Sam Ash Summer

It’s a warm and humid June morning here in Boston. Part of my brain still thinks I am maybe 14 or 15 years old, and is telling me I should head downtown in the place where I grew up, buy a Mad Magazine, maybe a pack of baseball cards, or maybe a model plane kit to last me through the day. 

Fast-forward about a year: I’d be going to the local record store (Flip Side) and picking up either a Rush or a Police LP with my friend Jason.

And then maybe another year on, and I’d be either cajoling my mother into driving us to Paramus or going with Chris Censullo and Don Humphreys on the bus to New York City to go to a music store called Sam Ash.

Sam Ash was our first experience with a really big music store. The one in Paramus was close by and had just about anything that the musician or student might need. And the store in New York City was a historic landmark. One of the cluster of stores on 48th St., right next door to Manny’s. These were the places where Jimi Hendrix and Pete Townshend would go to buy guitars when they were in town.

I have great memories of going to both locations, trying out guitars, plugging into amps, and being yelled at by sales people, “Hey kid, did you remember to bring your mom‘s credit card!?”

Sam Ash filed for bankruptcy earlier this year and all its stores are in the process of closing. 

The chain had simply not been able to pivot easily enough into the world of online. And companies like Sweetwater, American Musical Supply, and others (looking at you, Amazon) had taken up the space. 

Now, there is a place in my spiteful brain whispering that they had it coming, remembering how some of the salespeople would give us teenage kids such a hard time as we were trying out the instruments that might or might not become part of our lives. However, without places like Sam Ash around it’s hard to see how we would have gotten the pull (knowing it was possible to try real electric guitars!) to try these instruments in the first place.

So I raise a glass to you, Sam Ash, and to the salesperson who was asking about my mom‘s credit card. I am sorry that this chapter too must close. And I do hope that 14- and 15-year-olds still find a way to go and try that Epiphone Les Paul that they know is going to put them at center stage someday.

-Chris 

PS. I would be remiss if I didn’t also put the link to the places I’m going to be playing over the next couple of weeks. Yes, the fact that Mom actually did allow me to buy a guitar now allows me to play in front of you!

PPS. O’Di Bella in Bergenfield, NJ is still going great! They were very nice to me and allowed a 15-year-old kid on a bike to try and then BUY a “The Paul”. (Still have it, and it’s on almost ALL of my songs) Go give them good business!