Electric Guitar Wanted (2nd Hand?)

[Jordan Porter]

I want to buy a decent electric guitar but found that anything new is more expensive than it would in Canada/US (ie. MIM Tele is like 4600, that around 650 USD, whereas the go for about 500 in the US). I checked in most of the stores around the music school and found the same stuff. the epiphones are ok price comparatively and the only new ones in my price range (2000-3000 RMB) but there not exactly what i want

I was wondering if anyone knew places (stores or websites), where i could get decent second hand equipment or if anyone new someone selling guitars- I cant afford a 5000 rmb guitar and i dont wanna buy 1000 Ibanez, just a decent axe at a decent price

thanks a lot for the help

[Charlie]

The place you’ll want to go is across the street from the Sichuan Music University in the SE of Chengdu near the north end of Kehua Beilu. They have new/used instruments there and prices will be slightly higher for western brands like Epiphone, Gibson, etc. There’s an increasingly large selection of decent Chinese-made guitars, both acoustic and electric. Be careful when buying a guitar in China though, make sure you come equipped with information on how to spot fakes.

[shinichi]

Yes, Sichuan Music University in the vicinity there are many musical instrument stores

[Jordan Porter]

yeah, i checked in a bunch of the stores i know around the Sichuan Music University before i made this post. i guess i was just a bit bummed that the new instruments prices were marked up so much from the US/Canada prices, and that there wasnt much 2nd hand stuff.

i was hoping there might be some sweet secret network of musicians who all traded and sold gear and that i could get in on that

[Charlie]

Browsing Taobao is worth a shot, but yeah I haven’t seen many second hand instruments of decent quality available here. The number of bands and guitar players in Chengdu isn’t huge at all, it’s a small niche considering the size of the city. If you ever go to the New Little Bar that’d be a good place to ask around though, see if anyone has a second hand guitar for sale. I inherited a guitar from a friend and local guitarist last year who just gave it to me on loan indefinitely when he got a new guitar. If you ask around you can probably find something, the first place to ask would be Little Bar I think.

[Jordan Porter]

thanks Charlie, i looked a bit on taobao but i feel funny buying a guitar without playing it first. i guess i gotta start going to rock shows and networking….

[Charlie]

Quote:

thanks Charlie, i looked a bit on taobao but i feel funny buying a guitar without playing it first. i guess i gotta start going to rock shows and networking….

Yeah man, I hear you. You should always play a second hand guitar before you buy it. Unfortunately your options are pretty limited here. You might be better off just buying new. Either way, good luck.

[Jordan Porter]

in case anyone else finds themself in this sort of situation i will follow up here… the selection for 2nd hand stuff in Chengdu was pretty negligible, and other than some Ibanez and Epiphones most guitars were a lot more expensive than they would be back home…

I ended up going to HK to get a new visa and bought a MIM fender tele for considerably less than it would have been in CD, and with no taxes so it was actually cheaper than the end price i wouldve pain in Canada. worked out ok, but a bummer i couldnt do it all here… and doubt i will be selling this anytime soon. haha

[Charlie]

Nice. Did you get it at any particular place in HK or just Tom Lee’s?

[HillaryClinton]

Tagged.

I’ll be needing a new axe soon.

[Jordan Porter]

yeah, i just went to Tom Lees, i was just in Kowloon for a couple days so it seemed the easiest, i asked some people about other music stores but thats the one most people said, seemed alright to me

@Hillary- always a big fan. are you planning to buy in Chengdu? let us know when buy and if you discovered anything good that i might have missed, thanks

[Elias]

<spam> bassist seeks guitarist for live electronica, jazz and street punk. versatility is key, no shredders or reggae-fascists </spam>

[Charlie]

I’m down to jam sometime if you can get a guitarist to join. I also don’t have a good practice space. I can sequence beats and do electronic percussion + samples.

[Andy]

I took the risk and bought off Taobao about a year ago.

One of the best purchases I’ve ever made.

850rmb bought me a meaty Gibson Zakk Wylde Les Paul.

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=1098042479

Was very happy with it, for 850rmb I couldnt go wrong. Obviously it’s never going to play like the real thing but I was happy never the less.

Next time I am tempted to try the Ibanez Vai Jem

[Andy]

O, I’ll have it in Chengdu in late October if anyone wants to try it.

[Elias]

i have a room with an electronic drum kit and an old PA, the wooden veneer floor is in shambles but its a practice space nontheless.

[Charlie]

Let’s do that one weeknight next week if you’re free. I will bring some mobile equipment to knock out beats. We will need a guitarist though.

[Brendan]

Didn’t know there was a Tom Lee’s in HK. I pretty much put my studio together through Tom Lee Vancouver. Do they have a MIDI department in the HK store?

[Charlie]

Quote:

Didn’t know there was a Tom Lee’s in HK. I pretty much put my studio together through Tom Lee Vancouver. Do they have a MIDI department in the HK store?

They have a lot of locations in HK, I think some have a MIDI department and some don’t. Either that or they all don’t, I was in one recently and spent 40 minutes checking out instruments and effects pedals. They have a good selection and electronic keyboards but I didn’t see MPC’s or midi controllers etc for sale.

[Author]

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