Archtop shopping in Tokyo

**mambosun** · 07-21-2012, 01:06 PM

Tomorrow, I'm travelling to Tokyo with my family for a couple of weeks and planned to challenge my GAS while my wife and daughters are shopping

...

Any jazzbox shops adress to recommend?

**Jabberwocky** · 07-21-2012, 01:27 PM

www.walkin.co.jp .

3rd floor shop front of Shibuya Station
03-5467-1625
2-22-14-3F, Shibuya, Shibuya

4th floor shop front of Shibuya Station
03-5467-1627
2-22-14-4F, Shibuya, Shibuya

OPEN 12:00 ~ 21:00
※ 11:00 ~ 20:00 Sun

**Flat** · 07-21-2012, 02:05 PM

The Ochanomizu (Teawater) district is pretty much guitar shop heaven. This map is for Blue G, one of the best acoustic flat-top guitar shops anywhere, but there are a lot of shops all over the district. I don't know any that focus on archtops specifically, but I suspect you could find some.

BLUE-G Corporation

**mambosun** · 07-21-2012, 02:11 PM

Thanks for your inputs
I briefly watched to some youtube videos, and jazzbox prices seem quite high there.

I've already noticed this in Singapore and Hong Kong shops too..

**2bornot2bop** · 07-21-2012, 02:17 PM

Originally Posted by mambosun

Tomorrow, I'm travelling to Tokyo with my family for a couple of weeks and planned to challenge my GAS while my wife and daughters are shopping

...

Any jazzbox shops adress to recommend?

be safe and don't forget your radiation detector!

**mambosun** · 07-21-2012, 02:28 PM

Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop

be safe and don't forget your radiation detector!

Thanks, I've already planned a Spa session in Fukushima...

**IbanezAS100** · 07-21-2012, 04:17 PM

Originally Posted by Jabberwocky

www.walkin.co.jp .

3rd floor shop front of Shibuya Station
03-5467-1625
2-22-14-3F, Shibuya, Shibuya

4th floor shop front of Shibuya Station
03-5467-1627
2-22-14-4F, Shibuya, Shibuya

OPEN 12:00 ~ 21:00
※ 11:00 ~ 20:00 Sun

Those single pickup Es 175 replicas (Archtop Tribute) look very cool..if they're typical of Japanese craftsmanship I imagine they'd make someone happy for $1300/£850ish.

**mambosun** · 07-21-2012, 06:50 PM

Originally Posted by IbanezAS100

Those single pickup Es 175 replicas (Archtop Tribute) look very cool..if they're typical of Japanese craftsmanship I imagine they'd make someone happy for $1300/£850ish.

I hope I could give it a try...

**Philco** · 07-21-2012, 08:55 PM

Originally Posted by Jabberwocky

www.walkin.co.jp .

3rd floor shop front of Shibuya Station
03-5467-1625
2-22-14-3F, Shibuya, Shibuya

4th floor shop front of Shibuya Station
03-5467-1627
2-22-14-4F, Shibuya, Shibuya

OPEN 12:00 ~ 21:00
※ 11:00 ~ 20:00 Sun

Was there at Christmas time visiting my daughter who teaches English there.
Played a couple of Johnny Smiths and checked a Super 400 and much much more.
Very friendly staff with some English.
Quite a tricky place to find.
Our cab drive parked his car on the side of the road and left it running while he walked down the street and out of our sight looking for the shop.
He came back into view and motioned to us to join him....the cab was still running and his door was open.
So we follow him down the block and around the corner and he found the shop for us.
All this time the cab is still running, sitting at the side of the road and out of his view.
Cab fare was $17 and he refused to take a tip.
It was Christmas Eve and people were everywhere (Japanese people travel at Christmas time).
Amazingly safe and friendly place.

Apart from natural disasters of course.
Good luck with your guitar hunting!

**lotsofguitars** · 07-21-2012, 09:27 PM

That place is full of replicas! Enjoy man!

**Jazzman301** · 07-21-2012, 09:53 PM

I just sent them an email asking if they ship to the US...some really nice single P90 Es175 clones...

