Sam Ash is closing all stores, evidently

[Socobass]

No wonder. Their customer service was horrible. I spoke with Dave Ash about a return policy and I'm pretty sure I was talking to the devil himself. Really nice guy, yeh right.

 

[fhm555]

Yeah, Guitar Center recently announced a restructuring of the level of goods sold. They are trying to up the quality and stock inventory more in line with players, not beginner hobbyists, so to speak. Times they are a changin'.

The GC closest to me took out the bulk of their guitar parts/accessories department and replaced it with booths to teach music in. They employed a bunch of sales minions who are also music teachers, and if scuttlebutt can be believed, have been doing well with that change in approach. TBH, I never really understood a music store that didn’t offer lessons, it is just (to me) such a logical and obvious plus if you are in the business of selling instruments. What better way to obtain/retain/grow your customer base than turn curious first time tire kickers into competent players. How many here started on an inexpensive basic model bass, then moved up the food chain as their skills increased, and how many not here got that beginner bass and gave up in frustration because they couldn’t figure it out on their own and did not have access to competent instruction, or worse, people like me who taught themselves horrible technique and are musically illiterate.

 

[Tommy Sparks]

APRIL FOOLS!

 

[DrayMiles]

The one in New York is closing.

 

[buldog5151bass]

I don't support "big box" chain music stores for the sake of themselves, but it would astound the average TBer to know that locally owned joints can in fact be worse to shop at than GC or Sam Ash.

ANY category of stores has the good and the mediocre. Of course there were (and) are lousy stores.

Back in the 1980s, I would go in music stores on a regular basis. You simply knew which were the good ones and the ones to avoid.

 

[Dana R Gregory]

This is sad. The Sam Ash store in Orlando on Lee road was always a great place to buy gear. They always did well by me.

 

[Ulf Buck]

They did it to themselves. Sweetwater and Musician's Friend/Guitar Center have built great engaging websites and generous return policies. GC's stores are kind of meh for bass players but has a decent guitar selection typically.

The Sam Ash near me in S. FL has seemed like a dead man walking for a decade. The website is useless, it is impossible to tell what used stuff the have etc... I gave up on them 3-4 years ago. I am certainly sympathetic to all the employees but it seems obvious that leadership was not able to maximize the internet for sales like their competitors leading to it's demise.

 

[TheArchitect]

If they have great liquidation sale prices will this count as insider trading?

Seriously, if they are publicly traded this is very much insider information that could impact things. Making this public may not have been a great idea

 

[Whale guy]

Every time I go in a GC or a Sam Ash, I don't see any basses that excite me. They also have very limited string selection. It always makes me wonder where folks get their amazing instruments. They can't all be buying on line.

 

[skyline_01]

I visited our area store (Cincinnati) last week. Most of the basses are already gone, but they still had an assortment of Hartke combos/heads/cabs and a few semi-interesting SWR, Eden and Mesa pieces.

They were in the 20-30% off stage but I might check back this weekend or next week and see if they've moved to the next discount level. I don't NEED anything right now, but if I found the right deal...

 

[Spectre Gunner]

That's not a good thing even if we can get a good deal on a clearance sale. I hate to see brick and mortar stores closing but I'm not surprised. I saw my local Sam Ash and Guitar Center gradually reduce its stock and selection over the past few years. My local Sam Ash has been reduced to a spacious but empty store with nothing but budget instruments and empty rooms. This store's business income is obviously a fraction of what it once was while their lease and overhead costs remain the same (or probably increased due to inflation). That's not sustainable!

It's going to suck when the only option we have left is internet shopping.

 

[ebo]

The nearest Sam Ash store to me is @ 350 miles away. I’ve never been inside one. I’ve only been in a couple of Guitar Centers, and those only a dozen or so times. My town only had mom and pops. Of course, Sweetwater has done a great job of bleeding stores dry. I’ve gotten candy delivered frequently.

 

[waver]

Seriously, if they are publicly traded this is very much insider information that could impact things. Making this public may not have been a great idea

Not publicly traded.

 

[Gluvhand]

Seriously, if they are publicly traded this is very much insider information that could impact things. Making this public may not have been a great idea

They're privately held. Still family owned.

 

[TheArchitect]

Brick and mortar has a place as part of an integrated sales plan if properly managed as such. Sam Ash didn't perform in the e-commerce part of the equation. You need both to perform if you are going to have both

 

[amper]

I’m guessing that the decision to close 18 stores was done to try to secure financing to keep the rest open, and that deal fell through, so they have no choice but to close all of them.

 

[80jazz]

I don't support "big box" chain music stores for the sake of themselves, but it would astound the average TBer to know that locally owned joints can in fact be worse to shop at than GC or Sam Ash.

The one in the town I grew up in had an owner that was a shady human being. I don't know how that place survived.

 

[Dincrest]

The Sam Ash nearest me is in the same strip mall as a Guitar Center. I've always had better luck with that Sam Ash than that GC. My last visit to that Sam Ash, I was able to get decent trade-in values on some gear and snagged a nice preowned bass (that was definitely underpriced for what I was getting). Then again, my main bass was a rescue from that Guitar Center (that was also seriously underpriced for what I was getting and I was able to negotiate lower) and I used the money I saved for mods to really make that bass my own.

Nowadays, I like this small independently owned place about halfway between my workplace and my home that has a decent selection of basses (including some very nice Spectors) but makes the bulk of their money in repairs and such (they're really good). When I was there a few days ago, a whole bunch of gigging guitarists were there needing work done. Cool to see that live music and guitar playing is still alive, as well as good mom 'n pop shops like this. Even their accessories and strings they sell are quality stuff. Good people too (many there are also gigging musicians so it's all about supporting local scenes). So, yeah, I'll be doing my part to keep them in business.

 

[dune]

Back in the 1980s, I would go in music stores on a regular basis. You simply knew which were the good ones and the ones to avoid.

When I was on the road in the 80's, I could easily count the number of good, or even tolerable stores on one hand, and none of them were big box. I don't remember ever enjoying being in a Guitar Center. Seems like I was in a Sam Ash once and thought it was a step above GC, though that's not saying much. I taught briefly in a MARS in Indy and pretty much hated every minute of it. Given the toxicity of the environment there I wasn't the least bit surprised at how quickly it closed. The whole vibe there was awful. Online, a couple weeks after I'd dropped $2000 on a bass and amp from Musician's Friend, they chose to make returning a strap a hassle. I've been a Sweetwater guy ever since and don't even bother looking anywhere else. The fact that Sweetwater is succeeding indicates that it can be done quite successfully. I recently returned an amp there and it took one text to my sales engineer and the return label was in my inbox. That's how it's done.

 

[tbz]

I think I’ve purchased one instrument from Sam Ash in 32 years as a musician. In that case it was an entirely online order.

Their bass inventory has always been really anemic. Looking at their current bass inventory this doesn’t feel like it matters much to bassists.