Sam Ash Music's flagship location on 34th Street to close

Sam Ash Music is a 100-year-old family business that has been a staple in Manhattan since the 1960s.

Its flagship location on 34th Street is about to close up shop.

“About six weeks ago, we were tasked with closing our locations that have not been as profitable throughout the country, so we have decided to close 18 stores nationwide...with the changing of times and people being more comfortable shopping online than they do in stores a lot of the time, during COVID they really saw the ease of ordering things and getting shipped,” Adam Ash, one of the store’s owners, told News 12 New York.

Sam Ash’s Manhattan location opened on Music Row in 1969 and moved to 34th Street a little over a decade ago.

It’s set to close in six weeks, but the music won’t die. Ash says he will be focusing more on e-commerce, for better or for worse.

“A lot of that knowledge isn’t necessarily getting passed to someone online – they don’t necessarily know exactly what they need. They might buy a guitar and an amp and not realize they need a cable,” he said.

Ben Scofield has been shopping at Sam Ash for the past decade. He says he’ll miss the high-touch customer service people just can’t get from Amazon.

“You get to come in and try things where if you buy it online, you’re kind of rolling the dice,” Scofield said.

Brick-and-mortar Sam Ash stores aren’t leaving the New York City area entirely. The locations in Brooklyn, Long Island, Westchester and New Jersey will remain open.