Fall Of The House of Sam Ash | What It Means for the Music Instrument Industry 

Sam Ash NYC was an amazing place in the 80s-90s. The entire block was a Disneyland for musicians. I cut school in 8th Grade and hung out there all day, it was worth getting caught.

It only hit me this morning after having watched this video yesterday. You all have become the local music store of the internet. A place where a person can drop in, learn about equipment, hear A/B comparisons, come as close as possible to holding a guitar, and get advice and good guidance. I think that's how Alamo will never get driven out by internet based platforms. Good old fashioned honest work. You put the sweat equity into it and I think we all appreciate it more than you can know. Thanks Chris and Cooper!

I agree with everything you said. It all happed here in Northern New England. Only guitar center is left. Also what grinds my gears is our education system. (This is just one problem.) Many, many schools have killed the music budgets or eliminated music programs. I am in the my mid 50's I played Trumpet in the school band until 9th grade. There is NO QUESTION that sparked me with music. So we have 2 generations that didn't experience music education in school. It kills me... It was important! Now we see a generation that only know the internet and blindly buys from the internet based on reviews. They didn't even get to pick up the guitar or play the drums. This sucks!

Feels like this would have been a perfect opportunity to record an episode of The Fretboard Confessional which we’ve all been eagerly awaiting! ❤

Sam Ash was my favorite to trade with and visit in San Antonio. I started late, horse traded through numerous G.A.S. attacks, and the folks there helped it be enjoyable. I visit the VA hospital too often but now I know where your store is and hope to visit soon. Thanks for your passion, insights and time.

im from nyc...lived and still do my entire life here.Sam ash was huge!! right after "covid" they made poor decisions and stopped ordering entirely any high quality instruments...was very strange..no custom shops boutique nothing! I knew they were closing 4 years ago...sad,,,,,this was the store of my youth!!

Nothing will ever replace being able to go into a location and physically play the instruments. Nothing

I grew up near their original store in Brooklyn, and I bought my first three guitars there. Later I worked for the NYC store for 5 years, and back then I could see the things that would eventually bring the company to this point. The pandemic hit them hard too, as all their NY stores as well as others were closed during that period, as so many other businesses. The NYC area has lost dozens of businesses that have been opened for many years at an unprecedented rate.

I miss the days when the Guitar Center on San Pedro was Hermes Music😢

Purchased a guitar from Alamo a year ago after extensive homework; your experience, integrity and knowledge were second to none in my decision. Thank you!

My wife and I owned and operated a small printing company for 10 years. That was nearly 30 years ago. Operating any business is extraordinarily difficult. Some types of businesses more than others. And that was all before the internet came to be! I can’t imagine having any type of business in todays online competitive environment. We were very happy when we sold the business and went back to work in our previous professions.

Inflation and lack of employment combined is killing off people's ability to buy anything.

So sad. I bought my first Taylor dreadnought at Sam Ash 48th St. in 1995. Howard Emerson, Billy Joel's lead guitarist on his first three albums, ran the custom shop for Sam. He was incredibly helpful to me and has remained a friend to this day.

We have two Sam Ash and Guitar Centers here in the Richmond, VA. area, but these guys easily won me over. I purchased 4 guitars from Alamo over the past 2 years (Martin 0000 Custom Shop; Taylor GT K21e; Taylor 814CEBLK Builders Edition; Taylor GS Mini e-R). Customer service is awesome. Great guys, very personable. Made my trip to San Antonio to visit family that much more special. Look forward to returning in another year.

The reason Alamo stays open is that the employees actually care about the customer and give personal attention and build a relationship.

Excellent and informative. I remember in the sixties going with a friend to what was called music row in New York City where Sam Ash, Manny’s Music and other music stores were on the same block. Famous musicians would drop in to buy their gear.

