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.
I have had much better experiences with Sam Ash but have heard a number of things about them that tell me their devotion to customer service was not always what it should have been. These are tough times for businesses that are not doing what they need to in order to keep customers coming back
I always laugh at people who offer to order something for me. I always feel like that is pretty redundant. I'm here because I wanted it now. If you don't have it, I'll order it myself. There is no value in someone else ordering it for me.
yea I worked as a " porter" in a music store. restringin and pickup changes delivering PA and settin up PA . well calzone cases approached us about sellin their product. we already carried anvil cases but we agreed over the phone to take on a calzone case. one. briefcase .one. but they sent two them tried to bill us for the second case that we didnt goddamn order. they wanted their money or their case back. we simply told them on the phone " come get your case"
@Metalbass1979 , I just watched Ola do a demo. Not the best sounding amp in its size. 🤣 Orange has better offerings with their micro amps. They are a bit more expensive, but a better value. But, I love me some doom metal as well as everything else. 🤘
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 loved S.A., but I always hated their website. Not enough photos of each piece of gear, needlessly difficult to navigate, and the prices weren't any better than any other store/website. I will say though, it does break my heart, and brings back memories of bumping into Eric Carmen, Michael Stanley, Joe Walsh, Trent Reznor, Benjamin Orr, and many more, who were just regular customers at my local Sam Ash Music Store in Lyndhurst Ohio. Thanks for the memories, the service, and a few killer Les Pauls!! Rest in Peace S.A.
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.
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.
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 👍
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.
If only they'd take decent photos of used gear and say what occasions a given rating. The stores never reply to email. You have to call and get an associate to tell you about it.
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 .
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?
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!
The one in Arizona, I believe, is just a secondary distribution center and some corporate offices. It’s not a full-blown campus with a retail store and everything like their headquarters on Ft. Wayne.
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
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.
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.
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.
Guitar for sale and it's a picture of an amp or picture coming soon. The new/used thing is done on purpose which in itself has lost them an unknown amount of business. I usually only buy used from them anymore and new stuff I get from MF which so far hasn't pulled that on me yet.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Really, that's a thing to refuse business (over the phone)? I live in Canada, and we have Long & McQuade stores across the country. I've always had great support from them. I called during a Black Friday sale last fall because the store that had a specific used item I wanted was 3 hours away, and I couldn't get there at the time. Not only did they make my purchase of this item over the phone easy, but I also inquired about another used item he had in stock. I asked why it was $250 more than another location, about 6 hours from my house. He advised me that it was actually just a demo and not technically used. Then he decided to package it together with my original purchase, so he matched the price of the used one at the other store that was not a demo and was $250 less, and then lowered the price of my original item by about $30 because I had spent about $1500 with them. That basically covered most of the shipping fee, and within 2 days, I had my items at my front door. This was all over the phone. And I still had great service and got a great deal. They didn't force me to go to the store. They just wanted the sale and knew they could get it by making a customer happy, lol
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
Hey Robert, I just heard Fernandes Guitars is filing for bankruptcy. Although they aren't Gibson, Fender, PRS etc., they are known to have been in the hands of Billie Joe Armstrong, Kirk Hammit, and Robert Trujillo, etc,. Personally, I have had a Fernandes Dragonfly in my collection since about 2007/08 and it's a great guitar to play. I'm just wondering if you have input on companies like this going bankrupt and if you think this will become a worrisome trend in the future (oversaturation of the market maybe?). I feel like Gibson's bankruptcy a few years ago was kind of a different and unrelated story to what I guess I'm asking you about today. Thanks, Robert! Always love your videos and appreciate your input!
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.
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
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.
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. :/
Why was ending the annual catalog a mistake when all of that information is readily available on their website in real time at any given moment? Why should they continue to pay those exorbitant print publication costs - that are only continuing to increase - when it goes straight into the trash in most households due to redundancy these days?
