so sam ash closed all their stores

I didn't see this coming, but it happened.

Sam Ash is a musical instrument retailer that had 42 stores in the USA across 16 states, 9 of which were in Florida. I did shop at the Tampa store several times. In fact, that's where I first saw the then-new Squier Vintage Modified series back in the early 2010s. They had all the models, and it's where I got to play my first Squier Jazzmaster. It was amazing.

So when did this happen?

Back in May of this year (2024):

Yeah, I was a little late to find out about this, but it's only because I wasn't looking for it.

Aside from the Tampa FL store, the only other I've ever been to was in Dallas TX. That one wasn't anywhere near as good as the one in Florida, because the Tampa store had everything. In addition to all the cool Squier stuff, that store was also the first where I saw a Rickenbacker in person.

The craziest thing about Sam Ash closing all their stores is that they had been operating physical storefronts since 1924. Yes, a century. The first store was in Brooklyn NY.

Is Guitar Center the last man standing now?

Yes and no.

Guitar Center (and subsidiary Music & Arts) is the last man standing on a national level.

All other musical instrument retailers with physical storefronts operate on a local level only.

Take Sweetwater, for example. They do in fact have a physical storefront. The address is 5501 US-30, Fort Wayne Indiana. Most guitar buyers don't even know that store actually exists because Sweetwater is better known for their online sales. But yes, it's there and open 9am to 9pm most days of the week...

...but they're not national. They're a local business, albeit one with a large online presence in the guitar retail space.

After that, there are sprinklings of guitar stores scattered across the USA. Some are boutique high-end stuff only, while others carry more reasonably priced guitars.

I'm getting more comfortable with buying online

Buying an electric guitar online is always a risk, but I'm more comfortable with it now simply due to the fact I know how to fix common issues. The misaligned neck fix I just talked about is a good example of that.

Also, wow can I get decent stuff cheap online. I see Donner electric guitars, and I'm thinking yeah, not bad. Not bad at all. Good selection, good colors, awesome pricing. HOWEVER... having knowledge is what makes buying one of those worth going for. Knowledge as in knowing how to do a proper setup, knowing how to address common issues that happen from shipping (again, like a misaligned neck), and so on.

I mention the online stuff because if it ever gets to the point where the only guitars sold locally is boutique crap that's out of my price range, I have the online option so I can get what I want and keep on playing.

Published 2024 Aug 8