The Death of Sam Ash and How the Musical Instrument Industry has changed since the 1990s

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[@sunbatherrr]

I think it also has to do with the fact that unfortunately, guitar-based music has taken a major backseat to electronic and rap music. No one is buying these instruments because the youth doesn’t care or see the merit in learning how to play.

[@sameash3153]

Rap is starting to become "uncool" again, I believe. I feel it in the air. Everybody that ever pretended rap was cool is going to be mocked in 3 or 4 years.

[@sunbatherrr]

@@sameash3153 I hope you’re right, time will tell

[@DVSPress]

I actually bought a keyboard from Guitar Center, but that market has REALLY changed since the 2000s. It's more about specialty midi controllers and software - things you don't need a store for.

[@Drum4evr22]

I work at sam ash. Guitarists are only half of our sales lol, plenty of EDM and rap producers come in to buy recording gear. I think this is happening because Sammy Ash passed away late last year (RIP) and they stopped caring about keeping up with the modern era. They closed like 18 stores at the beginning of the year, then shut off our used buy ins, then shut off our ability to order from vendors then boom. They planned this.

[@SoundEngraver]

Wow. I didn't know that about Sam Ash. I teach at a store under the Guitar Center umbrella and did receive that letter from the new CEO. I like where I work, but there's no denying how happy I am as a Sweetwater and Fiddlerman customer. I'm also a short drive from a terrific violin luthier. You're quite right on how these stores make their money: lessons, student instruments, and repairs. We'll see where this next decade takes us.

[@wallybiii]

After purchasing several $500-600 acoustic guitars and an Epiphone Les Paul, I finally took the plunge and got a Taylor 614CE. I found it on FB marketplace within a 2-hour drive and paid about half of the new price. Cutting out the middleman is another blow to these corporate sellers.

[@DVSPress]

Yeah that's another thing that we didn't have in 2000 is Craigslist, etc. we had to buy things through classified ads, oi!

[@OmniusDWorgen]

In the past 7+ years I think I only set foot in a music store when I needed something faster than the delivery could make it... and I bought a LOT of gear. Like you said, they're just moving online

[@chaselee86]

And there are actually a lot of great second-hand guitars on eBay and FB marketplace. I can keep buying old guitars, try it out and then resell them online.

[@DVSPress]

"Buy before you try" is actually a real thing you can do now, which is wild to think about.

[@OmniusDWorgen]

@DVSPress You could think of it as a return to high trust buisness, with the trust being in the KZbinrs (to make an honest review) and in the online retailers (to check the product and ship it well)

[@synergates1]

Thank you for a most informative and entertaining video, David! Though I never bought anything more than some strings or a cable or two at our local Guitar Center, the your mention of the place gave me a pang of Gen Y nostalgia. An old buddy from school who reminds me a lot of you in terms of musical expertise used to work there back in the day. Another friend with more of an amateur interest would always head down there to pick up some new guitar, bass, or amp whenever he got an inheritance payout. Good times.

[@johndeaux3703]

I've never liked shopping in music stores and their demise doesn't bother me one bit. The music stores I've had to shop in had awful mgmt, awful staff and sales people, high MSRP level prices, horrible return policies (all sales final), limited selection, offered insulting pennies on the dollar for trade-in/sales. They're going out of business because most of them 100% deserve to go out of business, in my experience. Any supposed disadvantages(not being able to try in person) are massively outweighed by the advantages offered by online/mail order stores. I love the internet shopping era, have zero love/nostalgia for the old pre-internet, music stores and "their take it or leave it" attitudes. I happily left them behind decades ago. I'm surprised they've managed to hang on this long.

[@TAM-gz5tc]

thanks for the info.

[@Rich-ur4kv]

The thing about online information is that it's just someone's opinion. Meaning there is a lot of good information along with bad information. What's right for me may not be right for you. Being able to ask questions is key. I opened a music store a few years ago after being out of it for many years. But I was in a WANT industry for 26 years in between. What will happen is that the big box stores will go away and smaller privately owned stores will be the go-to place. Of course, online sales will be there and aren't going anywhere. These stores will have to have online presents. But as these big online retailers go public, the quality starts to drop. The service ends if it is huge. I fix guitars every week that went through the 55-point inspection. I just fixed a MIM Fender Tele that wasn't even playable from the factory. There are a ton of great local music stores where you are going to get the best advise and service.

[@TheWolfgangGrimmer]

Unrelated, but you latest article is worth a video IMO.

[@DVSPress]

Thank you!

[@YuitoScarlet]

Gamestop out lived traditional music stores. Its so over 💀

[@DVSPress]

Omg you're right

[@driftless7134]

I've bought two Eart guitars in the last couple of years. The quality for the price of these Chinese guitars is superb and I could mod the pick-ups and electronics after the fact for far less than buying from a big brand. I think makers like Eart and Harley Benton are having an effect too.

[@sameash3153]

Everybody always asks me about Sam Ash

[@351cleavland]

How is Sam Ash?

[@sameash3153]

@@351cleavland I'm good. A bit tired.

[@351cleavland]

All the guitar I ever needed was on the QVC network by sunglassed flaminco expert Estaban.

[@DVSPress]

What's funny is that the guitar wasn't even a flamenco guitar.

[@johnnythepillpopper1974]

Not just music stores…….everything in America it’s shutting down. For example I’m a fisherman, Walmart used to have everything…now all the quality stuff is gone, Border’s books gone overnight. We are becoming lazy, we don’t want to leave the house anymore, we buy everything from home . That’s so sad

[@atrifle8364]

I get tired of going to Walmart to discover they don't stock what they claim to carry, so I order online and wait 2 days.

[@9ramthebuffs9]

I've quit buying guitars online since the gov decided they want to tax p2p sales of used merchandise online.

[@9ramthebuffs9]

@@TSB-pg6yo im sure your mother still cares. You should give her a call.

[@gamermilk6399]

You have a $200 Chinese guitar. What more could you want?

[@gamermilk6399]

F

[@andrewk.7498]

BIDENS America

[@letsridehard]

Everything went to $h..t when Biden took over…imagine 4.5 more years of this nonsense.