Well-said, Chris. I always wondered how huge chains keep the lights on, long before this happened. Our shop is just my wife & I now, as we try to find our own buyer (we're retiring from retail so I can do podcasts & RU-vid content). For the longest time, we had 1 full time employee and 1 part-timer to help with "the books", and we could never imagine adding staff or opening a 2nd store. We did buy a bigger building in the hopes of expansion but a) whenever we had the extra funds, the contractors were busy - and b) that plan was just a luxury... our online sales sustain us and we never NEEDED a larger brick & mortar footprint. Thank God we didn't move in to that large space. I agree, niche smaller brick & mortar stores aren't really at any risk.

I went into the Brooklyn location yesterday, felt like i went back in time to the mid 80’s early 90’s. Store was so outdated. And only 5% off……

You are a kind and thoughtful Human Being Chris McKee, thanks for this thoughtful analysis and industry overview. A loss of music jobs is sad, i wish all the folks well and hope they find a good landing. I was fortunate to come to your stores in San Antonio in October, played some guitars, bought an amp, and y'all had sold me a Taylor online previously - so am one of your customers. Looking forward to the next visit. Y'all take care.

I have a lot of fond memories of Sam Ash. Grew up in NYC and would visit musicians row all the time, stopping at the store there to see what they had. When I moved to NJ in high school, I went to the Paramus location on Rt 4. As a kid starting out as a session bass player, I worked seven days a week for a year to save up for a really nice bass, and spent a day there playing everything they had before walking out with a new Modulus. It's a shame they're going out of business, but I'll always have those memories.

Spot on. I was one of the managers at the Sam Ash drum shop in Hollywood. I could see it coming but thought it was 3-5 years down the road. Never thought I’d be one of the people left holding the bag. You are right on all counts re: GC as well. Pure conjecture here but I think They’ll keep the flagship in Hollywood bc it’s a tourist stop. It will become a museum where you can see EVH gear, buy a coffee and a t-shirt.

Congratulations on 95 years in business.

He nailed it. Sweetwater is genuinely fantastic for someone like me who lives in a rural area. Guitar center is horrible to be in, and is doomed. But whenever I visit a city, I find a local shop as a special experience.

Hope this means that mom and pop shops start opening again! Honestly it’s such a better experience imo. Going to GC can be a nightmare, they just never have enough staff no matter what! Don’t think I’ve ever had a smooth check-out experience where the employee didn’t have to walk away to grab a guitar or something. And their systems are still DOS! It’s crazy, they haven’t adapted at all to the modern era.

Former GC employee from 2006-2013 when they were at their peak. Sweetwater took tons of great talent from them and have thrived, while GC has taken a dump.

This is excellent reporting. Thank you.

Very good insight into the struggles of Music stores. All the very best to you and your store.

WORKED FOR THE ASHES BACK IN THE NEW YORK IN THE 70'S SOME OF THE BEST TIMES OF MY LIFE 48TH STREET RULED THE MUSIC WORLD! THANK YOU RITCHIE.

Three decades after shopping at Alamo Music, I'm feeling flooded with some good memories. The first big purchase I ever made was a black Ferrington black, acoustic/electric bass. All these years later and I play back the brief encounter and think, dang, that guy was a good salesman... it was a fantastic plywood instrument. I must've traded it for something at Krazy Kat. I used to try and hide the actual largest bass guitar case possible. I think I was about 19. I think the Alamo Music might've had a location in Windsor Park Mall but it might've been a few stores. Great memories there, too.

Amazon is HOT garbage when it comes to music gear. They cant even list the guitars correctly. Sometimes they put 12 models on the same page, sometimes 1. And anything warehouse deals or 3rd party, you are probably getting scammed. If Amazon ever doubled down and treated music gear like they do their flatscreen tvs with scheduled delivery dates and drivers to open it up the box, it would keep the scams down.

You do a excellent job in explaining your wares with a calm and thoughtful demeanour and just with the right information do make a decision with a purchase of instruments that suit the buyer ,thanks I and enjoy your channel

One of the most common end to a family business is the main person dying and it's inheritors just wanting the money rather than the business. Sounds like this is probably what happened here.

