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    Sweetwater

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Sweetwater

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Overview

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.

  • Service
    351
  • Value
    343
  • Shipping
    339
  • Returns
    177
  • Quality
    328

This company responds to reviews on average within 4 hours

Positive reviews (last 12 months): 68.8%
Positive
33
Neutral
2
Negative
13
View ratings trends
184
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How would you rate Sweetwater?
Top Positive Review

“Great & affordable products, amazing service”

Marisa L.
6/29/24

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!

Date of experience: 6/29/24
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Top Critical Review

“Deceptive Pricing l False Advertising”

THE DRUM MACHINE g.
12/3/24

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.

Date of experience: 11/30/24
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Reviews (1,193)

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Reviews that mention popular keywords

customer service (411) sales rep (65) sales engineer (116) guitar center (36) music gear (49) music store (40)
Thumbnail of user laurier80
Texas
2 reviews
0 helpful votes
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October 3rd, 2018

I want to take a moment to RAVE about how great my ordering experience through Sweetwater Sound has been! The order was not mine; it was my grandson's. He is 14, and a budding (obsessive!) musician. He had earned enough money and asked if he could order a guitar pedal online using my credit card. I'm always a bit hesitant to order online products because that often means you're stuck with something you didn't want with little to no help with returns. Also, now the unhelpful vendor has your credit card number!
Not the case with Sweetwater! How refreshing it was to receive communication during order processing and even after receipt of the order. The extra effort (and candy! LOL!) has this grandmother's future business... and there will be much more business to be had. I am also a musician with a family of little musicians coming up! Who knows; we may be the future Rock version of the Von Trapps! Again, thank you for the terrific ordering experience... and the kid loves the pedal!

Date of experience: October 3, 2018

Thumbnail of user alicial37
New Jersey
1 review
0 helpful votes
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September 20th, 2017

I have ordered a few different times from this company and must say, have never been so impressed. Their customer service blows every company I have ever ordered from, out of the water. I feel soooooo comfortable ordering big ticket items from them. I know if I had a problem with anything they would take care of it, not that I did. Bought 2 Gibson guitars recently they sent pictures of them, and have been in contact with me the whole time from start to delivery. Wish every company would follow suit. Alicia L

Date of experience: September 20, 2017

Thumbnail of user robbys38
Washington
1 review
0 helpful votes
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November 11th, 2022

For the last... 15 years of making music, I have never worked with a better vendor/company than Sweetwater. Everyone - from the top down - is truly remarkable. The help, the thoughtfulness, and the expertise are amazing. There is no better place to purchase your equipment and also for customer support and technical support. Special shout-out to Aaron Kocks and Paul Rowan. Just tremendous people who care!

Tip for consumers:
Listen to the options your sales rep gives you. They are smart and they care. Listen to the tech support people - they are bonafide geniuses!

Products used:
My entire studio has been built over the last 16 years using Sweetwater - their guidance and support have been tremendously helpful for every day of those 16 years!

Service
Value
Shipping
Returns
Quality

Date of experience: November 11, 2022

Thumbnail of user steved158
CustomerExperience .. – Sweetwater Rep

Robby - thanks so much for your kind words and for your business. Thanks also for your kind words for Aaron and Paul. I'll be sure to share this feedback with them. It truly means a lot!
Justin D - Director of Customer Experience

Thumbnail of user donn3132
New Mexico
1 review
0 helpful votes
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September 18th, 2017

Sweetwater is my go to biz for musical gear. This Nord Electro 5D 73 is my latest acquisition, replacing a Hammond SK1-73 (B-stock) from another music store online somewhere in the US. Keyboards have to be tested, bonded with (or not), checked for a system architecture I can work with (or can't), and checked for quality of sounds (or lack of it). Sweetwater sales techs have always been helpful and open to taking the gear back if I'm not satisfied. That isn't universally the case, and even less so as the purchase price or condition of the gear drops when I've bought from other sites. Certainly there are ways to get a lower up front cost, but there are back-end costs and frustrations I've experienced with other sites after the deal goes down, or breaks down. They've led me to pay the little extra and have peace of mind with Sweetwater and I've never been disappointed!

