JohnH Posted May 2 Share Posted May 2 Just saw a You tube post and checked this too. https://guitar.com/news/industry-news/sam-ash-rumoured-closing-all-stores/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RABid Posted May 2 Share Posted May 2 Wow. Hate to see that. Their online component never did catch fire like Sweetwater, American Musical, etc... Quote This post edited for speling. My Sweetwater Gear Exchange Page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Docbop Posted May 2 Share Posted May 2 That's really sad seeing a family owned business go under. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franz Schiller Posted May 2 Share Posted May 2 Oh no! I really liked Sam Ash! Always felt warmer than Guitar Center, with cooler stuff. Damn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnH Posted May 2 Author Share Posted May 2 it's official. https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/gear/sam_ash_to_begin_store-closing_sales_today_thank_you_for_allowing_us_to_serve_musicians_like_you_for_100_years.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old No7 Posted May 2 Share Posted May 2 Dang... Sure glad I got to see the NYC store last summer... Old No7 Quote Yamaha MODX6 * Hammond SK Pro 73 * Roland Fantom-08 * Crumar Mojo Pedals * Mackie Thump 12As * Tascam DP-24SD * JBL 305 MkIIs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stokely Posted May 2 Share Posted May 2 Uh....I just ordered something from them online. Cancelling now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Martin Posted May 2 Share Posted May 2 Just now, Stokely said: Uh....I just ordered something from them online. Cancelling now. They're closing stores. Online operations will continue for quite a while. 4 Quote -Mike Martin Casio Mike Martin Photography Instagram Facebook The Big Picture Photography Forum on Music Player Network The opinions I post here are my own and do not represent the company I work for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stokely Posted May 2 Share Posted May 2 4 minutes ago, Mike Martin said: They're closing stores. Online operations will continue for quite a while. I'm giving it some thought. Not even sure I can cancel my order. Knowing they haven't just declared bankruptcy and made off with my money is good....but I'm still feeling a bit shaky right now. The first way it impacts me is if I could return locally if I had issues within the first 45 days (as you can with Guitar Center). After that, since I didn't buy their extended warranty I'd be on my own anyway except for any limited warranty from Roland. Any thoughts on this and what you all might do? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GovernorSilver Posted May 2 Share Posted May 2 I ordered a digital piano from them just this past Saturday. Tried calling them yesterday to get a status on the order because I hadn't received a shipping notice, and the rep said he'd look into it. Called again today because I didn't hear anything. The rep who answered the phone said his internet connection is down so he can't look up the order, then apologized. I'll give them a few more days. If no progress is made after those few days, I'll cancel the order. If I can't do that I'll call my credit card provider to dispute the purchase - but hope it won't come to that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stokely Posted May 2 Share Posted May 2 Wow I'm in the same boat, called them this morning and they told me it was moving through the warehouse or something like that. I purchased 3 days ago. On the website it just says "processing". My situation may be tougher because I used paypal balance for part of it (gig money for a long while was paid to me via paypal!). I also hope it won't come to a struggle to get my money back. Any concerns about receiving your keyboard knowing the stores (and likely the online shop) will be gone soon? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GovernorSilver Posted May 2 Share Posted May 2 No return policy is the concern that comes to mind. Can't return a product to a store that is out of business. But this particular product is from a mainstream manufacturer (Roland) and I'd already auditioned it in person at a local shop - which I would have supported if they had it in stock in the color I wanted, but I deliberated too long and the shop ended up selling out all units of this product. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MathOfInsects Posted May 2 Share Posted May 2 I hate to be a bottom-feeder, but my local Sam Ash has some cool keyboards. I guess it's time to visit... Quote Now out! "Mind the Gap," a 24-song album of new material. www.joshweinstein.