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Music lovers, brace yourselves: Sam Ash, the beloved music store that sells instruments, lighting equipment, and pretty much anything musicians might need, is significantly downsizing and closing several of its physical stores.
Unfortunately, the downsizing will involve shuttering 18 of its 45 stores, including two out of its three New York City locations.
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Although Sam Ash is now a national chain, it has humble and local origins: The store was founded in 1924 by an Austrian immigrant who was also a violin teacher trying to make ends meet in Brooklyn. Sam Ash currently has 44 locations across 16 states, and its midtown location became a New York institution among artists, DJs and anyone in the live entertainment industry.
Unfortunately, the beloved 34th Street flagship store is among the locations that are set to close. The other is in Forest Hills, Queens, not far from Forest Hills Stadium. Once those two stores close for good, the last remaining Sam Ash in New York would be the one on Flatbush Ave in Marine Park, Brooklyn. Sam Ash has not confirmed when, exactly, the stores will be closing, but it’s likely that they’ll be shuttered within the next couple of months.
The closing of the stores is an effort by the company to restructure its business model and expand its online store as more people continue to shop on the Internet. “For the last 100 years, Sam Ash Music has successfully adapted to meet the challenge of changing business conditions. As we look towards the next 100 years, the company must continue to adapt to ensure its continued success,” Sam Ash told amNewYork Metro in a statement. “Sam Ash Music remains committed to keeping a strong physical store footprint in the future while we continue growing our successful online sales offerings.”
The only possible upside to this we can think of is that there appears to be massive sales happening right now at the Sam Ash in midtown—So whether you’re trying to pay homage to the latest dying New York institution, or you’ve been putting off buying that acoustic guitar, now is the time to make your pilgrimage to the midtown Sam Ash while you still can at 333 West 34th Street.