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

[Stokely]

As an aside, not worthy of its own thread but Sam Ash related...

If you google various keyboards, Sam Ash will often come up in the results with a nice discount using the "SMASH" coupon.   I found that this coupon doesn't work for anything other than Yamaha.  I called them on the chance it should but they said google is misleading, and that it won't work on everything.   However, it's 20% with no apparent max limit, so that's a hell of a discount on an Montage M  or Yamaha YC88 etc if you happen to be after one!  Had it in my cart but it's still a bit more than I'm willing to spend without selling some gear  

Worked as of yesterday at least.

[Brad Kaenel]

3 hours ago, Stokely said:

As an aside, not worthy of its own thread but Sam Ash related...

If you google various keyboards, Sam Ash will often come up in the results with a nice discount using the "SMASH" coupon.   I found that this coupon doesn't work for anything other than Yamaha.  I called them on the chance it should but they said google is misleading, and that it won't work on everything.   However, it's 20% with no apparent max limit, so that's a hell of a discount on an Montage M  or Yamaha YC88 etc if you happen to be after one!  Had it in my cart but it's still a bit more than I'm willing to spend without selling some gear  

Worked as of yesterday at least.

Worked today on a Nord Piano 5...

[Stokely]

Ah man, I didn't try Nord!  More GAS!

[RABid]

Years and years ago I looked at the Sam Ash advertisement in the back of Keyboard Magazine, called the 800 number, and ordered a Rhodes Chroma from them, site unseen. No free shipping back then. It had to go on a truck and shipping cost me over $300. Payment was by bank transfer. It was a different time back then.

 

Years ago (just one "years") I drove 4 hours to the Sam Ash in Nashville with plans to buy a Kurzweil K2500. They had one on the floor. I spent a hour trying to get someone to wait on me. Finally gave up and left. Waisted trip. Never dealt with Sam Ash again.

[Motif88]

5 hours ago, Stokely said:

As an aside, not worthy of its own thread but Sam Ash related...

If you google various keyboards, Sam Ash will often come up in the results with a nice discount using the "SMASH" coupon.   I found that this coupon doesn't work for anything other than Yamaha.  I called them on the chance it should but they said google is misleading, and that it won't work on everything.   However, it's 20% with no apparent max limit, so that's a hell of a discount on an Montage M  or Yamaha YC88 etc if you happen to be after one!  Had it in my cart but it's still a bit more than I'm willing to spend without selling some gear  

Worked as of yesterday at least.

Well...as a 45+ year Sam Ash customer, I traded in my RD-2000 (because shipping would be insane), sold my Hydrasynth Deluxe via Reverb and took advantage of the "SMASH"coupon to get my Montage M8x at a great discount.

[alan93]

I remember the magical , almost mystical experience of going to a music store as a youth back when they were the only bastions of high end music gear and sounds.

Now, in the information age, the info and sounds for all those items are a finger tip away. 

Likewise, the prices they charged was to support the shipping, building, utilities and the staff. Now, the items are easily found , not just in local want ads but cross country want ads (websites)

I bought my last 3 keyboards that way, one on craigslist for half price another on ebay for for half price and another for about 30% off .

These were nearly brand new. (because people think they can program synths , but they can't) 

 

I did go into the store to determine the only thing the computer can't give you, the touch of the keys.

After going in to the store to play a Yamaha before buying it, I was sorely disappointed with what Yamaha calls "semi-weighted" action (which really means spongy spring keys) but I still bought it, only because there is no real semi-weighted out there.

[kpl1228]

I do lament the loss of these stores also. But other than home recording and VST stuff, the Guitar Centers and Sam Ashs of the world rarely have pro-level expensive keyboards. Makes sense: the people that play those (us) are a small percentage of their market.

I wonder if the Sam Ash in Cleveland (Mayfield Heights) is closing....I keep looking for the full Sam Ash closing list and I keep seeing partial lists.

It would make sense if the Cleveland store closed. Few customers, cheaper budget instruments and accessories, and always seems to be on its last legs.

A visit to the keyboard room at Sweetwater brought me back to those magical days of brick and mortar and walking in and seeing pro instruments. Haven't seen anythng like it since though.