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stokely Posted May 2 Share Posted May 2 Well first concern (that seems unfounded....) is that they are just up and going bankrupt immediately. One would like to think that when your "store closing" message mentions sales online that you will be a legit business selling and supporting those sales for at least a while. Being a paranoid skeptic as I am though... If only Sweetwater had had the Fantom 6 in stock. I'd gladly pay a couple hundred more for peace of mind about now (and that couple hundred includes a nice warranty). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GovernorSilver Posted May 2 Share Posted May 2 wow, our situations really do parallel. I really like the Roland FP-90X that I tried at the local shop, and was going back and forth between that and the Kawai ES-920. The FP-90X in the shop was the white one - I found black labels on white housing easier to read than white labels on black housing. Of course that was just the cherry on top of an action that I liked almost as much as the ES-920's and onboard sounds that I liked enough. That was a few months ago. As of May 2024, the white FP-90X is sold out at this shop, and also sold out at multiple online shops. Sam Ash claimed to have 5 units in stock, and accepted their own 20% off coupon. I'm not so concerned about the FP-90X itself, or the possibility of having to return it to non-existent store. By all reports it has a solid build quality and it certainly felt like it was built solid when I tried it. I know what to expect as far as action and sound, so the only reason I'd try to get a refund is if it arrived crushed by an 18-wheeler or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mighty Motif Max Posted May 2 Share Posted May 2 The first thing that comes to mind are their house brands - Samson audio stuff and Michael Kelly guitars. Samson gear isn't bad... Quote Yamaha: Motif XF8, MODX7, YS200, CVP-305, CLP-130, YPG-235, PSR-295, PSS-470 | Roland: Fantom 7, JV-1000 Kurzweil: PC3-76| Hammond: SK Pro 73 | Korg: Triton LE 76, N1R, X5DR | Emu: Proteus/1 | Casio: CT-370 | Novation: Launchkey 37 MK3 | Technics: WSA1R Former: Emu Proformance Plus & Mo'Phatt, Korg Krome 61, Roland Fantom XR & JV-1010, Yamaha MX61, Behringer CAT, Kurzweil PC4 (88) Assorted electric & acoustic guitars and electric basses | Roland TD-17 KVX | Alesis SamplePad Pro | Assorted organs, accordions, other instruments Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stokely Posted May 2 Share Posted May 2 Something else that I just noticed when I refreshed my orders page: ALL SALES FINAL FOR PURCHASES MADE AFTER MAY 1ST 2024 As of 5/2. They do say that doesn't count for damaged items. But do NOT order if you think you might not like something and will just return it. Those days are done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProfD Posted May 2 Share Posted May 2 1 hour ago, MathOfInsects said: I hate to be a bottom-feeder, but my local Sam Ash has some cool keyboards. I guess it's time to visit... ITRW, you would be considered a smart shopper.😁😎 Quote PD "The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motif88 Posted May 2 Share Posted May 2 OUCH! This sucks, I've been a customer for 45+ years hate to see this brand die. We reap what we sow and have now killed retail across multiple market segments. Not sure these are the droids we are looking for... Quote Using: Yamaha: Montage M8x| Spectrasonics: Omnisphere, Keyscape | uhe: Diva, Hive2, Zebra2| Roland: Cloud Pro | Arturia: V Collection | NI: Komplete 14 | VPS: Avenger | Cherry: GX80 | G-Force: OB-E | Korg: Triton, MS-20 Sold/Traded: Yamaha: Motif XS8, Motif ES8, Motif8, KX-88, TX7 | ASM: Hydrasynth Deluxe| Roland: RD-2000, D50, MKS-20| Korg: Kronos 88, T3, MS-20 | Oberheim: OB8, OBXa, Modular 8 Voice | Rhodes: Dyno-My-Piano| Crumar: T2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stokely Posted May 2 Share Posted May 2 I guess you could get into a chicken-or-egg discussion on the subject, but my local Sam Ash(es): - never consistently had much in the way of selection - never consistently had power connections hooked up - never consistently had audio hooked up, and if they did it was to some small mono speaker. The last one I will wave away because I would bring my good headphones in to audition keyboards anyway. As it was often on lunch break, another challenge was that guy over there sitting at a stage piano playing for literally my entire lunch hour at volume 11. Often it was hard to get anyone's attention, and IMO some of the people they had seemed "less than interested" in helping you (if say you requested the damn power to be hooked up). I do hate to see the stores go away as it was exciting to go through the various depts, but end of the day when it comes to keyboards my local stores were not really giving much value (offerings, or prices). I'm going to call them tomorrow about my order. I have a general concern that worrying about seeing my order through will be the last thing on