Man, I have mixed feelings about this! Early in my musical journey, it was a highlight of my weekend to spend an afternoon trying gear I eventually bought from Sam Ash. Also, I made great friends among the staff, too! However, these days, I could walk through EVERY department of the store and NO ONE bothers to stop to ask if they can help me find anything! I could stop by any day of the week and I could walk through the whole store without being engaged! Customer Service is STILL key in today's challenging environment! If salesstaff aren't ringing-up a customer's purchases, they MUST drop what they are doing and engage people when they walk through the door! 🤔🤔🤔

I remember seeing their small ad's in Guitar Magazines towards back, way back in the day. wow

It's not just the internet taking customers from brick and mortar stores that are closing, it's also video games and the internet itself that takes future musicians from taking up playing at all. I am a child of the 60s when all we had was the transistor radio and what was coming out of it. Those days are long gone.

I like watching your channel. Always good information. 👍

I went to the Guitar Center in Fred Va. a Tube Screamer was $188 in store. Reverb had it new $119 w/ free shipping. Brick and mortar means expensive experience and very expensive.

Good take on this ...Nicely done !!!

I didn't realize the Mars was such a short lived brand. I got my first electric guitar from them in 2002. I do also remember that where Guitar Center is now was originally Hermes Music, who just recently re-opened a smaller shop nearby.

The reason I never shopped at Sam Ash was because they didn't have the 1 year free interest to pay for an item. I bought all of my instruments and equipment thru Zzounds, American Musical Supply and Sweetwater, they had that option.

My problem with these stores is that as I grew in playing and salary they didn’t keep up .. been playing for 30 years and I don’t want to go into a music store just to look at beginner guitars .. no shop carries custom shop or vintage quality instruments .. I don’t need a squire

I had a Sam Ash close to me growing up and I used to frequent them. There was another music store called Accent Music where I bought most of my equipment. I just went to Accent, today, for their closing sale and bought my daughter her first guitar. Got an awesome price, but I’ll miss that shop.

I have been going to Sam ash White Plains since the early 70s. Tons of memories. In the 70s and 80s the salesman for guitars were snobs their attitudes were we are rock stars and you are mere mortals. As a young boy it was an intimidating place afraid to ask questions and try instruments. It got much better in the early 2000s sad to see them going

I've been shopping at the San Diego california store for years and will miss them dearly

Guitar Center had amazing sales

Excellent insight. I always learn something from you guys!

I have literally had a Sam Ash across the street from me for around 30 years, I play several instruments and it was very convenient to be able to shop for a new instrument or trade on in , take lessons, buy music books, reeds ,strings ect and have a guitar tech when I had something that needed adjusting or fixing and for a while they even had a "open mic " so people had the chance to play in public who didn't have much experience and meet other musicians because of all of those things I will miss having the location, but truthfully I was not surprised that the location was going to close in recent years There was a attitude shift many of the employees didn't seem to care that much the urinal in the bathroom was out of order for a year and never got fixed and I remember walking up to the guitar technician with my bass guitar and he was having a conversation with a guy didn't say hello can I help you I waited for more than 2 minutes then I interrupted to get some service to me not acknowledging I was there was disrespectful, sometimes people there were friendly but you never knew what to expect so I will miss the convenience but customer service was often poor thanks for excellent video

Totally agree with your premise regarding Sam Ash and Guitar Center. Personal experience….my wife was excited about getting a new guitar for her growing collection. In an attempt to buy “local” we went Sam Ash then across the parking lot to Guitar Center seeking said instrument. In both cases, we were hardly approached by sales associates. When we did finally get someone’s attention, the approach was disinterested, at best, but bordered on arrogantly rude. Discouraged, the next day, we drove 100 miles to Sweetwater in Ft. Wayne and after the personal cheerfully spent quite a while with us, we left with a beautiful Fender Tele. We were motivated customers with money to spend, yet we couldn’t get big chain personnel to give us the time of day. I truly feel bad for any business having to close its doors, but when expertise is important, the Sweetwater model can closely monitor sales staff.