Date of experience: September 18, 2017

Thumbnail of user janicah
Alabama
1 review
1 helpful vote
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June 6th, 2019

This was my first time ordering from Sweetwater and it won't be my last! They were absolutely amazing! There was a problem with my address and they called me to get it straightened out! I bought this gift for my boyfriends graduation and when I told them that they threw in a free pair of sticks for him! 12/10 recommend Sweetwater!

Date of experience: June 6, 2019

Thumbnail of user alexa1173
Illinois
2 reviews
0 helpful votes
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June 15th, 2022

So I've gotten duped by guitarcenter.com more then once. 2 separate times they wouldn't issue a refund or accept a return that they should have. I just got off the phone with sweetwater. Guy by the name of Joseph helped me out. I purchased the wrong TRIPP-Lite cable for $20. Called to initiate a return and the guy just refunded me the money w/o requesting that I mail the item back. I would never get this treatment at Guitarcenter.com. In fact, I had one instance where I was on the phone 2 separate times for well over an hour to get a refund that never happened. I don't care about deals. I will pay for helpful and good customer service and this company has it. I really really recommend em.

Tip for consumers:
Buy all your online stuff from these guys and avoid guitar center

Products used:
Tripe-Lite cable

Service
Value
Shipping
Returns
Quality

Date of experience: June 15, 2022

Thumbnail of user steved158
CustomerExperience .. – Sweetwater Rep

Alex - I'm thrilled you had such a positive experience, and we're so glad you gave Sweetwater a try! We take a long-term approach to building relationships with our customers. We look forward to having the chance to serve you again in the future.
Ethan K - Customer Experience Specialist

Thumbnail of user aaronr223
Maine
1 review
0 helpful votes
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August 9th, 2020

Absolutely blown away! You'll never find customer service like this anywhere else! WOW! I ordered a simple midi chord from them (one I couldn't find anywhere else) - and not only was it in my mailbox 2 days later... but I received an actual CALL from the company thanking me for my business! WOW, again! They've got my business from here on out!

Date of experience: August 9, 2020

Thumbnail of user brianr147
Montana
1 review
0 helpful votes
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April 4th, 2017

This was my first purchase from Sweetwater and I know it won't be my last. Customer service was amazing and is obviously something the care about. This was my 4th guitar purchase but my first new and first online. I wasn't sure want to expect. Thankfully Sweetwater posts pictures of the guitar you are getting and so it takes the guesswork out of what the equipment may look like and so on.

Not long after I made the purchase I received a call from Ken. He was calling to see if I had any additional questions and to notify it was ready to ship out. We kept in touch via email with varying correspondence over the next couple of weeks.

Overall this was a "sweet" experience

Date of experience: April 4, 2017

Thumbnail of user johnd1790
New York
1 review
0 helpful votes
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June 27th, 2018

When I received my guitar, I was very happy with how it was packaged for shipping. It was well protected. The attention to detail was amazing, from how the receipts from my order were placed in protectors, cards that had signatures from people who inspected the guitar before shipping, information on guitar care after shipping and right down to the bag of candy thats sent with the merchandise, which I think is a great extra touch. I also bought a nice guitar case that exceeded my expectations. Sweetwater rocks!

Date of experience: June 27, 2018

Thumbnail of user jesset117
Wyoming
1 review
0 helpful votes
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July 16th, 2020

From timeliness to customer service, there's nothing Sweetwater fails in. They always have products in stock and on the rare occasion they don't, they make it easier for you to jump on the hot deal as soon as they come back. Would always recommend going to them when needing to find your audio gear.

Date of experience: July 16, 2020

Thumbnail of user melissah2081
New York
1 review
2 helpful votes
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December 9th, 2022

I have ordered from them two years in a row, and will never order again. The first year, after 3 months, they still did not have the product. Why do you put in on your site, if you don't have it? This year, I ordered two things, and again, out of stock, and they weren't sure when it would be in. It's Christmas, I'm ordering Christmas presents - no, I can't wait until it's back in stock. They need to update their site more often with things that are only in stock. So frustrating!

