2001

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Posted: Apr 09, 2009 - 09:47 AM

Hi all,

Can anyone recommend a decent beginners electric guitar and amp ( which can be bought here Chinese brand is ok as I am a total beginner ) don't want to break the bank but also don't want to buy total shite

Ideally I would be trying to learn blues but will be taking lessons so any information on good teachers also would be appreciated

ajbiddle

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Joined: Apr 13, 2009
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Posted: Apr 13, 2009 - 09:44 AM

Hey all.
so I am doing study abroad in china this summer, just outside Shanghai.

I am in the market for my first ukulele, and was thinking about buying a ~$200 (USD) ukulele to bring with me so that I can keep practicing an instrument while I am there.

However, my dad had the intuition that instruments would be cheaper over there. Do you think I could get a ukulele of comparable quality over there but for less money? I'm a beginning guitarist and am only concerned if the ukulele sounds good and feels like its a quality instrument. Could care less if its a knock-off, as long as the knock-off is a good instrument itself.

So should I get the ukulele now, or wait till I get there and look around? I have never played the uke before, so I am not sure what to look for in the instrument, so I may need a recommendation from an honest salesmen who speaks english.

Swiss-James

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Posted: Apr 13, 2009 - 10:38 AM

Short answer: Yes- wait till you get here.

I've bought three Ukes from various shops on JinLing Lu and recommend you go to #318 on that street.

They've got instruments for between 200 and 1,500 (rough guess) in there, there's a guy called Jerry who speaks perfect english and will help you pick one out. It seems like most Ukuleles are made in China now, and you can definitely get the same quality for less cash.

When I bought my last Uke from that place (318 JinLing) there were more expensive ones in the shop, but the one I wanted just felt right as soon as I picked it up. Jerry agreed, he's an honest sort of guy.

You can learn to play online, but if you'd prefer it'd be better to pick up tuition books / DVDs on how to play before you leave the states.

(In fact if you do, can you get one for me?)

p.s. http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/wbO3180SQPc/

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Swiss-James

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Posted: Apr 13, 2009 - 10:46 AM

Otool2001 wrote:

As you probably picked up from the rest of this thread, JinLing Lu is the place to go in Shanghai for instruments. Recommending a brand is hard as the beginner instruments tend to be non-famous brands or knock-offs of famous stuff.

The best guitar for you is the one you want to pick up and play all the time, so have a look at what's there, hold a few in your hand. The weight, the balance, how tense the strings are, the size of the neck etc. will all vary from instrument to instrument and hopefully you'll find one that just feels good when you pick it up.

Most of the guys around there speak english- (hell, they'll all speak well enough to sell you a guitar). Don't feel guilty for taking up their time and then not buying anything- if you weren't there they'd just be smoking cigarettes and standing around anyway.

Don't let them just take the guitar off you, plug it in and play some cool sounding stuff. It's you who's trying it out, not them.

Bear in mind how loud you can have the amp in your apartment- no point buying a 40W amp if your neighbours won't let you turn it up past #2 . But if you have to get a really small amp with a tiny speaker, it might sound crap and put you off playing.

There are amp-modelling pedals available so that you can play with headphones, or plug it into computer speakers / a hi-fi. That way you can have cool sounding effects and not be stuck listening to the same guitar sound all the time as you work your way through your first chords.

Finally- don't be afraid to get a guitar just because it looks cool. If you love it, you'll play it more often.