I also agree with what you said Chris, but I would like to add a few more ideas. I’ve been a musician for 55 years, I started originally with mom and pop stores and it look like we’re headed back that way (I’m glad for that). Here's a huge point not covered about Sam Ash, ATTITUDE. Unlike Guitar Center and mom and pop stores you felt welcome to be there, you were greeted at the door. Why? You were there to spend money, try equipment, ask questions, take lessons or possibly need repair work. I can never remember a time feeling welcome when walking into a Sam Ash store. Example: I worked outdoors in South Florida, it’s brutally hot and your clothing reflects that. With $3000.00 dollars cash (it was the 90’s) I went there to buy a PA and because of the way I was dressed not one salesmen approached me, even after going to the help desk. One free up salesman passed me buy to sell a pack of strings, that’s when I got the manager involved, but by then I was no longer a customer. This is not a singular story about Sam Ash, speaking with other musicians they would recount similar story’s. At Sam Ash stores try and go in and play their guitars without a salesperson hovering over you. Just try and play one of their higher end guitars position 25 feet over head where the salesperson needed a rolling ladder, if you could find a salesperson. Do we even want to talk about how Sam Ask (not Sammy) crushed the competition on 48th street (Music Row) then took over the former music stores. I got an earful one day speaking to owner Rudy from Rudy’s Music how the Sam Ash corporation did everything possible to close or buy his store. Yup, Guitar Center also is headed down that path. Before the Pandemic GC always had a greeter to direct you to their inventory, but that’s no longer, not after the latest reorganisation and after the pandemic. Another failing point for Guitar Center, where at one time they had musicians working in the store that is no longer than norm. They now hire employees who know nothing about product, don’t play music and this is only a temporary job. So long ago, I began going back to mom and pop stores, I may pay a little bit more, but I like the one on one. When my band was touring and playing in San Antonio we made a point of stopping at Alamo Music and we weren’t disappointed. Here in South Florida luckily we have M.A.E. (Music Music Arts Enterprises) in Fort Lauderdale, a Mom and Store that’s been around for almost 70 years catering to local musicians. The reason Alamo Music, M.A. E., Broward Band and other mom and pop stores are still here is they know how to help the customer, be honest and serve the community. Thank Guys next time we’re through San Antonio will stopping again and introduce ourselves.

Very well said my friend. One thing you left out is the millennial customer doesn't seem to care or see the value in the brick and mortar business anymore. They come in the shop to find the product, then turn around and buy it online. In the end this opportunity to interface with the music community will be lost, and that's sad.

Completely agree. There’s a level of customer service available at a small store. I just ordered a strat from Alamo and Blake was really on top of it. You guys have definitely gained a customer

Your video is spot on.

I hope y’all are good. I came to you from Sam Ash suggesting to visit y’all , and have bought some 8 guitars and a keyboard the last 4 years from ya. Love my new fsr am pro 2 telecaster btw!!

Your first Sam Ash story reminded me of something that happened to me back in 2006. I was about to buy a 24-fret double cutaway Les Paul and I noticed that the last note on the high E string was out of tune. It was a minor thing, but the salesman at Sam Ash just blew me off. He said, "How often are you gonna use that note?" That's not the point! lol.. It's been my experience (well, for the most part), that GC employees have always been cooler/nicer and more "customer friendly" than Sam Ash employees. 🤷‍♀

I loved the store in Charlotte (used to be MARS) I bought a Dobro from the Sam Ash in Vegas as well.

Ma & Pa here we come. Learned so much from this video. Regards Jim Terry Music. "Helping Florida Sound Better" for 40 years, Lets talk

I like how you describe things. Subscribed and liked.

Great video.. wish you would do more of this insight into the music industry, together with Cooper!

I wonder how much of this is also due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control. Just the general landscape of the music industry and our culture. More and more electronic music on the radio means less folks influenced by musicians which makes for declining numbers of folks learning to play instruments which means a smaller market. I hate this for the industry. Not a fan of big box music stores at all but it’s sad to see. Love what you guys do. Keep up the good work.

