Sam Ash Closing 18 of 44 stores , including NYC and Hollywood, CA.

[Stokely]

14 hours ago, The Real MC said:

 

Which one?  I've been to the one on Colonial Ave, that store is a joke.

That is the one.  Not sure if there is another one in South Orlando, but the Lee Rd one will remain open. Frankly I don't find it an improvement on the Colonial store overall, maybe a bit in the keyboard dept.   There's little consistency in what these stores stock.   As far as customers killing off retail--well, when you don't stock a lot of models and then don't have them even hooked up, and THEN don't have a single person who knows crap about any of them, what exactly are we killing here?

I do hate the buy-return paradigm if it involves shipping (which I might have to pay for).  I try my best to research extensively so that I won't need to return.  So far that has worked out pretty well for new gear, I've yet to be unhappy with anything.  A recent guitar I got from Sweetwater (huge sale, and this model wasn't at my local GC) was absolutely impeccable.

[Bobby Simons]

I see my old store - Huntington, Long Island, is on the list. Not surprised, it's been ages since they had anything resembling a keyboard department.  I'm left with fond memories of being a keyboard salesman there in the mid-late 70's when everything that was anything was put out on the floor.

Also I'm happy to now live within easy driving distance of Chuck Levin's, who (for the time being, anyway) is bucking the trend and filling every square inch with quality keyboards and other equipment.

[CHarrell]

1 hour ago, Bobby Simons said:

Also I'm happy to now live within easy driving distance of Chuck Levin's, who (for the time being, anyway) is bucking the trend and filling every square inch with quality keyboards and other equipment.

 

Every once in a while I stumble on their website and break down weeping in uncontrolled envy. 

[CrossRhodes]

Bummer about the Sam Ash Hollywood location. That's one of the last places one might find some more "niche" gear like a Kawai slab or Nord Grand to test out. West L.A. Guitar Center has a rather dismal selection and the Hollywood location wasn't much better last time I was there. Same 'ol mid tier Yamahas, Casios, maybe a Nord Stage and a slew of low end beginner models. Good luck if you're hoping to try out any Hammonds or Hammond Clones.

I'm not going to order something like a Kawai MP11Se or VPC-1 sight unseen due to the weight and the enormous pain the butt it would be to return them. Sadly this keeps them off my list for now unless something used pops up locally that I can try out before buying.

[Docbop]

54 minutes ago, CrossRhodes said:

Bummer about the Sam Ash Hollywood location. That's one of the last places one might find some more "niche" gear like a Kawai slab or Nord Grand to test out. West L.A. Guitar Center has a rather dismal selection and the Hollywood location wasn't much better last time I was there. Same 'ol mid tier Yamahas, Casios, maybe a Nord Stage and a slew of low end beginner models. Good luck if you're hoping to try out any Hammonds or Hammond Clones.

I'm not going to order something like a Kawai MP11Se or VPC-1 sight unseen due to the weight and the enormous pain the butt it would be to return them. Sadly this keeps them off my list for now unless something used pops up locally that I can try out before buying.

I was surprised how weak GC keyboard selection was at the Hollywood and W.L.A. stores.   I lived close to the W,L,A, store and was amazed the keyboards was weak, but the Pro Audio department was amazing the gear they had.   

[ProfD]

6 hours ago, Bobby Simons said:

Also I'm happy to now live within easy driving distance of Chuck Levin's...

Same here. 😁

 

4 hours ago, CHarrell said:

Every once in a while I stumble on their website and break down weeping in uncontrolled envy. 

The website doesn't even truly capture the vibe of Chuck's. I know we're lucky to have it.

 

One year, I was in the store on my birthday. The place wasn't too busy since it was midday.  Stevie Wonder casually came through and hung out for a bit.😎

[Old Music Guy]

Sam Ash and Manny's are a part of my childhood. 

RIP

[CrossRhodes]

6 hours ago, Docbop said:

I was surprised how weak GC keyboard selection was at the Hollywood and W.L.A. stores.   I lived close to the W,L,A, store and was amazed the keyboards was weak, but the Pro Audio department was amazing the gear they had.   