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Humac
FooJay
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Joined: July 07, 2007
Posts: 1619

Posted: Apr 13, 2009 - 12:47 PM

Swiss-James wrote:

p.s. http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/wbO3180SQPc/

Loved it!

tfarley75

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Joined: Apr 28, 2009
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Posted: June 04, 2009 - 04:37 PM

I recommend Blue Hand Music Instruments and Pro Audio on E Jinling Rd. Good selection of basses at reasonable prices, and the are actually already tuned up when you sit down to try them out. Frank is very helpful.

demonstrius

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Joined: June 29, 2009
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Posted: June 29, 2009 - 09:13 PM

Hello, everyone!!! I was wondering if I could bring a guitar along on a China Eastern flight to LAX in Los Angeles, California. I'd rather not have to buy a seat just for my guitar. By the way, does anyone know of any good Chinese guitar brands that can make guitars at least half as good as a Gibson? I'm looking for a Les Paul and I'm going to try out Jin Ling Dong Lu to look. Also, are Gibson's cheaper here than in the States? I'm staying in Shanghai with some friends so please don't persecute me for being a noobie to Shanghai. Finally, does anyone know of any better streets than Jin Ling Dong for guitars?

Bluebag

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Posted: June 29, 2009 - 11:50 PM

Quote:

Chinese guitar brands that can make guitars at least half as good as a Gibson?

Ermm, how about Epiphone (made in their factory in Shandong province, last time I looked).

Quote:

are Gibson's cheaper here than in the States?

Nope. Not if they're real ones.

I did see a neat-o Fender Strat copy with a Gibson logo on it in a store on JinLing the last time I was down there - not too bad an instrument, actually - nearly bought it just for the feck-ed-upness of it.

demonstrius

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Posted: June 30, 2009 - 10:41 AM

Well, Epiphone is available in the States. I was wondering about any brands available only in China or something that I can't find in GuitarCenter. That Fender-copy sounds pretty interesting but how much is it?

Bluebag

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Posted: June 30, 2009 - 12:24 PM

I don't recall, but it wasn't much - must have been somewhere below 400 kuai for me to have even briefly considered it.

Bottom line is you'll do FAR better at http://musiciansfriend.com/ for just about anything made here. The Chinese guitar manufacturers don't really make or market with local purchasers in mind.

Swiss-James

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Posted: June 30, 2009 - 03:44 PM

I think you'll have much more luck (and fun) just walking up and down Jin Ling than trying to get a list of what you might find before you get there.

They let you try before you buy anyway, so you won't get stuck with something you don't like.

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Bluebag

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Posted: June 30, 2009 - 03:50 PM

That's easy for you to say, James - you satisfied your ukelele jones on JinLing.

I'm still trawling around wondering where the reasonably-priced decent short-scale basses have got to since my earlier (O.K. it was five years ago) visits there.

BTW - if anyone sees a reasonably-priced Epiphone EB-0 or other short-scale bass in SH, please let me know.

Swiss-James

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Posted: June 30, 2009 - 04:12 PM

What the hell is a short-scale bass?

I may have the Ukulele thing all sewn up, but don't imagine I'm not down there every weekend picking up and playing, then putting down and going

"No, no, I shouldn't"

with various Mandolins, travel electric guitars, acoustic basses, acoustic slide guitars (was very close on one of these last time), accordions etc.

Last time i was there I bought one of these:

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Humac
FooJay
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Joined: July 07, 2007
Posts: 1619

Posted: June 30, 2009 - 04:21 PM

Swiss-James wrote:

What the hell is a short-scale bass?

It's shorter! Different tone. Think Paul McCartney and The Beatles.
I think Jack Bruce played a Gibson EBO at one time.

Bluebag

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Posted: June 30, 2009 - 05:39 PM

Exactly, Humac. Short-scale basses can be loads of fun.

For long-scale, think Fender Precision/Jazz Bass neck length.

The first time I trawled JinLing (waaay back), there were SG basses, Les Paul bass copies, Danelectros, a couple of Mustang knock-offs - all kinds of stuff. Groovy.

I've brought over a good long-scale unit (a Maton JB4 - an Australian thing, and perfectly to my taste), but I want a little knock-around one for various uses - hence the short-scale fetish.

Back home I've got a good 70s Ibanez copy of a Recording Les Paul Bass that fits the bill nicely, but I don't feel like hauling that over here just to use as a toy.

