Sam Ash is going under

[polara]

https://therockrevival.com/gear-tech/sam-ash-begins-closing-all-music-stores/

It is with a heavy heart that we announce that all Sam Ash Music store locations will begin store closing sales today. This unfortunate news also presents a fantastic opportunity for great deals across our premium selection of musical instruments & pro sound equipment. We will also be offering specials on samash.com during this time. Thank you for allowing us to serve musicians like you for 100 years.

With much love and deep gratitude,

The Ash Family

[Tortious]

They started closing some stores a couple months ago. https://www.hamerfanclub.com/forums/topic/99047-sam-ash-clearwater-store-closing-any-scoop/

 

I suspect that went so well that they are going to try to run it as an online thing. They still have a brand name, and now a lot less overhead.

Meanwhile, GC's new CEO says he wants more higher end guitars in the stores, and wants them to be accessible without having to get an employee. Apparently they learned nothing from Mars Music, who had a CEO that was really mad about that sort of thing, got some investors, and started that abomination of damaged gear by inviting everyone to pound on whatever they wanted for as long as they wanted.

These fuckwits never seem to grasp the concept that the majority of people dropping money on higher dollar instruments don't really want them bashed to shit by meth heads prior to purchase.

Anyway, I highly doubt the Ash stores will have much in the way of 'deals'. The initial 'closings' are still ongoing, which tells me they haven't really lowered prices all that much. Not sure if they have a liquidation company running the closings, doesn't sound like it.

[Sugartune]

I hope there’s a plan for survival, but their online side needs a ton of work if that’s what they hope to retain. Sweetwater is just going to continue crushing them otherwise. 

[tbonesullivan]

Sam Ash is probably trying to be the next Sweetwater or something else. But they probably don't want to actually give the level of service that they provide. Though, considering that Sweetwater took a private equity partial buyout in 2021, who knows how long that will last.

There is an online retailer called Woodwind & Brasswind that USED to be one of the best places to get wind instruments. They had experts, people you could talk to about things, and their customer service was excellent. Then they bought Music123, and due to some legal issues with that acquisition a few years later, WWBW ended up going bankrupt, and was bought up by GuitarCenter, which was pretty much the end of them. They are now just another storefront for Musicians Friend.

What really sucks is that Sam Ash, like Guitar center, purposely opened stores in locations to compete directly with local music stores, which could not compete and closed. Now those are gone, and it looks like everything is going to have to be mail order now.

Also if Guitar Center wants to put high end guitars on the store floor, they are nuts.

[Disturber]

8 hours ago, Tortious said:

 

These fuckwits never seem to grasp the concept that the majority of people dropping money on higher dollar instruments don't really want them bashed to shit by meth heads prior to purchase.

 

It's called "relicing". 

[RobB]

8 hours ago, Tortious said:

Meanwhile, GC's new CEO says he wants more higher end guitars in the stores, and wants them to be accessible without having to get an employee. Apparently they learned nothing from Mars Music, who had a CEO that was really mad about that sort of thing, got some investors, and started that abomination of damaged gear by inviting everyone to pound on whatever they wanted for as long as they wanted.

These fuckwits never seem to grasp the concept that the majority of people dropping money on higher dollar instruments don't really want them bashed to shit by meth heads prior to purchase.

If this is a new merchandising approach, then my two local (S.F., Emeryville) GCs are not implementing it. Any good stuff within arms reach is locked in those security neck yokes, safe from the tweakers. 

l wonder if I should cancel my Sam Ash credit card? I used it once, paid it off two weeks later and haven’t touched it since. 

[DaveH]

8 hours ago, tbonesullivan said:

What really sucks is that Sam Ash, like Guitar center, purposely opened stores in locations to compete directly with local music stores, which could not compete and closed. Now those are gone, and it looks like everything is going to have to be mail order now.

Can you say 'Walmart'.

[Devnor]

My local Sam Cash offering 5-10% off MSRP.  Been looking for a home digital piano.  Sales dude, was a nice guy but could only offer 5% off at this time.  He says come back in july for the 30% deals. 

[DaveL]

I just bought an R9 at my local GC,  it was a 2023 and dead mint with all the stuff... not the flamiest

top but a great color... dirty lemon.     After the guitarathon promotion,  (10% GC bucks cashback and

zero interest) it was cheaper than any of the 23 R9's on any of the forums or reverb.      you can find

deals at times.   My buddy loves sweetwater but I like to search for used gems.     

