I really like the Michael Kelly guitars. Especially the Patriot series electric guitars and the acoustic guitars. I have a zebrawood Forte Port acoustic that plays and sounds beautiful. Plus it's gorgeous to look at. I also have the KOA 10 string acoustic from Michael Kelly. Unbeatable values.
I bought my first guitar from Sam Ash in White Plains, NY in either '85 or '86. I can't remember. But it was a brand new Ibanez Roadstar II (RS-440) in Candy Apple Red, black pickguard, H-S-S with coil tap and a beast of a tremolo system. I was giving that thing Brad Gillis abuse and it never lost tune. I think I paid $450 for it. On another note, you should have asked if they'd sell you some of those empty guitar hangers that were on the wall.
Always interesting that Sam Ash and Guitar Center stores are in rougher parts of town. I’ve always wondered why. Perhaps because of price of rent on a larger space.
The original Sam Ash near Mannys in NYC wasn't a rough part of town and Sam Ash GC here in Hollywood is on Sunset and another in the Valley not bad at all. I don't know what towns you guys are talking about. 🎸
I bought my dream guitar from Sam Ash at a 45% discount, but via their Reverb store (New Taylor 912ce Builders Edition) . It seems to me they have (or had) more flexibility negotiating prices online. This guitar retails for $5,999 and after two counteroffers going back and forth, I got it locked in at close to half the retail price. It feels like I won a lottery!! I still think it’s too good to be true, but my thinking is that some Sales Rep that was about to lose his/her job decided on cashing in some last sales commissions 😎. Either way, My new guitar showed up at my door 3 days ago, and can’t put it down.
I heard they're are sending inventory elsewhere either to a wholesale buyer or someplace like a warehouse to sell later online or auction somehow, and they are try to move all the scratch and dent, low end stuff and house brands. Make of that what you will but the guitar center across the street in San Antonio worker have heard similar stuff. I dont have any proof but there are no signs of of my local craigslist, of a few mom and pops denying trade ins.
That’s some good info there. Love to hear the rumors out there to see what is going on. I was surprised to see so many guitars sold so yeah maybe they have to wholesaler. That makes sense.
When Sammy passed it was a matter of time, the family's heart wasn't in it. Retail became annoying as F anyway. I live in LA and even I ditched the millions of guitar stores we had mostly put out of biz by chains like GC and Sam Ash and now Sam and GC can go bye bye for all I care. The magic of the original Sam Ash next to Mannys across from Rudys in NYC - THAT was the sh*t but that was decades ago. Today I won't miss Ash or GC at all. GC and MF are the same Co so obviously GC will be next because they already have MF mail order to try to compete with AMS and Sweetwater.
I went Friday. Margate, Florida. Same experience, except mine was fully stocked with plenty of mid and higher dollar gear. Nothing picked clean. Big deal. 5% off. And I can buy online, same price, free shipping in many cases (Amazon!), save my county’s 6.5% sales tax, and have the security of being able to return something that went really bad. Like you, I was particularly shocked at this for PEDALS! I mean…come on. They’re in the hands of liquidators now I’m sure, who have a certain practice of handling this. Makes no sense to me. I need an LP case, and MAYBE I’ll go again this week to see what’s going on. But if I can’t find a semi-decent deal on that or something else, I’m Not returning for a third time.
I hear you. I’m not sure I’m gonna go back maybe curiosity only. I could use some gig bags and cases and the deals were just ok. I think you are right, liquidators are in charge.
@@badbrad This is a very emotional thing for me, more so than some others: I’m 67, and as an 11-year-old kid, me and my buddies would take two buses to go to the Sam Ash on Kings Highways and Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn. Those were the days an 11-year-old kid COULD take buses all over the city without parental accompaniment! One such visit was on a weekday, the day Yellow Submarine premiered. We played hooky from school, went to Sam Ash, and then went to see the movie across the street. When married with children in 1994, I moved to Coral Springs, FL to discover I was lucky enough to have a Sam Ash just 5 miles away from me in Margate. I’m taking this closure very hard. It represents my entire life.
Musician Friends website has some open box deals on Gibson Les Paul cases. $180 off the Lifton historic five latch brown case with pink inside. Happy Shopping!
Trying hard not to be a troll…but, consumers are pretty stupid….I would not buy at 5% off in a good day. I buy all my stuff used…mostly facebook and less and less Reverb….
I really like the Michael Kelly guitars. Especially the Patriot series electric guitars and the acoustic guitars. I have a zebrawood Forte Port acoustic that plays and sounds beautiful. Plus it's gorgeous to look at. I also have the KOA 10 string acoustic from Michael Kelly. Unbeatable values.
They really do look nice!
I bought my first guitar from Sam Ash in White Plains, NY in either '85 or '86. I can't remember. But it was a brand new Ibanez Roadstar II (RS-440) in Candy Apple Red, black pickguard, H-S-S with coil tap and a beast of a tremolo system. I was giving that thing Brad Gillis abuse and it never lost tune. I think I paid $450 for it. On another note, you should have asked if they'd sell you some of those empty guitar hangers that were on the wall.