the minds of everyone there--they are probably hurriedly doing a lot of job hunting about now. Just not a warm fuzzy feeling that this will end well. It's pretty ridiculous that my order is "processing" for this long without a shipping number being generated (same with GovernorSilver's order) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHarrell Posted May 2 Share Posted May 2 32 minutes ago, Stokely said: I guess you could get into a chicken-or-egg discussion on the subject, but my local Sam Ash(es): - never consistently had much in the way of selection - never consistently had power connections hooked up - never consistently had audio hooked up, and if they did it was to some small mono speaker. The last one I will wave away because I would bring my good headphones in to audition keyboards anyway. As it was often on lunch break, another challenge was that guy over there sitting at a stage piano playing for literally my entire lunch hour at volume 11. Often it was hard to get anyone's attention, and IMO some of the people they had seemed "less than interested" in helping you (if say you requested the damn power to be hooked up). I do hate to see the stores go away as it was exciting to go through the various depts, but end of the day when it comes to keyboards my local stores were not really giving much value (offerings, or prices). I'm going to call them tomorrow about my order. I have a general concern that worrying about seeing my order through will be the last thing on the minds of everyone there--they are probably hurriedly doing a lot of job hunting about now. Just not a warm fuzzy feeling that this will end well. It's pretty ridiculous that my order is "processing" for this long without a shipping number being generated (same with GovernorSilver's order) It's interesting this news comes on the heels of a statement by GC CEO this week about a paradigm shift targeting pros more than beginners with their walk-in inventory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Emm Posted May 2 Share Posted May 2 My feeling over it: surreality. The profit margin on keyboards is woefully small; serious rack effects likewise. Now, more than we've seen in a while, many are too freaked out by the social n' political atmosphere to sustain bigger-ticket sales. There will always be a place for pros and the unsane such as we KC denizens, but as a sales guy, I sold far more guitars, strings and drums. Keys have always been an advanced form of life and not easily engaged without a good start and some mentoring. Between online sales and the rise of software, Sam Ash probably won't be the last to fold. You can also bet that when you see the term "private equity" in the news, the business that's closing is often doing so because they're being gutted. Equity fund participants clean up, people are put out of work and properties become haunted houses. I also know its sometimes a 10-car pileup which isn't that cut & dried, to be fair. Still, I have a seriously vile term for the practice, but this is a family group. Addams Family, sure, but still family. The real culprit, though, is Us. Music has lost ground as a proactive personal habit as the technology made it more of a consumable. The loss of music and art classes in school is, IMO, part of why we have more nervous & self-centered citizens. Both the discipline and sheer pleasure of it builds personal and philosophical muscle you won't get from just brushing up on C++. I'm just wistfully happy that when the Jupiter-8 was new, I had 3 excellent music stores where the gear was plugged in and the help was helpful. I got the Full Synth Monty, which has informed everything since. I'm grateful for keyboards and you should be as well. They're the main reason I'm not in the basement building a dimensional portal to Crom knows where. 4 Quote "Let there be dancing in the streets, drinking in the saloons and necking in the parlors! Play, Don!" ~ Groucho Marx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stokely Posted May 2 Share Posted May 2 Music has to some degree moved on from the instruments sold in Sam Ash. I use software synths exclusively at home (other than a keyboard to control them). On a positive note though--after seeing the band programs in both my sons' middle and high schools, music is still kicking. I was absolutely shocked by the size and the ability of those bands full of kids many of which had never played an instrument before taking Band. It was a near miracle to me what they could pull off. And as an aside, band director has gotta be both one of the hardest and most fulfilling jobs there is. It's not just music stores in any case. Circuit City, probably Best Buy soon, places like Bed Bath and Beyond and so on...online stores have done a number on them. My first thought when I need a pair of shoes is not to drive to a mall or store...if