I know that we are a niche.

[Stokely]

1 hour ago, alan93 said:

I remember the magical , almost mystical experience of going to a music store as a youth back when they were the only bastions of high end music gear and sounds.

Now, in the information age, the info and sounds for all those items are a finger tip away. 

Likewise, the prices they charged was to support the shipping, building, utilities and the staff. Now, the items are easily found , not just in local want ads but cross country want ads (websites)

I bought my last 3 keyboards that way, one on craigslist for half price another on ebay for for half price and another for about 30% off .

These were nearly brand new. (because people think they can program synths , but they can't) 

 

I did go into the store to determine the only thing the computer can't give you, the touch of the keys.

After going in to the store to play a Yamaha before buying it, I was sorely disappointed with what Yamaha calls "semi-weighted" action (which really means spongy spring keys) but I still bought it, only because there is no real semi-weighted out there.

Same here, I remember one in particular and even the keyboard I was oohing and aahing over--a Korg Polysix.  I can picture the scene like it was yesterday.   It was so far above what I had been using (some Casio thing with one speaker!) that it was indeed mystical.  

What's crazy is that I think it was more than $2000 (maybe a lot more) in 1981 or so...what is that in today's dollars? 

Did I end up getting that Polysix?  Sadly, no...a Moog Rogue!   Much cheaper, and much less capable...but I had tons of fun with it nonetheless!

[Thethirdapple]

Et voila! algorithmic regurgitation…

 

 

 

 

PEACE

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[dglcomp]

In some ways going bigger might be the way to make the chains survive, make the music stores a destination/somewhere to visit making sure it is well stocked with plenty of demo instruments, maybe even add somewhere to eat or simply get a drink.

 

Thomann's only store is basically out in the sticks and whilst it might not be the sales leader it would have been back in the day it's not been sidelined and is actually being regularly expanded (I think there are plans to near double it's size) and it's seen as a place musicians should visit at least once, plus it's size means there are experts in each type of instrument (both playing and servicing) which can also provide assistance for online orders (so the shop helps the online side and vice-versa). Think about it a small shop may only have experts on the most popular instrument(s). It probably helps that they are a business without money worries (they are debt free, and only profits are used for expansion, plus no venture capitalists or share holders (well I guess it's for technical reasons but they do actually have a share holder called Johann!) ) and that with everything being on the same site there's no issue with only having stock online, if they haven't got it in stock there they haven't got it in stock anywhere (you actually pick up most purchases from the warehouse).

 

Of course a chain of stores is not going to be able to put the money in that Thomann with it's one store can but it's something that could work, and as for stealing PSU's you could screw them down with a metal bracket or have them in a locked cupboard/container near/underneath the synths and just have a hole for the cable to come through. Or use a distributed power system, though I can see voltage/polarity issues coming into play.

[Paul Henry]

I agree that Sam Ash and GC have had little to no selection of Pro level keyboards for the last decade. I've read that since the main man has passed that the sons are

doing what they think is best in this business climate.

All my main musical purchases have been with Alto Music in Middleton NY. I am from Rhode Island and I feel the six hour round trip is worth my time to be able to check out

pretty much any top tier keyboard out there. Everything is setup and ready to demo and if it's not they get it ready to go. 

When I was looking to buy my Nord Stage3 they went and grabbed a fresh one and opened it for me to try out first. Yes that was three years ago, so maybe that's frowned upon now.  

They also give me the best deals on any and all equipment, guitars, keyboards, mixers, PA speakers, studio monitors, E-Drums.....I've bought everything from them in the past several years. I guess I'm a fan and YMMV but it's worth a shot since all these other stores are closing.

 

Paul 

[Outkaster]

Most music stores are depressing now, as if their best years are behind them.  Out of the 3-4 GC stores in the state near me they always seem to be ghost towns and the employees could give a shit about anyone in there. 

[Mark Schmieder]

And yet, there are still some that are thriving, mostly because they are independent and were savvy enough to adapt. In many cases, excellent service is what keeps people coming back. I will call out Victor Litz in Gaithersberg MD, Chuck Levin's DC area store. and Foxes Music in Falls Church where I had excellent and affordable setup work done on my string bass today while I waited.