And I only had to go halfway around the globe to do it. I'm in Tokyo, and today I hit the famous guitar shops near Ochanomizu -- also near the famous bookstores of Jimbo-cho. I can't believe that any city can sustain that many guitar shops. Up and down the street, one after another, guitar after high-end guitar, a shop of ukeleles on one floor and acoustics on the next...
Anyway, I played a BM, which was surprisingly small in the body. I always thought it just looked small because he's huge. Solid. Neck not quite as wide and thick as I had heard. I do see the complaints about the hardware, but I really think it's not bad. At the same time, for the $1000 or so they were charging, I'd rather get the used Jaguar I saw at Chicago Music Exchange for $980.
As is becoming all too common a theme on these trips, I was the only girl, except girls trailing after their boyfriends and sitting down with their shopping bags. Less disturbing, perhaps, than consistently being the only girl in the music stores. I stopped in two more branches of Disk Union, Tokyo's big music store, that of course were amongst the guitar stores.
No BM going home with me, but I got a Live Line guitar strap made in Japan. I don't think it's going to be much less slippery than my cheap one, but it does have a red covering with little stenciled rabbits and flowers and gold leaves. Too appropriate.
Also grabbed a couple of picks from the store brand, Shimokura, and a Takamine pick ring. In a striking demonstration of Japan's culture that so despises theft, the picks were all just in an open tray between the cash register and the door.
What else? Saw tons of K. Yairi guitars. Woods of all kinds, and a lot of places had a little explanation panel with samples of the different woods. Crowded shops, hip but helpful salespeople, unobtrusive but around.
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