I loved those Ibanez Roadstars I wish they would bring those back.
Just wait. I strolled in after they started the sale a month prior and it was up to 30% off and grabbed a Les Paul Classic for $1540
Now that’s a deal!!!
Always interesting that Sam Ash and Guitar Center stores are in rougher parts of town. I’ve always wondered why. Perhaps because of price of rent on a larger space.
The original Sam Ash near Mannys in NYC wasn't a rough part of town and Sam Ash GC here in Hollywood is on Sunset and another in the Valley not bad at all. I don't know what towns you guys are talking about. 🎸
I could argue that after dark in Hollywood always runs the risk of being sketch, I lived there.
@@badbrad What are you, a wuss? Sunset Blvd is sketchy at night?? LOL !!!! It's Disney. Fact is music stores are NOT in sketchy parts of town usually.
I bought my dream guitar from Sam Ash at a 45% discount, but via their Reverb store (New Taylor 912ce Builders Edition) . It seems to me they have (or had) more flexibility negotiating prices online. This guitar retails for $5,999 and after two counteroffers going back and forth, I got it locked in at close to half the retail price. It feels like I won a lottery!!
I still think it’s too good to be true, but my thinking is that some Sales Rep that was about to lose his/her job decided on cashing in some last sales commissions 😎.
Either way, My new guitar showed up at my door 3 days ago, and can’t put it down.
Man that is awesome!
Great video Brad. That blue Strat is beautiful. Please do a video one day on your guitar collection.
Will do!
Great video man you rock
Thank you and you rock!!!
I live near Sweetwater, typically get 10% or better there
I hear ya!
Michael kelly guitars have a lower profit margin I think. Cool ones with a p rail set up are neat.
I'm curious how they play.
@@badbrad ua-cam.com/video/-TcoHomWRk8/v-deo.htmlsi=lnM4Til4046M9p8c
I heard they're are sending inventory elsewhere either to a wholesale buyer or someplace like a warehouse to sell later online or auction somehow, and they are try to move all the scratch and dent, low end stuff and house brands. Make of that what you will but the guitar center across the street in San Antonio worker have heard similar stuff. I dont have any proof but there are no signs of of my local craigslist, of a few mom and pops denying trade ins.
That’s some good info there. Love to hear the rumors out there to see what is going on. I was surprised to see so many guitars sold so yeah maybe they have to wholesaler. That makes sense.
When Sammy passed it was a matter of time, the family's heart wasn't in it. Retail became annoying as F anyway. I live in LA and even I ditched the millions of guitar stores we had mostly put out of biz by chains like GC and Sam Ash and now Sam and GC can go bye bye for all I care. The magic of the original Sam Ash next to Mannys across from Rudys in NYC - THAT was the sh*t but that was decades ago. Today I won't miss Ash or GC at all. GC and MF are the same Co so obviously GC will be next because they already have MF mail order to try to compete with AMS and Sweetwater.
Yeah that original Sam Ash in New York was a magical place. Went there once as a little kid.
I went Friday. Margate, Florida. Same experience, except mine was fully stocked with plenty of mid and higher dollar gear. Nothing picked clean.
Big deal. 5% off. And I can buy online, same price, free shipping in many cases (Amazon!), save my county’s 6.5% sales tax, and have the security of being able to return something that went really bad.
Like you, I was particularly shocked at this for PEDALS! I mean…come on.
They’re in the hands of liquidators now I’m sure, who have a certain practice of handling this. Makes no sense to me.
I need an LP case, and MAYBE I’ll go again this week to see what’s going on. But if I can’t find a semi-decent deal on that or something else, I’m
Not returning for a third time.
I hear you. I’m not sure I’m gonna go back maybe curiosity only. I could use some gig bags and cases and the deals were just ok. I think you are right, liquidators are in charge.
@@badbrad This is a very emotional thing for me, more so than some others:
I’m 67, and as an 11-year-old kid, me and my buddies would take two buses to go to the Sam Ash on Kings Highways and Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn. Those were the days an 11-year-old kid COULD take buses all over the city without parental accompaniment!
One such visit was on a weekday, the day Yellow Submarine premiered. We played hooky from school, went to Sam Ash, and then went to see the movie across the street.
When married with children in 1994, I moved to Coral Springs, FL to discover I was lucky enough to have a Sam Ash just 5 miles away from me in Margate.
I’m taking this closure very hard. It represents my entire life.
Musician Friends website has some open box deals on Gibson Les Paul cases. $180 off the Lifton historic five latch brown case with pink inside. Happy Shopping!
Man I am so sorry that you are losing a childhood icon in retail. I hate to see this happen.
lol @ you vultures
Lol
Trying hard not to be a troll…but, consumers are pretty stupid….I would not buy at 5% off in a good day. I buy all my stuff used…mostly facebook and less and less Reverb….
I hear you loud and clear!
Scam. My guitar not shipped no phone and company I receivership. 😢
Man I hate to hear that.
The scammer stole my money.
That is awful