I’ve never lived near a Sam Ash but G.C. never impressed me much. Limited inventory and poor customer service have been the norm, in my experience. I once went into my local store and told them I was shopping for a short-scale electric. The response was "What’s a scale guitar?" You can’t make this stuff up.

We have an independent music store but the owner has always tried to sell me what he has on the wall. I don’t mind this in principal but the sleazy way he’s gone about it has resulted in zero sales to me. I did purchase a couple of Godin electrics from another shop that eventually closed. They were not focused mostly on guitars, though. They sold more violins, brass and keyboards.

I’ve found the customer service at Sweetwater to be excellent but have never bought any high-ticket items from them

My last guitar purchase was from SoundPure. Maybe I just lucked out with the particular sales guy but he was terrific. I bought a 7K acoustic from him -- by far my most expensive guitar purchase in 50 years of playing and I couldn’t have asked for better treatment.

@soix interesting. I had thought it was the other way around. 

the company line is that retail rents were too high, but i surmise the real reason for their sad demise is that never fully embraced online sales--their used inventory was always a fraction of guitar center or sweetwater. it's sad, in any event--nice people.

Guitar Center bought Musician’s Friend about four years ago, which is probably keeping them alive.

Just the very name - "Guitar Center" - is old school. I mean, I've given them thousands of dollars over the years, but I feel the age of guitar-oriented music is and has been on the wane for a while. Coupled with the large-volume low pricing of Sweetwater and MusiciansFriend and, as @tablejockey points out, I'm surprised these stores are still around. 

Gibson Les Paul's will NOT be 1/2 price nor will a Marshall list at BLOWOUT pricing.

From a Guitarworld.com article

"Sweetwater generates revenue out of two distribution centres that rival what Guitar Center produces from over 300 stores”: Music Trades editor explains why Sam Ash and other guitar retailers can’t compete with online stores"

  How Guitar Center keeps its  store open is a mystery.

They have been a money loser for decades.

soix: The detestable drum machines are taking over anyway. 

Just as the long thread on Sam Ash was getting interesting the Audiogon moderator cancelled it.  Outta beer, outta here.

Hopefully it will lead to more local businesses catering to the specific needs of the local musician community.

So bad was the like of Amazon for concrete physical stores, wait till  A.I. invasion soon. The worst is coming .😁