Enjoy your time bro

'Mike

**paulkogut** · 07-22-2012, 01:26 AM

These shops might be worth exploring. They're dealers for Marchione guitars and I'm sure stock other high-end axes as well.
Guitar shop "Hoochies": marchione
????????? | MIKIGAKKI.COM ????????????????

**Scotto** · 07-22-2012, 04:15 AM

Check out Ikebe On the southwest side of the shibuya station. Cross the pedestrian walk bridge. There are 5 good guitar stores on the same street under the same name. If you go to the vintage guitar store, it will be on the right side of the street, go upstairs to the 2nd floor and they have a great selection of acoustic guitars and ukelele's. In the same room they have a section where they sell arch tops and they are pricey compared to prices here but very unique. I saw an ebony super 400 that blew me away. Once your there, ask the owner to offer some suggestions on archtop shops.. I forget his name but he speaks English. I would also go to Ishibashi guitar shop and look at their magazine section as I found a few shops that advertised in jazz guitar magazines. Have fun!

**mambosun** · 07-23-2012, 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by Scotto

Check out Ikebe On the southwest side of the shibuya station. Cross the pedestrian walk bridge. There are 5 good guitar stores on the same street under the same name. If you go to the vintage guitar store, it will be on the right side of the street, go upstairs to the 2nd floor and they have a great selection of acoustic guitars and ukelele's. In the same room they have a section where they sell arch tops and they are pricey compared to prices here but very unique. I saw an ebony super 400 that blew me away. Once your there, ask the owner to offer some suggestions on archtop shops.. I forget his name but he speaks English. I would also go to Ishibashi guitar shop and look at their magazine section as I found a few shops that advertised in jazz guitar magazines. Have fun!

Thanks, I will closely check all of them, as soon as I manage to outdistance my girls in Shibuya

...

**Scotto** · 07-23-2012, 12:39 PM

While your out there, you should stroll over to Tower Records... 9 floors of music and one floor almost entirely devoted to jazz. On the way there on the same side of the street between Tower and Shibuya Station is a wonderful acoustic guitar shop. I still kill myself for not picking up a cool little Japanese acoustic guitar that had two humbuckers in it. Jazz in Japan is the best in the world, if you have time here is a link http://www.tokyojazzsite.com. Also check out Blue Note venue in Aoyama as there are some great acts that play this venue... saw Pat Martino one time and it's off the Omotesando exit one or two stops from Shibuya. ƒWƒƒƒY@ƒuƒ‹[ƒm[ƒg“Œ‹ž. It' actually a wonderful walk from Shibuya to Omotesando. Once you start peeling off the layers, you realize just how much an exciting jazz scene there is in Tokyo. Not sure your daughters ages but Aoyama, Omotesando and Harajuku are great places to shop... even better than Shibuya. It's safe everywhere and even if you get lost, there is always a train station or a cab around the corner... just don't touch the cab doors as they open and close automatically.!

**Marto** · 07-24-2012, 02:47 AM

For any one interested I just got an email back from Walkin Music. They do not ship their Archtop Tribute series over seas.

Shame they look like really cool guitars.

If you do get to play one please let us know what they are like.

**mambosun** · 07-24-2012, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by Scotto

While your out there, you should stroll over to Tower Records... 9 floors of music and one floor almost entirely devoted to jazz. On the way there on the same side of the street between Tower and Shibuya Station is a wonderful acoustic guitar shop. I still kill myself for not picking up a cool little Japanese acoustic guitar that had two humbuckers in it. Jazz in Japan is the best in the world, if you have time here is a link http://www.tokyojazzsite.com. Also check out Blue Note venue in Aoyama as there are some great acts that play this venue... saw Pat Martino one time and it's off the Omotesando exit one or two stops from Shibuya. ƒWƒƒƒY@ƒuƒ‹[ƒm[ƒg“Œ‹ž. It' actually a wonderful walk from Shibuya to Omotesando. Once you start peeling off the layers, you realize just how much an exciting jazz scene there is in Tokyo. Not sure your daughters ages but Aoyama, Omotesando and Harajuku are great places to shop... even better than Shibuya. It's safe everywhere and even if you get lost, there is always a train station or a cab around the corner... just don't touch the cab doors as they open and close automatically.!

