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Sweetwater has a rating of 3.4 stars from 1,193 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally satisfied with their purchases. Reviewers satisfied with Sweetwater most frequently mention customer service, sales rep, and free shipping. Sweetwater ranks 2nd among Music Equipment sites.
This company responds to reviews on average within 4 hours
Sweetwater's customer service is phenomenal! They have a good range of products and with good prices. The guitar we bought was affordable and great quality. It arrived quickly with no damage - it was packed well. I was surprised and impressed to get a call from Sweetwater just a few days after the guitar was delivered. They were just making sure everything was good. That's great customer service!
Ordered some products then the next day A representative reached out and said they were sold out & products would not be available till January and wanted to know if I still wanted them. I let them know I did. They reached back out two days later saying their was a glitch in the website and I could not have the products for the price I purchased them for. I was fished to their website to buy the products on a sponsored advertisement from Google. False Advertising is Illegal. My Wife has got me gear from these guys for years. I have advised her and she will no longer make purchases through them.
Best all around place for the musician. Great customer service, they stay with you every step of the way, through the beginning of the transaction to the end and beyond. They make you feel like family, instead of just another customer. Can't say enough good things about this company. 5 stars!
Date of experience: May 16, 2018
I've purchased basses on two different occasions from Sweetwater. Both times the service was exemplary and the prices were competitive. The instruments arrived in great shape and as described. Will purchase from them again.
Products used:
Squier jazz bass
Date of experience: April 21, 2021
Their customer service is grade A! They called and emailed me multiple times when I had ordered the wrong thing and had to return it and order something else. They genuinely care about their customers. Would definitely recommend!
Date of experience: May 5, 2019
TJ was the agent assigned to help me, he was truly amazing, with his recommendations and help I was able to get exactly what I wanted. It is the best customer service I have ever had. All the products arrived in perfect state, for sure I will continue shopping at Sweetwater!
Date of experience: December 10, 2020
I read some of the reviews and don't understand. They are by far the best reseller of audio equipment in America. Nobody has more qualified sales representatives and overall value than them. I have been doing business with them for over 20 years and they have never disappointed.
Date of experience: November 28, 2017
I have been shopping consistently at Sweetwater for a number of years. Their prices are competitive and they have an outstanding inventory of equipment. But it is their focus on their customer relationship with me that keep me coming back. My sales consultant is Aric. Not only is he knowledgeable but we have built a friendship which keeps me coming back for additional purchases. He is an amazing human being.
Tip for consumers:
Ask for Aric. He is a great sales consultant and a wonderful human being
Products used:
Electric guitar
Date of experience: August 22, 2022
Sweetwater is a breath of fresh air.
In this world of communication that only involves Thumbs and Zero Eye-Contact, Sweetwater sets a standard for initial sales, and follow-up to ensure that all parties involved have had a satisfactory experience.
They have made every effort to answer any questions I had with respect and effort. Something that can never be translated through emails alone.
One on One Communication is the only way to go, and Sweetwater is my First Choice.
Date of experience: August 20, 2018
My salesman Julio Cotto-Ruiz, took great care of me. Purchases a set of Roland TD-27KV2 electronic drums. There was an item, a free bonus piece, that was back ordered and he went out of his way to satisfy me. Great company and salesman for your music needs. Highly recommend!
Date of experience: December 14, 2023
After dealing with shady music stores, Sweetwater is a refreshing change of pace. Chuck Surack has a mission: satisfy his customers. He and crew go the extra mile providing free tech help, double warranty and 100% satisfaction guaranteed.
Tip for consumers:
Get to know your sales engineer, they are the greatest!
Products used:
I have bought 3 synthesizers and 4 Guitars, as well as countless accessories.
Date of experience: October 1, 2020
I do most of my shopping at the internets largest retailer, but when it comes to anything Music-based, theres only one choice: Sweetwater. Selection is excellent. Prices are comparable to that big internet retailer (and you often get a better deal here!). But its the service that stands out. Every single order gets you a phone call from your sales engineer - Wills been calling me for years and is always profession, friendly, and helpful. The shipping is FAST with lot s if options. Theres also a follow up call to make sure you received your items and dont have any questions. I cant recommend Sweetwater highly enough!
Date of experience: December 23, 2017
Customer of many years, "very nice" when you make a purchase and usually fill orders quickly but if anything goes wrong your thrown into the back lane, no response to phones calls, emails, lame excuses by management, voicemails. These guys are the most expensive shop online and praise exceptional customer service, full of $#*!! Earn your money fellas by standing behind your mottos. Not buying here again, and I've spent thousands and was about to spend more... no more. Much cheaper better prices and service elsewhere for sure.
Date of experience: June 10, 2016
I always return to Sweewater when need audio gear delivered easy and quickly. Special thanks to Aaron Hoff, who makes all my purchases go smoothly. I really appreciate care for customers and please keep up the good work. Thank you.