Worked at Sam Ash for about 3 years and it was an awesome 3 years. Even went to Fender out in Corona California with the Ash Family and some of the higher ups. Very sad that they are closing their doors.

I have had one near and I’ve had good and not so good experiences there. Some nice, first name basis, folks that will be gone to the wind. Keep up the great work!

Interesting! I bought my electric piano from Sam Ash on line 12 years ago, and my guitar from Sweetwater 4 years ago, so it looks like my next guitar will be from Alamonustic.😊

I grew up on LI. In the 70s I worked for a sheet music distributor based in West Babylon. We delivered sheet music , method, books, and popular music portfolio books to all the music and record stores in the Northeast. Everyone from Sam Goody, Sam Ash and every small independent record shop or music store. I can’t imagine what fraction of those music stores are around anymore. I moved from New York in 1979 and had no idea Sam Ash expanded to this degree.

I hope you boys at Alamo hang in there. I've always appreciated your performances, Chris. If I needed any more instruments or equipment I'd be in contact. All my music uploaded here on RU-vid the equipment came from Sam Ash in Orlando (except my Guarneri copy violin & my grandmother's 100 year old Kimball parlor grand). All I have are fond memories. Their prices were always flexible, and their salesmen were excellent. Back in the 90's it took a few years to build my studio. I'm retired now and getting old, but still compose and record.

Great commentary, great insights, and very informative. I used to work at Sam Ash and can add that management had its own issues but your analysis was pretty on-the-mark. Thank you for this excellent video and analysis.

I came of age in a time in area where there were no so-called big box music stores. The largest music stores were usually located in shopping malls and dealt mainly with organs and pianos. They might have five models of acoustic guitar hanging on a wall, 10 electrics at various price points, and three or four used instruments. So at that time, usually the place with the largest selection of electric guitars was pawn shops. As I got more serious about music and started performing, I grew fond of the Ibanez RG series guitars, and my first RG, was a korea-made RG470 in Jewel blue ordered from a family-owned, independent music store. I still remember negotiating a deal and having to wait about 2 weeks for my guitar to come in. The nice thing about that particular shop was that they individually set up every guitar that arrived from their wholesaler or distributor. If Mom and Pop brick and mortar stores can provide that level of service and attentiveness, there is hope.

I actually bought 4 guitars from Sam Ash in San Antonio over the last 5 years (including the one I bought after the closing announcement). I always thought it was a musician friendly space much like Alamo Music & I’m sorry to see them go.

I stopped traveling 50 miles to shop at Sam Ash when I stopped receiving the sales catalogs in the mail that inspired me to purchase equipment and instruments I would not have purchased without the sales catalogs.

Like you and Cooper say, buy locally. Although I buy from you, Music Villa and others, I continue to buy locally.The pandemic hit locals hard BUT did not necessarily close them: curb service was still available. But as the local store said, they needed to keep buying or ordering new guitars to keep things going. So I did, putting 50 percent down. They were special orders for them, but that kept them going, and I could play them before taking them home (well, not during the pandemic). My Dad shopped (LP records) at Sam Ash decades ago. Never went to a Guitar Center, but did not hear good things from my Cousin about them. That's why I sold him a guitar from a place where I've purchased before, based on what his wife was telling me. He worked from home the day it was to arrive, and played it all the rest of the day into the next. He was happy. I have also sold others guitars, although I am not affiliated with any brand or store. Well, one time when I was sitting in a store, trying out a few guitars, someone bought one based no my trial. That was okay, and the store owner hoped I was not upset (because he only had the one). I asked if I could get a commission applied toward the one I was going to buy, we both laughed. 😀E-commerce has burned me a few times, and those places I no longer shop. But there you go, Chris.

I bought my first ever guitar at the Sam Ash in New Haven in 1999 and it was my go to for a number of years. I have since moved away, but was back in town today and stepped back into the store for the going out of business sale. The place was completely picked over, just a handful of guitars and odds and ends left. They were selling off the shelving units and cabinets. It was sad to see. Very much the end of an era.

