OPINION: Why Sam Ash Is Going Out Of Business... 

Here’s my Sam Ash story … The Sam Ash in Hollywood is right across the street from Guitar Center, and I always felt kinda sorry for them because the Guitar Center-Hollywood is a *destination* for a lot of musicians & Sam Ash didn’t have a lot of foot traffic. So, when I was in the market for an Amp, I went to Sam Ash and ordered an amp I’ve always wanted. It wasn’t in-stock, so I payed for-it up-front for delivery to the apartment I was renting. A week later, the wrong amp showed-up at my door and Sam Ash didn’t seem to think this was a big deal when called and were planning to stick me with it & nor make-good on the amp that I ordered. So, I went down there and was forced to threaten them with legal-action before I finally got my refund. It was unbelievable. I think the sales-kid was actually trying to rip me off, and the manager seemed to be aiding him. That was the last time I ever walked into Sam Ash.

Sam Ash is closing simply because Josh Scott hasn't told the world that the holy grail of tone can be bought there.

Indianapolis 😮 Was just there in April and shot a video at the GC and Sam Ash store on my channel. Had no idea you are in Indy! 🤩

"TIMES ARE-A CHANGING". Robert Jackson👍

I worked as guitar department manager for GC for a few years back in 2001. I bought in a ton of used gear as well. It was hard telling customers that you can't pay for their sentimental thoughts about a piece, we can only pay for the piece. itself.

I bought a used Taylor 810 from a Sam Ash in SoCal several years ago. While changing the strings, I noticed one of the tuners had stripped out screw holes in the neck. Since they have a pretty liberal return policy, I returned it and bought a Taylor 416ce custom. No questions asked. Sometimes, when buying an instrument - especially a guitar - it's best to hear it in person.

Been a viewer for a long time - glad to see you're doing well. Your industry insights are fascinating (and much appreciated). Rock on, brother.

RJ I’ll be back in April for the FDIC show there…would invite the opportunity to meet 🤩

Fort Wayne has some 425,000 in the the metro area. Most people wouldn't consider that a "small town". Sure, it's not a giant metropolis, but enough people to staff a business with, including a destination type showroom. I think you're spot-on in your analysis.

The Internet is not an opinion, it is a fact. And, it's the ONLY reason we have lost brick and mortar shopping over the past 25 years! Fact

Ft Wayne is where North American Van Lines headquarters/dispatch was when I worked for them 21 years ago

Thanks for your video Robert. To get a perspective from an individual who has worked in the retail guitar business is refreshing. I would tend to agree with you and see you are on point regarding Sam Ash. The fact that as a company they didn't adapt to the e-commerce side is/ was a shame. I tend to agree about that there is no shortage of quality guitar shops as well. I do 90%of my purchases online. If I do go to a brick and mortar store it would be for an exclusive deal or to pick up a purchase. One of my favorite guitar shops is Chicago Music Exchange. In my case I have had nothing but good experiences with them.

Honestly, the biggest thing that kept me out of your old GC and Sam Ash was Caselton traffic and parking lots that didnt connect! I would still shop there but I would hit the IRC right across from the mall, easy in and out. Side note. MARS Music is burning in Hell correct?

Robert. Nailed it.

I've seen Sam Ash ads on Facebook. $78.00 for a Les Paul guitar shows you yes they are going under.

Sam Ash didn't embrace online sales. Sam Ash had a bunch of retail locations with high rent/lease costs. I bet that GC in Indy was a horrible place to shop back then. Lol.

When I went into Sam ash they had 98 percent acoustic guitars here in Jacksonville FL so damn right I went right across the street to GC for metal guitars

with the advent of internet stores like musicians friend, sweetwater, etc, it's hard for real stores to compete. i haven't bought strings in a store in probably over 25 years. but i still like to buy guitars in person as well as other things. yes, it's hard for stores to beat the price point. i also think stores need to work on their customer relations; if you treat people right, they'll come back even if the price is a tad higher then on the internet.