Happy Holidays
Date of experience: December 30, 2017
There are many very good on-line music suppliers, but Sweetwater, IMO, is second to none. Best customer service, superb assistance from knowledgeable staff, and great prices. I've purchased several guitars from Sweetwater, because of their exceptional set-up crew and unrivaled 55-point inspection procedure. Plus, if for any reason you're not satisfied, they have an excellent return policy. Bottom line: in every respect, a great place to shop and buy!
Date of experience: April 10, 2017
Ive done business with them for years and lately their customer service and product selection have went down hill. I heard from a reliable source that they arent doing well financially. Apparently, the owner lives in Fort Meyers and he is looking to unload it. Anyway, Id shop around prior to purchasing.
Date of experience: May 6, 2018
Thanks for sharing your experience, Jimmy! When you have a moment, please give us a call and we'd be glad to make this right for you. We would also like to share that Sweetwater Sound has grown by leaps and bounds since owner Chuck Surack began his recording studio in the back of his VW bus in 1979. We've since moved our facilities to a 163-acre campus in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and plan on adding over 1,000 jobs in the next 5 years. Chuck lives in Fort Wayne, and is in his office every day as we continue this growth and improvement. We invite you to read more of the Sweetwater story at https://www.sweetwater.com/about/the-sweetwater-difference/ Thank you again for the message, Jimmy!
Sweetwater has given me undisputably the best customer service experience of any company in my life. Their team is extremely knowledgeable and well versed in all things audio. I would recommend Sweetwater to anyone looking to purchase equipment from people who genuinely care.
Date of experience: April 17, 2021
Wow! Thanks Michael! We work really hard to make sure all of our customers have experiences like yours! Thanks for the feedback!
- Zach Bloom, Sweetwater Customer Experience
From beginning to end, this is one of the best purchasing experiences I've ever had (comparable only to other Sweetwater purchases). I purchased my son's first guitar. He doesn't know anything about guitars, neither do I. James Shilliday, my Sales Engineer, did a wonderful job of asking questions, listening, and providing options based on that information. I felt no pressure to buy anything, he simply provided support and expertise. Excellent customer service!
Tip for consumers:
Feel free to ask all the questions you want, the customer service team will be happy to spend as much time with you as you like.
Products used:
Fender Stratocaster and a Fender Hot Rod guitar amp (112)
Date of experience: December 20, 2018
Great customer service! None better! I get friendly short follow up calls that aren't sales pitches. Once I made a mistake ordering the wrong software upgrade and a real person walked me through how to fix it so I didn't lose money.
Date of experience: September 19, 2020
I'm a relative newbie to the world of pro audio. But whenever I have questions on my new recording equipment, I always call Sweetwater associates for help and they're so knowledgeable! Truth be told, many times I prefer to call them instead of x company's support (which can be harder to reach or incompetent). One time when my microphone was distorting, their associates sent me a replacement item, no questions asked. That's what you call great customer service. I've bought things from other companies and you'd be surprised how rare it is to find good service in pro audio.
Date of experience: August 23, 2017
I buy all of my new gear here. Have never been disappointed! Service is 2nd to none. Shipping is fast... they roll the carpet out for you, even if you're only making a $15 purchase. I'm a customer for life!
Date of experience: January 22, 2018
I started buying from Sweetwater 3 years ago after hearing about this great store from my brother in law & the studio engineer where I was doing some session work. So I applied for a Sweetwater credit card, got it easy enough and purchased a new guitar. That was 3 years ago & many pieces of equipment bought since then. I now only buy from Sweetwater, everything & anything you could want. The service is top notch at all times, your merchandise arrives quickly & in excellent condition. My sales rep; Derek Senestrano is just the best, as are his assistants. I just cannot say enough good things about this store, hoping to make the trip from Cleveland, Ohio to Ft. Wayne this year to see this amazing store.
Date of experience: May 5, 2017
Second go around despite best efforts, if you ask a question they don't care and don't know their own products. Please compare the prices provided here and save you some money along with get legit info from someone who actually knows what their talking about. In store prices are better even in high price cities and upper end stores. Sweetwater used to be good but they forgot that the Yachats and fancy cars came from them overcharging your pockets and we don't have to put up with it.
Tip for consumers:
Avoid at all costs. Much higher cost, much longer shipping time, uneducated staff, and aggressive marketing.
Products used:
A sound stick. Everything else is way overpriced.
Date of experience: April 21, 2022
Joshua - Thanks so much for the review, and I'm sorry that your experience with Sweetwater was negative. I agree that this is not how we want things to go, and I want to make things right. Would you mind shooting me an email so we can try to make things right for you?