This one hurts. I shopped at Sam ash in white plains ny for decades. I met so many rock stars there. It’s another victim of the internet. The small mom and pop stores can't give the experience that big box stores gave.

I've been thinking how GC and mom and pop's can reinvent themselves. One idea is to have slightly smaller stores, less inventory, mainly for demoing and more in store online ordering of guitars and product. Guitars hanging on the wall for a long time tend to get banged up. Demo in store and order new product online. That means convenient customer computer stations with big computer screens where you can order what you want and fast shipping to home or the store, where the product can be evaluated. This would also be a great way of ordering custom shop guitars. GC doesn't have this right now. Ordering in store is through a sales guy on their probably not state of the art computers. I have two GCs in town and the upscale one has a more obvious lesson center with a guy in front doing calling, not sure if it's cold calling, follow up, appointment scheduling or all of the above. There are quite a few people coming in for lessons, a lot of kids with parents. The strong points of my GCs is many sales guys are great guitar players and can help with and demo what your looking at. They also have a great live pedal station to demo pedals, they also have a drum practice room that is often in session. Lots of amps and guitars to demo. And they have on duty guitar techs, your mileage may vary on that. I don't know what the future successful brick and mortar model is but just some ideas.This idea would combine that best of brick and mortar with the best of online. It might also help to streamline brick and mortar costs and make them more efficient. Think having live music once a week would fuel the stoke as well. Maybe have advertised demo performances by great employee guitar players to bring customers in. Live music is a draw. Haven't seen that. But what do I know. Any others with ideas? Guitar stores seem to behind the times and a little in the stone age and need to get a little more Las Vegas. Also maybe get you demoing a guitar with a backing track. Schedule that. Think out of the box.

I’m from Ireland 🇮🇪 I lived in New York in the 90sand remember taking the subway from the bronx to buy 3 guitars two takimines Japan model s and a acoustic bass to bring back to Ireland 🇮🇪 where I live now .. and still have the guitar s here in Ireland..good video

Very good explanation with valid insights. I spent a decade as Editor of one of the primary MI trade magazines in the industry. Very sad news about Sam Ash, since it is where I bought my first pro amp as a kid, back when they only had 3 three NYC/LI locations.

I think I bought some studio monitors from a local Sam Ash a long time ago, but otherwise never went in there as it's a bit of a drive. I do remember Mars with fondness, though, as I bought my first Martin there not long before they went out of business. That was the first guitar I actually enjoyed playing, and it marked where I started to learn things beyond the basic chords. I tell people to this day not to cheap out on an instrument because the quality will affect your enjoyment, and that can play a strong role in whether you stick with it. We still have Guitar Centers around here, and I sometimes sell guitars to them because I hate dealing with selling things. But I pretty much never buy from them because as you mentioned in the video, they just never stock anything I want. I've gone to their website so many times looking for either a specific guitar or accessory and they never have any of it. Eventually I gave up entirely on shopping there.

Bought my first good amp (1968 Super Reverb for $100 used) in Hempstead NY store in 1981, custom shop Stratocaster, Gibson acoustic, Strat Plus with lace sensors, Japanese Shell Pink Strat and Marshall JCM800 4104 and too many accessories to remember through the years.Met Greg Koch from Fender clinic at the NY store and many other great musicians. Thanks Irv, Chuck,Charlie and all the other staff who helped me through my career. Sad as hell to see Ash disappear.

I liked the presentation! No choppy, crappy editing.... I don't know how any music store makes it these days especially. I used to play in the 70's-2005 Last round 2011 and bought some stuff for recording in 2017. Sweetwater, local Guitar Center and Zzounds. - as well as private. Good luck to all of you,

I worked at GC from 2016-2018 and went off to college. I haven't been able to get back into music until I finished my degree and got a job a couple of years ago. I knew the industry was struggling when I left back in 2018, but man, I had no idea how bad it had gotten. I live in the live music capital of the world (Austin) and can only find one local store around my area. I checked out their offerings and everything was insanely expensive. This left only the big box stores as the only alternative. It's really sad but not that surprising. GC was going really downhill back in 2018 and the writing was on the wall. I just didn't think all of the local shops would struggle so much as well. Everyone seems to buy online now or not buy at all due to the economy and income inequality.