I went to West L.A. location today because they had the Yamaha P-525 and I wanted to check out the keybed. It was even worse than last visit. No Nords, never Kawai and the same ol, same ol. They did have the Moog Model D reissue in but it wasn’t hooked up to speakers. They had the Moog Matriarch and that wasn’t even hooked up to power. I’d say the writing is on the wall for this place as it was pretty depressing.

[Markay]

Although I don't live in the US but am/was a customer of Sam Ash, Rudy's, (NYC) Zzounds and Muscians corner, here is how the chain v independent music store battle played out here.

 

The chains merged and at the time they were put into liquidation by their then owner, a vulture fund based in Rhode Island go figure, they had lost their market share to independents who had transitioned to an instore and online price match offer model. During Covid one these nearest to me opened an additional dedicated keyboard and synth showroom. We have amongst the worlds highest CBD rents and all the surviving independent's are in suburban strip shopping centres where rents are lower and its easy to park.

 

I always prefer to try before I buy instore, then I own the decision about keyboard feel for example, and whatever compromise was involved, no returns.  Commodity items like pedals or tuners, best online price including delivery from a trusted supplier.

 

The death of the chains has lead to greater choice instore because the independents don't play the "if you stock us (Y) we will give you better payment terms provided you don't stock N or R" game.

[Joe Muscara]

On 3/9/2024 at 10:49 AM, Bobby Simons said:

I see my old store - Huntington, Long Island, is on the list

Where did you find a list?

That's my old store too. I'm glad to know you weren't working there in the late 80s/early 90s when I was talking about their… service. *cough*  

[Michael W]

On 3/9/2024 at 7:35 AM, 16251 said:

One of my favorite memories as a musician; all due to the music stores on 48th St. I visited them a few more times before mail-order and better local stores emerged.

 

Yeah, those were the days.  I moved to NYC in May of 1982 and landed a job selling keyboards and pro audio at a place called Alex Music on 48th St., between 6th and 7th.  I remember Manny's being the big store at the time.  I had a lot of fun working at that store - met a lot of celebs and top players.  I left NYC in September of that year.

[eric]

We have a Sam Ash across town right next door to a Guitar Center. I haven't been to either in years...supporting part of the narrative that brick and mortar music stores are not thriving in most cases, due to ease of access via online ordering. There was an era when I would drop by Sam Ash or Guitar Center when I needed a last minute XLR or patch cable. Nowadays, I can order this from Amazon and it arrives often the same day...soooo convenient.

 

I am an occasional Sweetwater customer for larger items and like a few other people here, I'm within driving range of Chuck Levin's and that's where I've made some memorable purchases in my lifetime. I haven't been in quite a while.

 

I do remember my first interaction with Sam Ash in the early '90s, well before we had one locally. This was the time when you'd see the advertisements in Keyboard Magazine for Sam Ash in NYC and it was like this magical idea of how cool a store it must be. Anyways, I was trying to track down a new Dynacord CLS-222 and Sam Ash had one. I believe I still have the bill of sale, though the Dynacord is long gone. It was a very good investment of $695 at the time, as that Leslie simulator was amazing and served me well for over a decade.

 

I couldn't locate the list of which stores are closing.

[lsj]

On 3/9/2024 at 9:54 AM, Stokely said:

That is the one.  Not sure if there is another one in South Orlando, but the Lee Rd one will remain open. Frankly I don't find it an improvement on the Colonial store overall, maybe a bit in the keyboard dept.   There's little consistency in what these stores stock.   As far as customers killing off retail--well, when you don't stock a lot of models and then don't have them even hooked up, and THEN don't have a single person who knows crap about any of them, what exactly are we killing here?

I do hate the buy-return paradigm if it involves shipping (which I might have to pay for).  I try my best to research extensively so that I won't need to return.  So far that has worked out pretty well for new gear, I've yet to be unhappy with anything.  A recent guitar I got from Sweetwater (huge sale, and this model wasn't at my local GC) was absolutely impeccable.

totally agree with you.  I also study and research each new item before I purchase it.  never returned anything.  this buy and return an item, I'm guessing will eventually be discontinued.  too much of a loss for stores.  

 

 

[SteveCoscia]

Feeling like a dinosaur.

 

In 1968, my parents took me to Sam Ash Hempstead to buy a $100 drumset - I switched to keyboards a few years later.  In 2006, I took my guitar-player son to Manny's and Sam Ash on W 48th Street so he could feel the vibe.