BTW - Swiss - what IS that thing? It's got 10 strings, I assume - what's it tuned in?

demonstrius

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Joined: June 29, 2009
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Posted: June 30, 2009 - 05:48 PM

Are there any more prominent musical instrument stores in Shanghai? Something like Parson's Music? PS: Can anyone answer my airplane question I posted above?

Humac
FooJay
FooJay

Joined: July 07, 2007
Posts: 1619

Posted: June 30, 2009 - 07:31 PM

demonstrius wrote:

PS: Can anyone answer my airplane question I posted above?

Good question. Has anyone had experience of taking several guitars on a flight home? I've ben resisting the impulse to buy but already have two acoustics. And a couple of Hofner violin bass copies have my name on them I'm sure. Don't want to have to abandon them at the airport though...

demonstrius

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Posted: July 01, 2009 - 11:02 PM

Hey everyone. Today, I went to JinLing Lu and bought an Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Top from a store called Shi Yin (World Music in Chinese, I think). Anyways, I was hoping to have bought a legit Les Paul, but I checked the serial number and it laced a factory letter so now I'm kind of dismayed...I paid 2600 RMB and it just doesn't seem to be a fair deal for a dubious Epiphone, so can anyone tell me if its a fake or not?

Bluebag

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Posted: July 02, 2009 - 09:30 AM

2600 for an Epiphone?

Yikes.

Mind you, I very much doubt anyone's pumping out fake Epiphone LPs.

Why would you fake those if all you need to do is stick a Gibson logo on the headstock to make it seem much more valuable to the rubes?

Guitar Center have them at their

"GUARANTEED LOWEST PRICE:
$499.00 - $549.00
reduced from
MSRP: $832.00 - $953.00

So maybe it's right. Somebody else can do the exchange rate and VAT math.

Hell, it's worth what you think it's worth.

For example, In the 60s and 70s there was a New Zealand outfit called Jansen who put out hand-made copies of L and pre-L Fenders (albeit with their own logo on the headstock) that were exquisite.

I used to have one of their Jaguars and endlessly regret getting rid of it - it was far better than any legit Jag I've been able to afford since.

Short answer: I don't think it's a fake, and if to you it plays like 2600 RMB, then you got an OK deal.

allencee

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Joined: Jan 23, 2009
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Posted: July 11, 2009 - 07:43 PM

Humac wrote:

demonstrius wrote:

PS: Can anyone answer my airplane question I posted above?

Not sure about taking home to Europe but I've bought 2 guitars into China - an acoustic from Hong Kong and an electric from Japan. Dragon Airlines didn't let me take the acoustic onboard - they said the jacket storage compartments in Business class were too small so I had to check it in. Needless to say I ended up with a bit of a crack in the neck (still plays fine and no probs). Japan airlines allowed me to take the electric onboard and stored this nicely - they even had it ready for me on arrival. I travelled economy on both flights and didn't pay any additional costs. Best to phone the airlines if there is no info however I just turned up at the respective airports and tried my luck.

kikujiro0208

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Joined: Aug 26, 2009
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Posted: Aug 26, 2009 - 04:37 PM

Jinlindonglu is the place in Shanghai to shop for instruments. Bought an acoustic last week for 1300RMB. The brand is 'Blast' (made in Shanghai?), with spruce top and Myanmar rosewood. A very good copy of the Martins D28. The owner is a guitar builder and has upgraded for me the plastic bridge with a bone one...
On the other hand, forget about the import guitars, they are way overpriced. If you still want a US made guitar, go to Tom Lee in HK.

heyhsia

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Joined: Aug 30, 2009
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Posted: Sep 29, 2009 - 03:11 PM

Hi kikujiro,

Do you remember what store you bought your guitar from? I'm looking for someone who can properly set up my acoustic guitar. If the owner of the store is a guitar builder, chances are he can also set up guitars. Thanks.