Service

Date of experience: December 9, 2022

Thumbnail of user michaelr835
Michael R.
Texas
1 review
0 helpful votes
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September 11th, 2018

Excellent, Helpful, Top Rate Shopping experience! iWill continue to purchase from SweetWater.com! Started Building a New Bass Rig... Found everything I needed.. I will continue adding to my Studio! Thanks again Sweetwater..!!!

Date of experience: September 11, 2018

Thumbnail of user joel878
Colorado
1 review
0 helpful votes
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December 12th, 2016

This is just a great mike. I think it honestly represents the voice of the performer with quite an even feel across the EQ board. We use it in a duo, simply plug it in, turn on the Fishman and sing is pretty much all we need to do. And the classic look is unique, still.

Date of experience: December 12, 2016

Thumbnail of user rodj67
Canada
1 review
3 helpful votes
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April 18th, 2023
Verified purchase

Over a long history of purchasing music gear, this was by far the worst experience I have ever had. I purchased a Behringer B205D Powered Monitor, demo version, which I was assured was in new condition with all accessories included with a new item, plus the 2 year warranty. The item arrived poorly packaged, with the bag haphazardly thrown into the box, and none of 3 accessories for mounting to a mic stand. Worse, it was totally non-functional, dead on arrival. The return process was slow and I was refunded none of the $80 Cdn in duty and taxes that I paid. I may as well have been sent a block of wood. Needless to say, this was my first and last buying experience with Sweetwater!

Products used:
Behringer Powered Monitor.

Service
Value
Shipping
Returns
Quality

Date of experience: April 18, 2023

Thumbnail of user steved158
CustomerExperience .. – Sweetwater Rep

Rod - So sorry to hear that you had such a painful experience and we appreciate you sharing this feedback. We'd love to make things right for you, so please reach out to me at justin_dunbar@sweetwater.com and we'll do all we can!

Thumbnail of user rawleyw1
Oregon
1 review
1 helpful vote
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March 29th, 2022

Terrible communication from the start. Sweetwater failed to process my order the following business day. I called and was assured that my order would go out first thing the following morning. After no info was received I followed up again and was told they needed to confirm more info before my order could be processed. I understand that there are hiccups in the process, but the fact that I had to continue to call them instead of the reaching out to me is really strange to me.

I was assured that once the order shipped it would arrive after 4 business days - which has already passed and the carrier (FedEx) has no estimated delivery date or info on the packages because they are so backlogged.

Terrible experience and will not be ordering from Sweetwater again.

Tip for consumers:
Go to your local shop or order from Guitar Center.

Service
Value
Shipping

Date of experience: March 29, 2022

Thumbnail of user steved158
CustomerExperience .. – Sweetwater Rep

Rawley - Thanks so much for the review and I'm so sorry that things went so poorly. I agree, this is not how we want things to go and want to make things right. Please reach out to me at justin_dunbar@sweetwater.com and I'll be happy to help in anyway that I can. Sorry again for the trouble.

Thumbnail of user michaels1902
Louisiana
1 review
0 helpful votes
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December 1st, 2018

What an experience! Sweetwater and their Sales Engineers were awesome and made our experience the best. Sales Engineer Craig Kiel walked through step-by-step for the whole purchase to make sure we had everything we needed. Craig even followed up with an email sending pictures of our purchase and to make sure everything was good. You do not get this type of customer service anymore, anywhere! We have other instruments to purchase and will be using Sweetwater from now on for everything musical. No other company compares.

Thank you,
Michael Starks

Date of experience: December 1, 2018

Thumbnail of user heatherb208
Michigan
1 review
0 helpful votes
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February 24th, 2018

Sweetwater provides the best customer service in the industry. I have purchased products from all of the major online retailers and no one even comes close to Sweetwater. I ordered my Yamaha EAD10 on Tuesday@ noon & it was on my door step on Wednesday afternoon. The product was packaged w/great care & even included a bag of candy. My dedicated sales engineer called to make sure I was pleased w/ the purchase & that everything arrived as it should have. Sweetwater is a great company that I highly recommend.