@@palukens But don’t you sit on the shitter with a smart phone or a tablet like most people? Sweetwater’s website works just as well on those devices as it does on your computer.
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
@@RobertWJackson Called you out asshole and you keep deleting my comments.... you're a wannabe.... that's why people are talking about you on other UA-cam channels. 🤡
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.
I have had much better experiences with Sam Ash but have heard a number of things about them that tell me their devotion to customer service was not always what it should have been. These are tough times for businesses that are not doing what they need to in order to keep customers coming back
I always laugh at people who offer to order something for me. I always feel like that is pretty redundant. I'm here because I wanted it now. If you don't have it, I'll order it myself. There is no value in someone else ordering it for me.
@@travisspaulding2222 Right. It's not 1980 anymore!!
they put you in their debt to solve it
yea I worked as a " porter" in a music store. restringin and pickup changes delivering PA and settin up PA . well calzone cases approached us about sellin their product. we already carried anvil cases but we agreed over the phone to take on a calzone case. one. briefcase .one.
but they sent two them tried to bill us for the second case that we didnt goddamn order. they wanted their money or their case back. we simply told them on the phone
" come get your case"
Sam Ash is closing simply because Josh Scott hasn't told the world that the holy grail of tone can be bought there.
If Josh Scott would tell people about the Peavey Pirahna, Sam Ash would be saved.
@angusorvid8840 Amen! Just thinking of Josh thinking that makes me want to buy 10 of them. 😆
@angusorvid8840 , now I have to see what I sounds like! 🤣
@@jeffreyp1855 They're absolutely horrible.....until Josh tells us they're great. 😆
@Metalbass1979 , I just watched Ola do a demo. Not the best sounding amp in its size. 🤣 Orange has better offerings with their micro amps. They are a bit more expensive, but a better value. But, I love me some doom metal as well as everything else. 🤘
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 loved S.A., but I always hated their website. Not enough photos of each piece of gear, needlessly difficult to navigate, and the prices weren't any better than any other store/website. I will say though, it does break my heart, and brings back memories of bumping into Eric Carmen, Michael Stanley, Joe Walsh, Trent Reznor, Benjamin Orr, and many more, who were just regular customers at my local Sam Ash Music Store in Lyndhurst Ohio. Thanks for the memories, the service, and a few killer Les Pauls!! Rest in Peace S.A.
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.
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! 🤩
Surprise. LOL
"TIMES ARE-A CHANGING". Robert Jackson👍
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.
RJ
I’ll be back in April for the FDIC show there…would invite the opportunity to meet 🤩
Sure, shoot me an email.
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 👍
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.
If only they'd take decent photos of used gear and say what occasions a given rating. The stores never reply to email. You have to call and get an associate to tell you about it.
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've seen Sam Ash ads on Facebook. $78.00 for a Les Paul guitar shows you yes they are going under.
Those ads are NOT Sam Ash. Those are scams.
@@RobertWJackson Well it took me to their web site and that's where I saw the deals. They had nothing I wanted.
Yup. All over FB as well. Don’t fall for it.
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?
Ft Wayne is where North American Van Lines headquarters/dispatch was when I worked for them 21 years ago
I didn't even know Sam Ash was still around.
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
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!
When a store closes it's doors, that means all sales are final.
@@howardcunniffe8738 when I made the purchase, it was not announced yet..
Sweetwater actually has two locations now. They’ve built a new distribution center out west…Arizona, I believe
The one in Arizona, I believe, is just a secondary distribution center and some corporate offices. It’s not a full-blown campus with a retail store and everything like their headquarters on Ft. Wayne.
@@RobertWJackson that is correct. But I’m pretty sure they’ll have sales reps out there, also.
@thejship Oh I’m sure they will, also. But I don’t think they’re quite there yet.
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
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.
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.
Yup. Raleigh NC has a Sam Ash with a Guitar Center directly across the street.
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.
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.
