After several weeks of debating (and waiting for a faulty pick-up to be replaced), I have adopted a lovely mandolin made by a Korean instrument company called "Countess." It has been at least a decade since I've owned my own mandolin, and I'm really excited to start pickin' again.
I purchased it at the famous Nagwon Musical Instrument Arcade in Insadong, a neighborhood of Seoul famous for its tea shops, antique shops, art galleries, and yummy Korean restaurants.
Unfortunately, I didn't take my camera with me, which is a real shame because the Nagwon Musical Instrument Arcade is a veritable smorgasbord of sights and sounds. It is rumored to be the largest instrument market in all of Asia, and with its two sprawling stories of vendors' shops selling every instrument imaginable, I think it might very well be true.
I could easily drop a year's pay in this place before even making it past the first aisle.
Anyway, if you want to get a sense for what the arcade feels like check out this brief video tour or click here to see some lovely sketches of the market created by Korean artist, Lee Yong-Hwan.