Thanks to all very much, all those are really interesting suggestions; I wish I 'll have enough time left in Tokyo to explore each of them...

**mambosun** · 07-25-2012, 09:05 PM

Finally I managed to visit (only) two guitar shops in Shibuya yesterday, "Key guitar", and most importantly "Walk'in'".
The last one was quite hard to find in Shibuya area jungle, and local people of little help (no english spoken). I managed to question a guy carrying a guitar bag in the street, and with a tedious english spoken and the help of his Iphone, I finally located the "Walkin' " shop.
Hence I spent most of my precious spare time to locate the shop and a little 20mn to asses one of my main GAS focus, namely the ES175 clone "Archtop tribute " AT 102.
Plugged into a Polytone, I really appreciated this archtop; a pleasure to play (sweet neck) and a nice tone. Quality of the finishing was first rate (at least for me); the only critisciem I could report was that the AT102 was strangely prone to feedback mostly while playing bass notes, eventhough volume was quite moderate. Maybe I was seating a bit too close to the amp?
Talking with the Shop owner, he explained that this local production have been realized by a famous japanase luthier, HB PU's are custom made( also available with P90), CTS pots...
The shop owner was more than kind, very helpfull, and really keen to share his passion. He spoke a reasonably good english
I strongly recommend any archtop lover on a trip to Tokyo to pay a visit to Walk'in guitar shop.
Here you'll see the AT102:

http://www.walkin.co.jp/guitars/290016.htm

**Jazzman301** · 07-25-2012, 09:50 PM

Would love to hear these! I emailed them about shipping one to the US and they are not allowed to ship that model here.

'Mike

**wwwilkie** · 07-26-2012, 01:22 AM

when I was in Tokyo I found a shop called "Kawase" which was a very interesting small shop run by the same family since, I believe, 1946. Took me 6 days to find the place but it was worth it.

**kawa** · 07-26-2012, 05:16 AM

http://www.walkin.co.jp/

Woodman Instruments Shibuya
Recommendend by Kunimitsu Tanabe.

**mambosun** · 07-26-2012, 08:37 AM

Originally Posted by wwwilkie

when I was in Tokyo I found a shop called "Kawase" which was a very interesting small shop run by the same family since, I believe, 1946. Took me 6 days to find the place but it was worth it.

The Strathcona is simply gorgeous..
Something is puzzleing me: refering to the spec it's a 17", but it looks like a 18"...

**Marto** · 07-26-2012, 08:56 AM

Mambosun wrote
Hence I spent most of my precious spare time to locate the shop and a little 20mn to asses one of my main GAS focus, namely the ES175 clone "Archtop tribute " AT 102.
Plugged into a Polytone, I really appreciated this archtop; a pleasure to play (sweet neck) and a nice tone. Quality of the finishing was first rate (at least for me); the only critisciem I could report was that the AT102 was strangely prone to feedback mostly while playing bass notes, eventhough volume was quite moderate. Maybe I was seating a bit too close to the amp?
Talking with the Shop owner, he explained that this local production have been realized by a famous japanase luthier, HB PU's are custom made( also available with P90), CTS pots...
The shop owner was more than kind, very helpfull, and really keen to share his passion

Thanks for let us all know what they are like. I suspected they were really good quality guitars it's nice to know, even if I can't buy one here

Enjoy the rest of your holiday!

**wwwilkie** · 07-26-2012, 12:07 PM

I found Kawase's business card with a map on the back. I was there in 2004 and 2005 but something tells me he's still there. Very nice guy and a cool little shop worth seeing. He had some great vintage Gibson mandolins and archtops including an old style "o" with the scroll.

Mambosun- Thanks, my Strathcona is just over 17" and has slightly larger than usual dimensions including a wide upper bout.

**mambosun** · 07-27-2012, 12:01 PM

I admit, I'm quite tempted by this japanese babe, but I have some doubts..

Beside this, I've no experience about traveling overseas with a jazzbox (in my case Tokyo>Paris by Air France in a Boeing 777).
I would never put a brand new archtop with the checked luggage (fear of theft, break, damage) and to manage to get the guitar traveling with me in the cabin is pure lottery.
also some questions about customs duty and local taxes which could increase the final price a lot...
Any experience to share?