Guitar for sale and it's a picture of an amp or picture coming soon. The new/used thing is done on purpose which in itself has lost them an unknown amount of business. I usually only buy used from them anymore and new stuff I get from MF which so far hasn't pulled that on me yet.
@@villageidiot9867 Yeah, MF has been good for me as well.
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.
k
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.
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.
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.
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.
Really, that's a thing to refuse business (over the phone)?
I live in Canada, and we have Long & McQuade stores across the country. I've always had great support from them. I called during a Black Friday sale last fall because the store that had a specific used item I wanted was 3 hours away, and I couldn't get there at the time. Not only did they make my purchase of this item over the phone easy, but I also inquired about another used item he had in stock. I asked why it was $250 more than another location, about 6 hours from my house. He advised me that it was actually just a demo and not technically used. Then he decided to package it together with my original purchase, so he matched the price of the used one at the other store that was not a demo and was $250 less, and then lowered the price of my original item by about $30 because I had spent about $1500 with them. That basically covered most of the shipping fee, and within 2 days, I had my items at my front door. This was all over the phone. And I still had great service and got a great deal. They didn't force me to go to the store. They just wanted the sale and knew they could get it by making a customer happy, lol
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
One day it will be like Twilight zone. Stone age
Sam Ash is just the beginning. Sad
REALITY. all we need is Necks. Make a guitar out of a soup can 😂
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..
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 southern Indiana and I've been to guitar center quite a few times but I've never been to a sam ash
Don't forget about the lousy in-store customer service from both Sam-Ass and the punk ass Guitar Center.
Robert. Nailed it.
Hey Robert, I just heard Fernandes Guitars is filing for bankruptcy. Although they aren't Gibson, Fender, PRS etc., they are known to have been in the hands of Billie Joe Armstrong, Kirk Hammit, and Robert Trujillo, etc,. Personally, I have had a Fernandes Dragonfly in my collection since about 2007/08 and it's a great guitar to play. I'm just wondering if you have input on companies like this going bankrupt and if you think this will become a worrisome trend in the future (oversaturation of the market maybe?). I feel like Gibson's bankruptcy a few years ago was kind of a different and unrelated story to what I guess I'm asking you about today.
Thanks, Robert! Always love your videos and appreciate your input!
VA Beach VA only has a Guitar Center.
I just bought a Steinberger GT-Pro from Sam Ash.
I thought Shamash was the ancient Mesopotamian sun god. 😜🤪🎸🌞
Keep up with the times or get left behind
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.
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
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.
Sweetwater or Musician's Friend, thou I prefer Musician's Friend.
M.F. is just Guitar Center's Online business. I ordered a SG from M.F., and the box UPS delivered came from my local Guitar Center.
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. :/
Fester. Wtf lol
Sweetwater has started going downhill with the new owners. Ending the annual catalog was a big mistake.
Why was ending the annual catalog a mistake when all of that information is readily available on their website in real time at any given moment? Why should they continue to pay those exorbitant print publication costs - that are only continuing to increase - when it goes straight into the trash in most households due to redundancy these days?
@@RobertWJackson I don't sit on shitter with computer
@@palukens But don’t you sit on the shitter with a smart phone or a tablet like most people? Sweetwater’s website works just as well on those devices as it does on your computer.
@@RobertWJackson I do not. I miss my catalog. Do you think the bean counters will rid of the candy next?
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
Who the fuck is Rob?
Komets........
The companies that are reaching out to you must be in pretty bad shape also.
They sure don’t seem to be judging by what they’re paying me. 🖕🏼
@@RobertWJackson
Tax write-off= desperate=🤡
Dipshit trolling clown = jealous 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🖕🏼
@@RobertWJackson
X GC boy employee
U R A 🤡 LoL
@@RobertWJackson
Called you out asshole and you keep deleting my comments.... you're a wannabe.... that's why people are talking about you on other UA-cam channels. 🤡
I always feel bad for folks who lose their jobs when businesses shuts down.