My favorite local music store was Thorobred Music In Clearwater, Florida. It became a Sam Ash. I moved almost two hours away from that store but still went in there occasionally. I’m going to miss it.

The Acoustic Shoppe in Missouri is connecting with customers via it's channel similarly and is growing strong. Consumers are gaining trust in the dealer brand through youtube engagement. They've learned to put a quality control program together with focused driven ecommerce, shipping, and receiving.

The problem with e-commerce is it made people become lazy. Back in the 70's-80's there was no internet and if you wanted something you physically had to go out and buy it. Unless you were getting something from a catalogue but you still had to go out to the store and pick it up when it came in. I know there are a TON of people who are not going to like what i am about to say but here it is. The internet and online shopping is what has shut down all of the mom and pop shops and the big box stores. You can argue that until the end of time but its the truth.

I live in California and bought a used Guild F-512 from a music store on the east coast. Did my research, even got the serial number of the guitar before purchase to be sure it was not a Corona-built guitar, and finally pulled the trigger to the tune of just over $3000. UPS then delivered just over $3000 worth of toothpicks to my house. I almost cried when I saw what they did to my guitar. The music store said no problem, we will deal with the insurance claim and we just happen to have another F-512 you can have for the same price. The second guitar made it safely to my house. I opened the box and discovered a Corona-built F-512. I felt violated for a second time. I threw up my hands and said "bleep it" in disgust. I still have it, it sounds good, but I researched and paid for a non-Corona guitar. To this day I still wonder if the first one actually sounded better. I have NEVER ordered a guitar online since. Despite "never say never" I probably will never buy another guitar online sight unseen. I will only patronize local guitar stores, which sometimes means driving long distances to get my sweaty little hands on what I think I want to buy. I like Music Villa, I like Alamo Music, but sorry guys, unless I happen to be in the neighborhood chances are I won't be a customer. I will buy from Guitar Center because there is one locally. Chris - love your videos, would love to be a customer, but I just won't take the chance.

You have to ask yourself why rents are so high nowadays. People used to be able to rent or buy on one income. Even a teacher could do it. I think it’s AirBnB and the like. Why rent for $1000/month when you can get $700.00 for a weekend? Cities need to cap the permits for these types of properties or propose other solutions. Retailers in the city are going to get hammered so they can convert to mixed/residential uses. I live in Austin and it’s the same as NYC or Chicago. You have to live 45 minutes away in order to work here. That combined with e-commerce it’s not at all surprising that businesses are leaving or closing these major city centers.

In 2011, I bought a Gibson SG 12-string. I still have it. They had the best price and I got a free T-shirt to boot. I'm sad to see them go.

I bought my first guitar at Sam Ashe. There’s a Guitar Center down the street from me and the staff is stretched thin, so getting help can be challenging. On the other hand, when I go to a small mom & pop store, I get great personalized service. I think the music megastore model will not work in today’s market. GC’s days are numbered.

I heard this a few days ago. Can’t remember where I heard it. Maybe Beato 🎸 This is a very informative video. GC will be calling you tomorrow 😂

...I might add, it seems the hefty regional players like Alamo, Casino, Chicago x-change, Andertons (UK), etc. are holding on and rolling with the punches--and producing great content here on the U-toob. Shout out to all

I find it hard to buy an instrument that I haven't played. Guitar necks have a certain feel and keyboards have a certain action that you won't understand until you play them. Also, hearing a sample over the internet on a computer speaker is not like hearing an instrument or amp live. Internet sales have their place, but give me a good music store any day. Thanks for the great content! RIP Sam Ash.

