Bax and Gak both closed

[bruno]

https://youtu.be/JO4T7gBIj3I?si=I3YARd5ofIG6IMBZ

[AndyR]

Yeah, I saw that the other day.

Never used Bax... but there's quite a few guitars of mine looking sad because where they came from is no more 

I always bought online.

No access to my GAK account anymore, but I thought I'd check out what I'd bought from them, from the "thankyou for your order" emails...

Woah!

• Gretsch G5210T-P90 Electromatic Jet Two 90 Single-Cut with Bigsby, Mako
• Universal Audio UAFX Woodrow '55 Tweed Deluxe Amp Pedal
• Voodoo Lab PPX8 Pedal Power X8 Pedal Board Power Supply
• Fender American Professional II Stratocaster, Rosewood Fingerboard, Roasted Pine
• M-Audio Keystation 61 MK3 MIDI Controller Keyboard
• Laney L5-STUDIO Lionheart 5W Head
• Fender Paramount PM-2 Parlour All Mahogany Acoustic Guitar, Natural
• Laney FS2-MINI Dual Footswitch
• Gretsch G5222 Electromatic Double Jet BT with V-Stoptail, Laurel Fingerboard, Aged Natural
• Fender LTD Vintera Road Worn '60s Stratocaster, Firemist Gold
• Hotone NLA-2 Nano Legacy Purple Wind 5W Head
• Vox BC108 Compact 1x8 Cab
• Bare Knuckle Boot Camp Old Guard P90, Bridge, Cream
• Bare Knuckle Boot Camp Old Guard Humbucker, Neck, Nickel
• Bare Knuckle Boot Camp Old Guard Humbucker, Bridge, Nickel
• Gibson USA 2016 Limited '50s Les Paul Standard (Faded Honeyburst)
• Yamaha Revstar RS502BLG (Billet Green)

My wife bought a few things for me there too (another Vox BC108 with a Vox MV50 AC springs to mind - the BC108 above was a second cab I got later to spread the sound).

We went to Brighton last year, I finally found the physical GAK store and looked through the window. But we'd been in GuitarGuitar Epsom a day or two before buying my last Strat... I didn't really feel I could drag her round another guitar shop, so I decided I'd visit it next time. Obviously not

RIP GAK

[chapperz66]

This is sad.  I bought a few things from them on line but never visited.

I imagine the inventory costs must have been huge.

[AndyR]

Apparently there's been huge turnover but minimal profit - like a LOT smaller than my personal take home. I was stunned reading that - but bear in mind it was on a guitar forum with a lot of "experts", so take it with a pinch of salt.

Not too sure of the ins and outs... but I do know that one of the reasons I've bought so much from them is they often had noticeably cheaper, compared to GG and Andertons, when I REALLY wanted something (mind you, though, my GG list looks just as scary!!)

I haven't watched the video (watching a film with Mrs R), so I don't know whether there's anything about this in it: my reading the other day suggested that they (GAK) got hit with a HUGE fine for price fixing with Yamaha... around the time I bought my Revstar, I believe. That was news to me.

Apparently, they never really recovered, and it looks like both the online and physical store companies ended up owned by venture capital in the early 2020s. Then the plug got pulled suddenly the other week and the employees were the last to know kinda thing.

All a bit sad...