Agreed 100%, their website is terrible. Slow, unsearchable, bad user experience, and ineffective integration to retail stores like GC. People bash GC but they are doing it well, making it convenient to return to if a store is nearby. They're basically a huge family-owned business and Sam Ash's margins were probably slim making It impossible for them to invest a huge amount of money to rebrand and rebuild it to make them more competitive.

Yup. Raleigh NC has a Sam Ash with a Guitar Center directly across the street.

Sweetwater actually has two locations now. They’ve built a new distribution center out west…Arizona, I believe

VA Beach VA only has a Guitar Center.

On December 29, 2023, I bought online from Sam Ash a brand new Martin Acoustic Electric Guitar OMC-X1E. I got a great deal with the online purchase and a Zero % Finance for 3 years. Online purchases received a $50.00 gift card. I did try the Guitar in person at a local SAM ASH retail store location in Florida before I made the purchase online. I also went to Guitar Center to view / play the Guitar, but at that time they were out of inventory for a new guitar in the box. Since August 2014, I have been a customer of Sweetwater as well. I have only had great experiences when I have had to sell some Guitar equipment at SAM ASH.

REALITY. all we need is Necks. Make a guitar out of a soup can 😂

I agree..... But I still think it's sad. I much prefer to buy something that I have held in my hands, then roll the dice with something off the internet.

About 2 months ago, 2 stores near me closed but my go to store in Springfield NJ stayed open, I even asked the guys there at the time and they said that they weren’t going to be closing. About 2 weeks after that they announced that the entire company was shutting down. I’ve known 2 of the guys in the guitar department for years and have bought tons and tons of stuff from them. I was talking to one of them and he said that all the employees were completely blindsided by the news…when I asked him how it came to this he told me that it was a mixture of poor management for a number of years (for musicians run by musicians, not business people), the owner dying last year and the fact that their website has always been archaic and not user friendly at all (which I agree with). Web presence is a big factor in businesses staying afloat these days and their site has always been lackluster. Still, this is an absolute shame for a company with such history, I’ve had nothing but good experiences at Sam Ash over the years and I prefer them 1000% over Guitar Center. Hopefully all employees who are about to be out of their jobs find a new decent place to work 👍

I don't know enough about Sam Ash behind the scenes but there are many factors that go into whether a company can be successful that go beyond just the product and market share. Labor cost is higher today than any other time I can recall and my first 'good' job paid me around $5.50/hr which was more than minimum and a Big Gulp refill at 7-11 was a quarter so the 'cost' difference between 'pretty good' and quality staff can make labor a difficult expense to justify and when customer service suffers profits can drop quickly. I love putting my hands on a guitar before deciding to buy but that alone is not going to shift me to a retail outlet vs online option by itself anymore. The 'brick and mortar' segments of many retailers are soon if not already going to be supported by their online sales vs the other way around and those not able to manage costs will have to make some difficult choices on what their 'in person' options are going to look like. Sorry to see them go but on some level its the evolution of how we shop and how companies respond to those trends that determines whether they can continue to provide on site sales options

I live in southern Indiana and I've been to guitar center quite a few times but I've never been to a sam ash

I didn't even know Sam Ash was still around.

GC has been slow to get good at the online stuff too. The used stuff - pictures are small and often out of focus. If you select a store and new, it won't show you the actual inventory of that store. To me, what GC should really highlight (and is a major advantage) is their ship to store so you can check the piece of gear in a store and just say you don't want it right there. GC also mislabels stuff. I've ordered and gotten stuff labeled new but when I got it, it was clear it was used or a demo.

No joke.. I bought a Peavey Deuce from them online that was listed as fully functional. Before it arrived, the news came out that they are going under. The amp showed up and blew the fuse as soon as I turned it on! Bad tube! I also found a bad IEC serving the built in phaser. I asked for a partial refund for the parts… CRICKETS! Piss on them!!! Bye Felicia!

Im in the UK so it doesnt affect me one way or another , but i dont like hearing of shops closing , especially if its something that interests me generally . Its sad for all the employees losing their livelyhood .

I just bought a Steinberger GT-Pro from Sam Ash.

