Sam Ash

[maguchi]

I was sad to hear that Sam Ash is closing all it's stores. I bought many very nice guitars and amps from them over the last 35-40 years. I can remember wandering around the stores and a certain guitar would catch my eye and I'd play it and end up buying it. Some weekends I'd drive around to 4 or 5 of their stores within a 70 mile radius just to see what was available. Got a lot of good deals on used guitars and amps too.

Anyway, now that there closing up, I wonder what's next for them if anything. The name is very well established and some forward thinking company could buy them and make a go of it.

Sam Ash had a website for sales for quite awhile. But over the years as retail websites advanced. SA's website didn't. SA was firmly rooted in brick and mortar retail and didn't invest a lot of resources into their online presence.

A company that would buy Sam Ash could make a go of it if they had a strong online presence like Sweetwater or Musician's Fiend. Possibly keeping their stores...or not depending on what the business climate is like.

What do y'all think?

 

[DrewJD82]

I'm quite certain that business will be done. I really don't think they've cared for a long time, if my store is anything to go by.

 

[Warmart]

I'm quite certain that business will be done. I really don't think they've cared for a long time, if my store is anything to go by.

Same with the Atlanta store. Went in once, in 2019, and never cared to go back.

 

[DrewJD82]

Same with the Atlanta store. Went in once, in 2019, and never cared to go back.

I started going to the 48th St store when I was 15 or so and then I had the Margate store down here from ‘03 right up until about 10 years ago when they went to complete shit. It used to be a badass chain where no matter what level you were at, you could go in and find gear you needed until it continuously dwindled into intermediate/beginner stuff where you’d see 200 guitars that all felt and played like shit along with a bunch of clueless employees.

 

[Warmart]

I started going to the 48th St store when I was 15 or so and then I had the Margate store down here from ‘03 right up until about 10 years ago when they went to complete shit. It used to be a badass chain where no matter what level you were at, you could go in and find gear you needed until it continuously dwindled into intermediate/beginner stuff where you’d see 200 guitars that all felt and played like shit along with a bunch of clueless employees.

Yeah, they started in NYC, right? We didn't have any in MD (where I'm from originally - at least I didn't know of any) but I'm sure there were tons of good stores back in the day.

You may as well be describing the Atlanta store, it was exactly like that! Employees didn't care, no pressure from them, at least - but absolutely emitted the vibe of "we just work here".