One-Stop Music Shop

By John Redmond

Contributing Writer

Koreans are well known for their love of playing music, thus it comes as no surprise to find a complex in the area of Nagwon-dong in central Seoul host to a wealth of shops and services devoted to musical instruments of all descriptions.

This system, although different by some foreign standards, has merit in terms of reducing travel time, easy access to a huge variety services and keeping prices down.

The negatives are limited choice: for example, Fostex products and the language barrier, although most musicians generally understand one another.

Long-time Korean resident, Canadian national Lance Regan Deel, best known as guitarist/vocalist for rock band LRD, has channeled his energy and money into setting up Seoul’s first foreign run music instrument service center.

Deel, bass guitarist David Dauberman and Deel’s Korean wife Megan Kim have been touring locally and Asia-wide under the banner LRD for a number of years and have built a strong reputation as being one of Korea’s premier rock outfits. They have also released a couple of CDs.

Wanting to expand their musical interests, Deel, Kim and Dauberman opened Deeleebob Music Shop, in Haebangchon, the neighborhood closest to Yongsan military base, with the idea to provide more localized service for foreign musicians living in and around Seoul.

Deel, a seasoned musician, instrument repairman and sound engineer, also offers rehearsal/recording studio space in the basement, where both 220- and 110-volt power outlets are provided.

Realizing the potential to attract local musicians, Deel snapped up the property as soon as it became available. ``The moment I saw this place I realized the potential,” he said, adding that ``once we’ve soundproofed it, you can jam away to your heart’s content.”

Aside from dealing in new and secondhand musical equipment, Deeleebop offers guitar repairs and set ups (fine tuning), guitar strings _ including their own brand _ and assorted accessories _ including guitar pick ups, percussion instruments, effects units, amplifiers and computer recording software.

Having worked the music scene in Korea for some time, the staff is prepared to track down those rare items that foreign musicians request, often not readily available at regular stores.

Situated on the main street in what is now known as a Mecca of Seoul’s foreign musicians, Nagwon-dong is fast becoming a thing of the past. For more information contact www.deeleebob.com