 

In the 1970s, when I was gigging on Long Island, our band's soundman kept blowing EV 1824 PA drivers.  JR at Sam Ash knew all the local bands, he knew their gear and what they needed.  JR also knew all the guys in all the bands.  I guess you could call it a community back then.  No sooner would one of us walk into Sam Ash and JR would put up two fingers as if to say, "You want two 1824 drivers?"  and we'd nod affirmatively.  A more personal time and much more social. Better than social media.

  

So many memories. Onward.

[LarsHarner]

I went to what I assume was my last Sam Ash visit in NYC last weekend. They still had a nice display out, many Kawai piano consoles as well. I won't go to the GC on 14th as they refuse to plug anything in - people I guess are just supposed to stare at the keyboards there.

 

[Motif88]

On 3/11/2024 at 12:55 PM, SteveCoscia said:

Feeling like a dinosaur.

 

In 1968, my parents took me to Sam Ash Hempstead to buy a $100 drumset - I switched to keyboards a few years later.  In 2006, I took my guitar-player son to Manny's and Sam Ash on W 48th Street so he could feel the vibe.

 

In the 1970s, when I was gigging on Long Island, our band's soundman kept blowing EV 1824 PA drivers.  JR at Sam Ash knew all the local bands, he knew their gear and what they needed.  JR also knew all the guys in all the bands.  I guess you could call it a community back then.  No sooner would one of us walk into Sam Ash and JR would put up two fingers as if to say, "You want two 1824 drivers?"  and we'd nod affirmatively.  A more personal time and much more social. Better than social media.

  

So many memories. Onward.

I bought my Rhodes Stage 73 at Sam Ash in 1977 and my Korg MS-20 1979?...I'm right there with ya...

[Anderton]

On 3/9/2024 at 12:22 AM, Docbop said:

Plus GC's move into lessons has started a new revenue stream and brings potential customers into the stores so a Marketing tool.

 

When GC owned Harmony Central, I recommended they find smaller, lower-rent places in the same strip malls (or nearby ones), close the big stores, and concentrate on lessons, paid workshops, and masterclasses that could be done only by humans. Then, stock the gear they needed to give lessons, and make other gear available on special order. They thought I was an idiot. In retrospect, maybe it was a decent idea for a model.

[Mark Schmieder]

Just now, Anderton said:

 

When GC owned Harmony Central, I recommended they find smaller, lower-rent places in the same strip malls (or nearby ones), close the big stores, and concentrate on lessons, paid workshops, and masterclasses that could be done only by humans. Then, stock the gear they needed to give lessons, and make other gear available on special order. They thought I was an idiot. In retrospect, maybe it was a decent idea for a model.

 

That's pretty much the model they adopted, for the stores that remain successful, which include ones I have patronized in Concord CA and in or near Falls Church VA.

 

Not quite at the level you're suggesting, but perhaps they listened to you after all, as many of their stores are now very much driven by lessons, like most indie stores.

[Tom Williams]

On vacation, I just visited the Guitar Center and (next door to it) Sam Ash stores in Richmond VA.  (Interestingly, there is another Guitar Center 10 minutes away in Midlothian.)  Both stores looked a bit bleak.

 

GC: Keyboard dept had a lot of home-grade portables, ala the Casios and Yamahas people want to dump for $25 on Craigs List.  And one minimoog -- which was not plugged into anything.  The Live sound room was dark -- 80% of its lights were off.  Many display cases were empty.  Staff were courteous and helpful.  I think this GC is per Craig's model -- lower rent strip mall, and three lessons rooms.  Not sure what percentage of their income comes from lessons.

 

SA: Also a bit sparse, though there were some half-dozen pro keyboards (mostly Yamaha and Roland).  Regarding unplugged keys, they have a problem with wall-wart powered keyboards, because "customers" come in and steal the power supplies.  I asked the keyboard guy if they were shutting down, and he said that this store was remodeling to accommodate stock that they'll receive from the stores shutting down elsewhere. 

