Miscellaneous Sam Ash Music

[ESJohn]

I've just read that Sam Ash Music, which has been in business for 100 years, is closing all of its 42 remaining stores.
There are some locations in Ohio, but I have not been in one and know little of the chain. The problems seemed to have accelerated with the advent of COVID when folks began to focus on online purchasing vs. brick and mortar.
Just an FYI for anyone that has shopped these stores. Sad to be the messenger.

 

[MarkSax]

Sad news to see another music shop go. The instore service was not great but it was good to be able to just pop in to buy gear or accessories. There should be some interesting closing down bargains to be had. There are 3 in the NY area. I’m gonna have a look.

 

[PigSquealer]

The problems seemed to have accelerated with the advent of COVID when folks began to focus on online purchasing vs. brick and mortar.

They did it to themselves with having that shotty website. For having 100 years of sales experience they should know better. Will be interesting to see if they reemerge as a different type sales organization. They’re not BK.

 

[Pete Thomas]

They did it to themselves with having that shotty website.

My oh my it is indeed a shotty websote.

 

[PigSquealer]

Just discovered that Sam Ash filed chapter 11 bankruptcy this week.

Sam Ash Files for Bankruptcy Protection, Moves to Reposition Company – Tiger Group

tigergroup.com

 

[Saxlicker]

Yes a shame.
I posted on SOTW about my 2 rather different experiences with them.
In the 90's I visited when in New York and was 1st class.

Then only 2 months go I tried to order from them on line via Reverb and even though it said international shipping they stopped the order before I could check out.
Then I emailed and messaged including on their international buyer 'help' section. Never got a single reply.
I did manage to circumnavigate their rubbishness though with help from family in the states.

A sad demise.

 

[thomsax]

I don't think on-line music stores are the best way to buy music instruments and accessories. But it's sad that Sam Ash went out of business. I've never been in a Sam Ash store. My wife shopped for me in NYC. I still have LaVoz baritone and tenor reeds, neck strap, and the LaVoz tenor pad saver that she bought at Sam Ash in NYC.

Today I buy reeds and other accessories from Germany. In the long run, I'm 68 and maybe on my final lap as sax player (a "sax lap" is c 5 years for me), it's not sustainable. I bought accessories from the big sax shop on the UK south coast as well. I preferred them instead of buying from Germany. Why, Jules sent me greetings!

How are CS members buying saxes and accessories?

I was going to open a small, and extreme narrow, music shop down in Ystad. New and old saxes, saxophone accessories, RockSax music, RockSax books and RockSax workshops/jams in a room behind the shop. A RockSax temple in a very small format!!!

I "Keep On Honking' and Dreaming"

 

[wakyct]

I buy my accessories at one of the local shops (Ted Brown and Kennelly Keys). Living in a large-ish city has its drawbacks but fortunately we have a good number of music shops here. My strap I got online from Just Joe's, but I think that's also a walk-in shop in Bend, Oregon? Last I looked they also host shows there. That's one of the nice things about local shops, they can be about more than just selling stuff. They can do shows, have studios for lessons, etc.

I remember being pleasantly surprised when we visited Inverness a couple of years back that there were two music shops within a few blocks of each other.

 

[DavidUK]

My oh my it is indeed a shotty websote.

Websote?

Is THIS the deliberate mistake?

 

[Pete Thomas]

Websote?

Is THIS the deliberate mistake?

No. That wasn't a mistake, I meant to write website to rhyme with shotty. Except it doesn't except in some imaginary dialect.

I'd forgotten all about the deliberate mistake. But I didn't forget deliberately.

 

[PigSquealer]

I don't think on-line music stores are the best way to buy music instruments and accessories.

There’s just something special about store shopping. Reviewing the options and making a choice in person. Interaction with the fellow human being selling the product. Somethings younger generations have lost appreciation for.
I distinctly remember purchasing items by a mail was considered high risk. You never know what you would really be getting…..in 4 to 6 weeks. Returning was not always a option.

 

[thomsax]

Here in Sweden a music shop was more than a place to buy instruments and accessories. It was a meeting point as well. The sellers had also knowledge, more or less, about what they were selling. Most music shops sold records, sheet music and books as well.

I think I have bought more by mail-order than on-line over the years. Back then I just put some dollar bills in the envelope and the receiver send me the items I had paid for including freight/air-mail. For some years I used to have saxes that "bobbed on the Atlantic". Paid in advance (wired money orders/checks). It was more secure than today's on-line buying. No fake saxes .... just the real things.