My father grew up going to the sam ash in Hempstead Long Island. When I was getting into guitar he brought me there and still remember what it looked like. How alive it was. Seeing all the gear and the Marshall stacks in person. Bought my first real guitar from that store. While it closed many years ago, they had two others on LI that I would go to. So sad that retail is continuing to die out. We have ourselves to partly blame. We don’t patronize our local businesses as much anymore. With music stores though I think they were also hit by the obliteration of the music industry thanks to Sean Fanning and Napster. Illegal music downloading had a lasting ripple effect and decimated so many industries. When there’s no money to be made businesses go out of business. Ah what can you do. Thanks Sam Ash for all you did for music.

I think it means people no longer have the discretionary income to pursue their love of music, especially in an industry that, today, is almost impossible to break into as a professional writer or player, or make money from in the form of local live gigs. I even had a song that received heavy drive-time airplay on one of the biggest radio stations in the country. That station even sold the single as a promo due to heavy switchboard demand. I still couldn't get any CD shops to stock the album, and no, no industry people ever called LOL. The 4 guitars and keyboard I own will be the last ones I ever buy. I reckon I'm not the only one. Sure it was a fun ride, and I got a few radio play royalty checks from BMI, but that doesn't pay the bills.

Just a few months ago, Gibson made an episode with Mark Aknessi, about Sam Ash, and it looks that they were doing well

One of the first places I worked, the owner told me that "You can't sell from an empty cart." I too went into our local Sam Ash with a pocket full of cash, looking for a specific Fender Stratocaster. They didn't have it. Sweetwater had 6 in stock. Guess who got my money.

About 5 years ago I bought a guitar on line from Sam Ash. I was being sent from a brick and mortar store and hadn't shipped after 4 days. I called customer support and was told they they're stores didn't prioritize on line purchases because of the way their commission worked. I bib finally receive the guitar. It had a broken brace that was very visible from the sound hole so I returned it. Within a couple days I saw the same guitar for sale on line. I've always wondered if they repaired the brace or just through it back on line.

I think we need ALL OF THE ABOVE: 1. mom 'n pop shops (they will evolve, somehow) 2. e-commerce (duh, obviously) 3. the Big Boys (I love the Guitar Center in my area, they always have affordable used gear) Chris makes an interesting point about the 20-year-ish lifespan of guitar/music shops, historically. Btw, luv ur guitar reviews w/Cooper, I just subscribed. Always rooting for you guys.

Couldn’t agree more Chris - definitely an opportunity for smaller independents to take the space left by big box stores

Sam Ash in Raleigh also took over the Mars Music location too. GC was already across the street when Sam Ash took over

I know myself and a lot of people I know would rather go to a smaller, local store/chain for items like instruments and other things because, in my experience, the people are much more friendly and knowledgeable at the smaller stores

Im a Native New Yorker,Ive been playing guitar since I was 14.I always felt like I was in heaven on 48th street in Manhattan..Except @Sam Ash..I always felt intimidated or passed by on.Like I wasnt important enough to be attended to..Skip Many years later..having avoided this place because everyone was always too busy for me feeling.I decided to buy a Epiphone Les Paul which came with a white case at the time.Some may know from which band Im speaking of.Well it was on sale and I paid for it..Then the case was brought out and it was warped and didnt close properly..I asked for one that did and was told that it would have to be ordered.I would be notified when it arrived,Well I called for months and months until I finally gave up.I was told that there was a delay.They wore me down.Though offered a black case ,yet thats not what I wanted.Ciao Sam Ash! Won't miss you.

I'm blessed to live in NC Indiana only about an hour from Sweetwater. I'm also less than an hour from a GC. I have the best of both worlds, I can order on line and when I want to make an afternoon of it I can drive to either location and play what I'm looking for. I find both places have a really nice personal touch. It's a sad day in "Mudville" with Sam Ash. Great vid.

I never bought a guitar at Sam Ash, but I did buy other stuff (amp, pedals, cords, strings, gig bag), and it is where I took my guitars for set-ups and pick-up installation. Sorry to see them go.