anything, shoe salespeople are just annoying The way people "drive" glued to their phones I'm happy to mostly stay (and work) at home and shop from there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzpiano88 Posted May 2 Share Posted May 2 I don't know..... something else has changed. It's not just that mail-order has supplanted local brick and mortar. Back in the day, unless you lived in a major city you had to mail order from Sam Ash, Bananna's, etc for a lot of stuff. It was just over the phone. Lots of keyboards were stocked locally, however - mostly flagships and price points. So why didn't mail order put the local keyboard music dealer out of this business? Was it that Sam Ash only gave you a small discount relative to local back then? I bought a lot of keyboards locally, but all of the esoteric stuff mail order (specific mixers, effects, controllers, modules). There was something magical about walking into a great music store in the 80s and 90s. Even in small town western Iowa, we had Griggs Music that stocked all of the Yamaha, Korg and Roland keyboard gear. It was like a candy store. All hooked up to a glorious stereo PA designed to make you buy it on the spot. Maybe what has changed the most is that you can nearly perfectly audition gear with YouTube and all the info you could ever ask is ubiquitous online. So that magic music store experience like a theme park is gone. Well, one thing is that after the 2010's+ these stores weren't set up to be a theme park. Guitar Center in San Jose was definitely set up as the theme park in the 90's till ~2010 or so. Quote J a z z P i a n o 8 8 -- Yamaha C7D Montage M8x | CP300 | CP4 | SK1-73 | OB6 | Seven K8.2 | 3300 | CPSv.3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zephonic Posted May 2 Share Posted May 2 Not good... From the way our local branch looks, I bet Guitar Center is on life support too... Quote local: Korg Nautilus 61 AT | Yamaha MODX8 away: GigPerformer | 16" MBP M1 Max home: Kawai RX-2 | Korg D1 | Roland Fantom X7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted May 3 Share Posted May 3 First thing I think of when you say Sam Ash is ... they bought out Thoroughbred Music in Tampa. I did a lot of business with them. They custom cut a lot of my cases. I still use an Armadillo Anvil style rack in my keyboard gig. I miss Thoroughbred Music. 2 Quote "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzpiano88 Posted May 3 Share Posted May 3 In a way, I think Covid also hastened the demise. The pandemic made people realize nobody has to do anything. Just stay in your house, have things delivered and live off PPP or savings. If anyone comes to the door today, you just hit the deck and wait till they leave unless they're delivering groceries or Arby's. 1 Quote J a z z P i a n o 8 8 -- Yamaha C7D Montage M8x | CP300 | CP4 | SK1-73 | OB6 | Seven K8.2 | 3300 | CPSv.3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProfD Posted May 3 Share Posted May 3 4 hours ago, Stokely said: My first thought when I need a pair of shoes is not to drive to a mall or store...if anything, shoe salespeople are just annoying The way people "drive" glued to their phones I'm happy to mostly stay (and work) at home and shop from there. Grab a gaming chair for the home office and you're all set.😁😎 1 Quote PD "The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reezekeys Posted May 3 Share Posted May 3 Got my first keyboard - a Whitehall Grand Prix Duo organ - at the Sam Ash in White Plains, NY. It was a bar mitzvah present from my grandma so that would make it 1969. 55 years ago. I guess I am old! Not only onine ordering but free shipping and easy returns have to have spelled the end of b&m music stores. The idea that one might prefer having a place to try a keyboard in person before buying probably bit the dust when you showed up to a space with barely any stock, keyboards not plugged in, and $10/hr salespersons who knew less about the boards than you did. In that sense they kind of did it to themselves, but imo there's plenty of blame to go around - including the reality that today's younger music makers don't really use musical instruments. Still, I'll be forever grateful to the White Plains store for selling me a pristine Yamaha KX88 - the battleship of early weighted-action midi controllers - to replace my original which was lost in a fire. In this case the salesperson's ignorance truly worked to my benefit: I got it for $99! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outkaster Posted May 3 Share Posted May 3 It's so strange. So many things are closing now. Restaurants, businesses and stores all since COVID. 1 Quote "Danny, ci manchi a tutti. La E-Street Band non e' la stessa senza di te. Riposa in pace, fratello" noblevibes.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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