Sam Ash, a century-old American music retailer, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on May 8, 2024 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey. Tiger Group and Gordon Brothers are now conducting store closing sales at all 42 remaining stores as Sam Ash pursues options for its go-forward strategy. Sam Ash is evaluating potentially selling its e-commerce operations and related intellectual property as well as its wholesale business called “Samson” in the bankruptcy proceedings.
“Launched by my grandparents in 1924, Sam Ash is one of the best-known and most iconic brands in the history of U.S. musical instrument retailing, with an online presence and sales that remain incredibly strong,” David Ash, CEO of the privately owned, New York-based retailer, said. “Unfortunately, in today’s post-COVID environment, the challenges to our brick-and-mortar business have necessitated a restructuring. We are exploring a number of strategic options in conjunction with these inventory sales. We believe that a restructuring of our liabilities and a potential sale of the business or portions of the business is the best path forward to unlock and maximize value for the benefit of the company’s stakeholders. Stay tuned.”
“Sam Ash offers a huge array of new and used gear from the best-known brands in music,” Michael McGrail, chief operating officer of Tiger Group, said. “All within the same store, you could find a $9,000 spruce-and-cocobolo Martin guitar fit for a Nashville pro, or a $200, entry-level Fender bass that is perfect for someone just starting out. This is the kind of inventory that rarely, if ever, is available in a blowout sale. It’s an extraordinary event.”
The stores are in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. The inventory is comprised of guitars, amps, effects, pianos, drums, cymbals, keyboards, microphones, professional sound and recording equipment, sheet music, band and orchestra instruments and more. Available brands, among many others, include Fender, Gibson, Taylor, Martin, Yamaha, Takamine, Ibanez, Epiphone, Jackson, Gretsch, Michael Kelly, Samson, Hartke, Soldano, Friedman, Orange Amplification, Blackstar, Boss, EVH, Tama, Ludwig, Zildjian, Paiste, Casio, Roland, Kawai, Korg, Jean Baptiste and Carlo Robelli.
“Sam Ash would like to thank all of our associates, customers and business partners for their dedication and continued support through these unprecedented times,” Ash said.
The full store list is available at https://www.samash.com/store-locator.