Justin D. - Director of Customer Experience
justin_dunbar@sweetwater.com
I wouldn't ever order a guitar from any other site/store. Outstanding service, great customer follow up and unbelievably fast shipping. My recent purchases have been ready to play right out of the box. My sales associate... Andy is a real pro. This company is the Zappos of the music world. PERFECT in every way!
Date of experience: February 7, 2017
I took in a Gibson guitar that needed restrung and a new pick guard.
They talked me into $800 worth of worth of work.
That was over a month ago and, despite several emails, they still won't tell me when I can get my guitar back.
I'm about to tell them, "Keep the damned guitar and my $100 deposit. I'll just buy a new one on Amazon."
If your guitar needs work, go somewhere else.
Products used:
Tried to get minimal repairs to my. Still don't have it back over a month later.
Date of experience: November 3, 2023
-Jim, thank you for taking the time to leave a review. I am sorry to hear you have been waiting on your guitar. I would like the opportunity to be able to dig into this and see what is going on! If you could please email directly at alisha_hall@sweetwater.com. Thank you!
It's great to shop at Sweetwater. Even if it has been months since my last purchase as soon as the next day following my online order petition I get a call from my personal representative to thank me, tell me the order is on its way, and reassure me that he's there for any trouble shooting or technical support issue. My personal sound engineer (Adam Cesarz) also calls me from time to time to see how I'm doing with my new gear and check in to see if I need anything else. The order fulfillment always arrives promptly, in excellent condition, and accompanied by candy. In these day and age of poor customer service everywhere I think a company like Sweetwater deserves to be recognized.
Date of experience: June 7, 2018
Simply awesome!
"Needed a solution for our small church, improving on the current sound system by adding wireless mics and a few speakers. You guys made it so easy. I have zero experience with this equipment and you took the time to get me comfortable without breaking the bank. And Your technical expertise prevented my organist from melting down. Gosh, all I had was a catalog and boy am I grateful I called. Thx u for providing delivery info and tracking. Simply awesome service!"
Date of experience: August 29, 2019
Sprawling megastore featuring high-quality musical instruments & studio recording gear.
How do you go from a portable 4-track recording rig in a Volkswagon bus to being the nation's leading retailer of professional recording and music equipment?
Chuck founded Sweetwater as a recording studio in Fort Wayne in 1979. The business was first located in his home on Getz Road, then moved to a subsequent home on Bass Road. Initially the fledgling company focused on providing recording services to local and national artists and businesses.
Two things prompted the leap from recording studio to music retailer. The first was Chuck's frustration with being unable to find a reliable, knowledgeable music technology retailer. Prices were outrageous, and after-sale technical service and support for the sophisticated electronics he used in his studio were non-existent.
Then, in the early 1980s, the revolutionary Kurzweil K250 appeared. This groundbreaking keyboard gave musicians and composers access to realistic orchestral and other sounds, opening new possibilities for music composition and performance. Chuck created his own sound library for the keyboard, and quickly gained a national reputation as an expert at programming the instrument. Renowned musicians such as Stevie Wonder, Kenny Rogers, and other top names began consulting with Chuck, purchasing K250 factory options and upgrades through him. Recognizing the industry's need for a new, dependable, customer-oriented approach to the musical instrument and professional audio sales channel, Sweetwater became a Kurzweil dealer to fulfill these requests.
As Chuck's expertise became known and the industry grew more sophisticated, those original K250 customers returned again and again for product advice. The company began representing more product lines, and rapidly developed and implemented its unique philosophy of relationship-based selling — treating customers as friends —and unmatched pre- and post-sale customer service.
Sweetwater's primary emphasis quickly shifted from recording studio to music retailer. A new building was constructed on Bass Road and was expanded four times to keep up with the skyrocketing growth of the company. But even that wasn't enough, as the company quickly grew to nearly 220 employees. In late 2005, Sweetwater began the process of moving to their new headquarters, located at the intersection of Kroemer Road and U.S. Highway 30. The location's 38,000-square-foot building will be expanded to a total of 150,000 square feet with the addition of a 40,0000-square-foot state-of-the-art distribution center, a rich-media auditorium and recording studios designed by world-renowned acoustician and studio designer Russ Berger, and a technical training center on a 44-acre property that will allow plenty of room for Sweetwater's massive projected growth: 175 additional full-time employees and $150 million in annual sales by 2009, and $180 million in annual sales and 450 total employees by 2010. Most recently, $1 billion is annual sales and over 2000 employees by 2020.
Today, Sweetwater is recognized as one of the most successful and fastest-growing music retailers in the nation. The company has been named to Inc. magazine's list of the 500 fastest-growing private companies three years in a row, and has received the Music Inc. magazine REX Award for excellence in retailing.
We appreciate your business Steve, thanks for taking the time to write this review! If you need anything, give us a call!
1-800-222-4700
- Zach Bloom, Sweetwater Customer Experience