 

   I was at Sam Ash Sarasota a couple weeks ago...  I always liked going there but in the last year they

definitely changed their product mix...    saw alot of unknown brands which was the exact same thing

I saw at Daddy's before they shut down.  wondering if G and F was limiting their credit and they were

forced to buy other brands.  

 

[Cboss]

5 hours ago, DaveH said:

Can you say 'Walmart'.

Yes, it is the Walmart strategy.. but people will get sick of that and authenticity will triumph :-) there is absolutely room in the future for local music stores, non-corporate!

[Jimbilly]

re GC: retail theft around here has become a big problem, all the big hardware stores have put their more expensive tools behind wire doors/panels, GC puts the more valuable stuff out of reach. 

[Cboss]

59 minutes ago, Jimbilly said:

re GC: retail theft around here has become a big problem, all the big hardware stores have put their more expensive tools behind wire doors/panels, GC puts the more valuable stuff out of reach. 

Some of the stores around here are asking 28 cents for a single screw, so I would say it's a two-way street

[Jimbilly]

44 minutes ago, Cboss said:

Some of the stores around here are asking 28 cents for a single screw, so I would say it's a two-way street

what do you suppose it costs the store in payroll hours to sell you a single screw?

[Hbom]

1 hour ago, Cboss said:

Some of the stores around here are asking 28 cents for a single screw, so I would say it's a two-way street

 

24 minutes ago, Jimbilly said:

what do you suppose it costs the store in payroll hours to sell you a single screw?

What does it cost to keep a box with 99 unused screws in it on a shelf for the rest of my life because I saved 20 cents each by buying a boxful for $7.99?

[Cboss]

5 hours ago, Jimbilly said:

what do you suppose it costs the store in payroll hours to sell you a single screw?

The same as it would be to sell it for 10 cents; extrapolate that to other things, how about $500 to fill up your car? How about a $120 hamburger? Payroll cost would be the same on those too, but it might be objectionable

Edited May 3, 2024 by Cboss

[stonge]

Most guitar screws are common parts, so rather than buying single 28-cent screws I just order a box of 100 from McMaster-Carr, use 2 or 3 and then misplace the box where I can't find them the next time I need them. The missing box will usually turn up 10 minutes after another box of 100 is delivered.

Back on topic - anytime I see a ridiculously low shipping price on Reverb listed ($20 on an EVH guitar) it's usually a Sam Ash listing. I'm sure that didn't sink them but it sure didn't help them.

[singlehum]

[golem]

Great deals. I asked them about a PRS 509 10 top they have for 4K. Asked what kind of deal they could make. Apparently the best they could due was 2 day shipping. I'm guessing someone in management hasn't authorized to give the people who work for them the ability to sell anything at a discount. I find that kind of crazy, because if I ask a few retailers to give me a discount on $4-5K instruments, I promise you one will almost always bite. It might be something they haven't been able to move in a while, but someone will bite. 

[scottcald]

21 hours ago, golem said:

Great deals. I asked them about a PRS 509 10 top they have for 4K. Asked what kind of deal they could make. Apparently the best they could due was 2 day shipping. I'm guessing someone in management hasn't authorized to give the people who work for them the ability to sell anything at a discount. I find that kind of crazy, because if I ask a few retailers to give me a discount on $4-5K instruments, I promise you one will almost always bite. It might be something they haven't been able to move in a while, but someone will bite. 

I’d read a liquidation company was running things so no deal leeway for the sales staff. They’ll just slowly reduce percentages until the end.  

[Biz Prof]

On 5/3/2024 at 6:04 PM, stonge said:

The missing box will usually turn up 10 minutes after another box of 100 is delivered.

Verily. It's a natural law, you know. Let's call it "Stonge's Law".

[Cboss]

On 5/4/2024 at 12:22 PM, singlehum said:

The "plectum" variant is worth the six 0's,  if it was just a pick it would be $1 🤔

[Biz Prof]

On 5/4/2024 at 1:22 PM, singlehum said:

That ad might have slightly more credibility if it claimed that a player like Mark Knopfler, Jeff Beck, or Toy Caldwell had used that pick.

[golem]

@scottcaldThanks for the intel. Maybe that makes sense?

[DarkHammer]

closing doors after 100 years...end of an era.

[diablo175]

There is a metric shit ton of bogus and fraudulent Sam Ash ads all over Facebook. Offering 90% off on $900 Gibsons and Fenders with hard case. 🤣 I've been posting the below meme to each one of them and leaving a cheery message of, "This is BULLSHIT" and then reporting the ad as being spam or fraudulent.  I've taken down at least several dozen in the last 3 days.