 

 

[elsongs]

I live just 20 minutes from the Hollywood Sam Ash (via surface streets). I've had mixed experiences going there. The last thing I purchased was a heavy-duty On-Stage X keyboard stand back in December. GC across the street didn't even seem to have something similar in stock. But then a month later my Novation Impulse 61 USB controller (which is my main keyboard in my studio for softsynths/DAW control) was on the fritz for a while, and I was in the market for a replacement. So I went to Sam Ash to check out the keyboard actions of the various USB controllers they had up there. I was testing them out individually by feel and the salesman came up to me and said, "Those are actually USB controllers..." as if I didn't know what I was doing. "Yeah, I know." I said, feeling somewhat insulted by someone who was likely born when I had my first DAW. I just had a "Yeah no, F-- that dude" feeling and left the store (I already obtained the info I wanted - the NI Kontrol S61 had the best feel, but I wasn't ready to plunk down $800 for it. Anyway I managed to do a successful DIY repair on my Novation controller and all is working again). 

I guess the future is in "niche" boutique stores for serious keyboard gear. In the Los Angeles area, the best store in town for synths is Perfect Circuit Audio in Burbank. I know they're geared more towards modular heads, but they do have a healthy amount of keyboard synths (and drum machines and tabletop synths) on display. I've also bought some Hosa cables there that GC, Sam Ash and even Ametron (a local electronics store in the San Fernando Valley that also stocks a lot of pro audio accessories) didn't even have in stock (and for less than list price, too). 

For online music purchases, I'm all over the place. I bought my Nord Stage 3 from Kraft Music a few years ago. I used to rely on Sweetwater but those calls from their Sales Engineers are annoying AF, sorry. My usual go-to is American Musical Supply since they ship to CA from a warehouse in Reno, NV and my orders always arrive in just 2 days with the standard shipping.

[GovernorSilver]

On 4/3/2024 at 12:31 AM, Tom Williams said:

 

 

SA: Also a bit sparse, though there were some half-dozen pro keyboards (mostly Yamaha and Roland).  Regarding unplugged keys, they have a problem with wall-wart powered keyboards, because "customers" come in and steal the power supplies

 

 

 

Haha, i just had the same experience at a local GC.  I wanted to audition a Roland RD-08, but there was no AC adapter.  I asked a GC employee and he claimed there were no more adapters because people steal them.   So I committed (temporary) thievery of my own and grabbed a power supply from a Roland FP-30X, making sure to return it after I was done with the RD-08.

[ProfD]

On 4/3/2024 at 12:31 AM, Tom Williams said:

Regarding unplugged keys, they have a problem with wall-wart powered keyboards, because "customers" come in and steal the power supplies. 

Surely, manufacturers did not consider this when moving to external power supplies for KB instruments. 😁

 

IEC cables are relatively universal and cheaper to replace.

 

Anyway...music store salespeople could keep those external power supplies and extra IEC cables behind the counter. 

 

That would force potential customers to ask for the power supply.  Of course, the salespeople would also have to babysit the power supplies too. 

 

Another option is to zip-tie or anchor the power supply in such a way that makes it harder to walk away with it.

 

Overall, I've seen jerk customers and a certain lack of interest and laziness in MI retail store employees. 

 

Regardless of the pay and work hours and tire-kicking *customers*, don't take the job if uninterested in working it.

 

The music store experience is many places is definitely not what it used to be from the 1980s through 2010s.  

 

Beyond online sales, I believe the music store as a hallowed institution has eroded and that's another reason why so many stores will be closing.😎

[Motif88]

On 3/9/2024 at 11:49 AM, Bobby Simons said:

I see my old store - Huntington, Long Island, is on the list. Not surprised, it's been ages since they had anything resembling a keyboard department.  I'm left with fond memories of being a keyboard salesman there in the mid-late 70's when everything that was anything was put out on the floor.

Also I'm happy to now live within easy driving distance of Chuck Levin's, who (for the time being, anyway) is bucking the trend and filling every square inch with quality keyboards and other equipment.

My old haunting ground. Bought my Rhodes Stage 73 among other things at Sam Ash Huntington. Are you referring to Tom Dubois?

[Tom Williams]

12 hours ago, ProfD said:

Surely, manufacturers did not consider this when moving to external power supplies for KB instruments. 😁

IEC cables are relatively universal and cheaper to replace.