One day it will be like Twilight zone. Stone age

I thought Shamash was the ancient Mesopotamian sun god. 😜🤪🎸🌞

Keep up with the times or get left behind

I worked at Sam Ash for a few years when the internet and e-commerce was starting up. They did do some business over the internet and over the phone but it was pretty much run by one person running around like a chicken with its head cut off to gather products to ship out. They never seemed to want to go all in like ordering proper packing and shipping supplies or knowledgeable and trained shipping personnel so the quality of that end of their business was not good. They seemed much more interested in making nice big "super stores" with tons of products on display and piles of a certain guitar or starter pack stacked to the ceilings with a big sign. The concept was "volume sales" didn't matter if they sold a 2000 dollar sampler or 2000 dollars worth of drum sticks but they did have a lot of in store business so I can't really blame them. Sam Ash also did a lot of rental instruments for school kids. Problem is they never evolved from that to the online model I think they could have established themselves way ahead of Sweetwater, kinda mind boggling but it is what it is. They had a great 100 year run and the family are great people that have a lot to be proud of. Retail is struggling all over the country.

Sam Ash was my go to store here in clearwater fla...for over 20 yrs of guitars,amps,and related gear..hands on is the only way to buy a guitar,,,imo..

Sam Ash is just the beginning. Sad

I always feel bad for folks who lose their jobs when businesses shuts down.

End times coming. Ed made his own for $150 Today you have Quality for $200. Others for $20 ooo. It's over

I live in rural Southwest Georgia. A long way from any Sam Ash or guitar center, I tried to buy a guitar from Sam Ash over the phone but was informed that they do not do over the phone sales, I called Guitar Center and not only do they match the price on the particular guitar that Sam Ash had on rollback they had no issues with taking my information over the phone and I had the guitar within 2 days.

Don't forget about the lousy in-store customer service from both Sam-Ass and the punk ass Guitar Center.

I bought a Les Paul Gold Top from Sam Ash on line 10 years or so ago. It was perfect right out of the box.The salesman was o.k. but it felt like he was doing me a favor. I now deal only with Sweet water. It’s just too damn easy dealing with Matt E. there at Sweet Water. He helps from beginning to end. Matt waits a day or so to check and see if I’m happy with the guitar or guitar amp I just purchased. Why would I start all over going someplace else ? I texted them about gravity picks and I spoke with another guy one day the following day Matt calls. Tell me where do you find this kind of service on line these days ? Sweet water, nuff said

At the end of '22, when the first warning signs of the guitar market decline started setting in. I made the decision to sell a few guitars, while the market could still stand it. As much as I hate most online guitar shopping experiences. I used Sweetwater's Gear Exchange to get the profits in a gift certificate. This allowed me to keep more of the money myself, to use towards new gear. Luckily the whole deal went down alright, and in a timely manner. This saved me alot of hassles, and I can't understand why more people don't take advantage of this? You simply MUST use online platforms to have any realistic hope of moving guitars quickly. Kind of common sense, no? Even a computer illiterate dummy like me knows this.

Thank God they are going out of business. I went last week and the closing sale was 5% off? really? that's it? Are you not supposed to be liquidating everything including the Fixtures? waited 15 minutes before I could checkout with a cheap patch cable. Horrible experience.

Fester. Wtf lol

Sweetwater or Musician's Friend, thou I prefer Musician's Friend.

Sam Ash spent too much money on bad ideas and the pandemic did them in, per what the manager in my town said.YMWV I sold lots of gear to Sam Ash, and bought a lot of new gear....they did give more than GC...I used my gear to trade up to better things....it was great while it lasted, I am sad to see the store and the staff go....there is a big Music Go Round down the street that has loads of gear...some of the guys may be working there soon. :/

Komets........

dude died

Rob the only thing i hope for is one day Gibson. Would be affordable for people. I want one so bad! I have never had a Gibson les Paul. It hurts to think about it. Anyway hope u have a wonderful day. Love ur content. Jp

The companies that are reaching out to you must be in pretty bad shape also.