Archtop shopping in Tokyo

[mambosun]

I finally decided to postpone my GAS for the moment; buying a new archtop, beside the budget issue,requires the necessary bit of time for testing and thinking.
That's what I did when I decided to visit the best place for musical instruments in Tokyo, namely the Ochanamizu area, close to Akihabara, a street full of guitar shops !
Of course, finding the right places for archtop requires a bit of patience but I had the opportunity to test several guitars such as some different vintage Gibson ES175's, L4, L5, D'aquitso New yorker and Eastman ES175 /AR371.
A pure joy, since I could spend the time I need with these gorgeous guitars without any problem, eventhough the shop owners were perfectly aware I would'nt buy them.
Amongst the models I played, my preference goes to a 1996 ES175, the kind of sweet tone you get without fiddling with knobs and tone setting, the sound was simply there! The LS4 was really nice to play but the tone a bit to bright, more responsive (spruce top carved top?) lacking of smoothness for me.
I too tested a 1968 ES175 but didnt like the thicker neck. I was disappointed by the New Yorker (not better than my samick being three time more expensive)
I liked a lot the Eastman, not very different to the vintage Es175, at least to my ear and according to modest jazz playing skills, but the local made tube amp was not good enough to get a relevant opinion.

[tedium]

I love the Ochanamizu area , I was there in 2011 and I spent two days wondering around there. Bought too many pedals , I was thinking about spending some time when I go back next year playing some of the higher end archtops but I'm afraid I'll like them too much and I'll be bring home another guitar. I'll just have a little look.

[kawa]

Please watch the #17? "Good Sounds"
Good Sounds

An Example For The Jazz Guitar Shop In Japan?etc.

[mambosun]

I love the Ochanamizu area , I was there in 2011 and I spent two days wondering around there. Bought too many pedals , I was thinking about spending some time when I go back next year playing some of the higher end archtops but I'm afraid I'll like them too much and I'll be bring home another guitar. I'll just have a little look.

You better have to know the current price in your native country of the items you planned to buy in asia, and particulary in Japan.
Talking about effect pedals, all I've seen in Ochanamizu were way above the price in Paris, not to mention the vintages stuff.
The only advantage about buying musical instruments and accessories here is the devices unavailable in Europe.

[tedium]

Yeah, they are way cheaper than over here in Australia and have a much greater range. In my home town the prices are crazy even with our dollar being so strong, I has looking at the the New Gibson Midtown and at $800 more over here and IMHO it's not worth it and anything with any ageand I'm talking 70's only the prices are stupid.
I managed to get some nice pedals.