The problem for manufacturers is that the inclusion of an internal transformer power supply adds not only engineering time, but certification time (FCC I think) before they can bring the model to market -- I'm guessing (SWAG) six months or more.  It may be worth it for a flagship workstation, but for lower-end stuff, say less than $2000 US, getting the product to market fast gives a better overall payoff.

 

(The above is more perception than actual knowledge.  Corrections are welcome.)

[CHarrell]

20 hours ago, elsongs said:

For online music purchases, I'm all over the place. I bought my Nord Stage 3 from Kraft Music a few years ago. I used to rely on Sweetwater but those calls from their Sales Engineers are annoying AF, sorry. My usual go-to is American Musical Supply since they ship to CA from a warehouse in Reno, NV and my orders always arrive in just 2 days with the standard shipping.

 

Just a heads up, Zzounds ships from Reno too! I always wonder what the shipping time would be if I still lived there....🤔

 

I'm biased towards Zzounds because AMS blacklisted me for returning too many products, which apparently was on their no-no list that they only deemed worthy of mentioning after I was blacklisted. 

[elsongs]

36 minutes ago, CHarrell said:

 

Just a heads up, Zzounds ships from Reno too! I always wonder what the shipping time would be if I still lived there....🤔

 

I'm biased towards Zzounds because AMS blacklisted me for returning too many products, which apparently was on their no-no list that they only deemed worthy of mentioning after I was blacklisted. 

Thanks, that's good to know. I used to be a Zzounds regular back in the late '90s when online gear sales started taking off. I remember they used to have the best prices around. Nowadays, pretty much all the online music retailers sell most items at the same price. Tax, shipping and shipping time is the greater denominator these days.

[CyberGene]

So, let's summarize. People have fond memories purchasing their first guitar/keyboard in these stores. But nobody goes there anymore. Summary: good riddance?

[Ed A.]

They’re closing the New Haven, Connecticut store, the only Sam Ash in Connecticut. I would have thought that because New Haven is a big college town(Yale, UNH, Quinnipiac) that a music store would do well there.  Could be because many college students are broke and don’t have much disposable income for music gear, or they buy online.

[Mark Schmieder]

8 hours ago, Ed A. said:

They’re closing the New Haven, Connecticut store, the only Sam Ash in Connecticut. I would have thought that because New Haven is a big college town(Yale, UNH, Quinnipiac) that a music store would do well there.  Could be because many college students are broke and don’t have much disposable income for music gear, or they buy online.

 

Tuitions, room and board, textbooks, and college loan interest rates, have all been going up at a rate considerably higher than official inflation numbers would suggest. I doubt there are many students who have discretionary funds at this point. My tenants fall into that category too.

[BluMunk]

I'm in a pretty small "big city" in a rural part of the country.

 

Growing up, we had 1 music retailer in town, and while it may not have been anywhere near as exhaustive and comprehensive as some of the big players in music retail, it felt magical going there as a teen. Not only for the instruments, but for the sense that you were in a space populated by gigging musicians. We had a very vibrant music scene here in the 90s, and the kids, amateurs, and pros all shared the store. Yes, it was a commercial space, but it also embodied a sense of community. I'm pretty sure my parents bought my first 'piano' there (a Yamaha electric furniture/home model), I got my first electric guitar and amp there, my Roland RD700-GX, the Korg M3 (used) in my profile pic, and countless cables, pics, hand drum pieces, sheet music, pedals, and other gear. I also got hands on plenty of new and used keyboard equipment... it was never a huge department, but they always had a selection of the latest from Roland, Yamaha, and Korg, and a decent turnover of used gear.

 

A Guitar Center opened here in 2012, but even by then the local shop was starting to be threatened by online shopping. A few years ago the local store sold to a larger retailer that seems to focus mostly on band/orchestra instruments and relationships with schools and students in that sphere. Which is great, but far from the gigging guitar/drum/bass/keyboard player resource it once was.

Anyway, just a data point, and noting that especially in smaller communities, a music store can really serve as a hub for active musicians, and that shared community space is one of the intangible things we lose when we lose retail shops.

As fun as it is to joke about people playing Smoke on the Water in the music store, I remember being 10 (or whatever) and hearing people playing those 'cliched' songs on the showroom floor, and thinking it was the coolest thing ever. I aspired to be able to do that! Now that exposure is going, going, gone.