Date of experience: February 24, 2018

Thumbnail of user kennethk267
Illinois
1 review
10 helpful votes
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April 6th, 2020

Ordered two new guitars. Was told One would be backordered and that the other would be shipped this week due to C-19. Called today for status and was told they have no idea when my in-stock guitar will be shipped, and have no means of finding out, which seems questionable. Interestingly, I placed an order with Sam Ash subsequent to this order and already received delivery. Told them I'm considering cancelling my $3000+ order. They don't seem to care. Must be nice...

Date of experience: April 6, 2020

Thumbnail of user steved158
CustomerExperience .. – Sweetwater Rep

Hello, Kenneth. Thanks so much for providing us with details of your experience. We are truly sorry to hear that it went this way. This is not acceptable and not the way your experience should've gone. Do you happen to have your order number? We'd like to send your information to our Customer Service team as soon as we can. Please feel free to email us at WeCare@sweetwater.com. Thank you again for posting your review.

Thumbnail of user jnewps1
Pennsylvania
1 review
0 helpful votes
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May 14th, 2023

Some of the best customer service I've ever experienced. My sales engineer, Ian, and his team were the greatest and extremely helpful. Very knowledgeable and just good guys who were fun to talk to. Great job.

Products used:
Two guitar bags

Service
Value
Shipping
Quality

Date of experience: May 14, 2023

Thumbnail of user michaelp3871
Washington
1 review
0 helpful votes
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October 15th, 2021

I have been a Sweetwater customer since 2009. I could not be happier with my gear and the service I have received from Sweetwater. I have ordered many guitars, amplifiers, home studio equipment, and accessories from Sweetwater and have always received courteous and prompt information and support with my orders. Orders arrive on time and in excellent condition.
Their greatest strength is their Sales Engineers. I have learned to trust them when I need advice. I have received timely calls from my Sales Engineer providing feedback and information on my orders. My Sales Engineer advises me on equipment meeting my needs, not just the most expensive gear they sell.
I will continue to purchase from Sweetwater and recommend everyone to give the a try.

Tip for consumers:
Give Sweetwater a try!
My experiences have been 5-Star with no problems whatsoever.

Products used:
Fender Elite Jazz Bass
Martin HD-28E Retro
Martin 000 A/E 16-Series
Martin D12-28 12-String
Martin BC-16E Acoustic-Electric Bass Guitar
Fender Rumble Stage 800-watt Combo Bass Amp
Line 6 JTV-59 Variax
Universal Audio
Apollo X4 Audio Interface Quad Core
ProSonus Studio One Pro
PreSonus FaderPort 16
Much More!

Service
Value
Shipping
Quality

Date of experience: October 15, 2021

Thumbnail of user steved158
CustomerExperience .. – Sweetwater Rep

Wow, Michael! Thank you SO MUCH for being a long time customer. It is because of you and customers like you, that have helped Sweetwater grow so much. Thank you for being apart of the Sweetwater family! You have an impressive collection! We look forward to serving you again!
-Stacia Brinneman, Sweetwater Customer Experience

Thumbnail of user edudijes
Florida
1 review
0 helpful votes
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September 18th, 2023

I have always had good experiences with Sweetwater. I rather buy from then than Amazon. Their support is great. However, I bought a new drum set and it came with a defective tom mount. Cannot be used without that part. I have talk to a few and they seem to pass the ball round. Today a week later I still do not have the part. Had to invent a mount to do a gig and it's embarrasing when I bought something good. When it comes to returns Amazon is better too bad. Sweetwater should step up to returns and fixes.

Tip for consumers:
Terrible return customer service.

Products used:
Yamaha Stage Custom drum set

Service
Value
Shipping
Returns
Quality

Date of experience: September 18, 2023

Thumbnail of user steved158
CustomerExperience .. – Sweetwater Rep

Ed- Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. I am sorry to hear that this has happened, I would love the opportunity to be able to look into this and make it right. Please email directly at Alisha_hall@sweetwater.com.

Thumbnail of user shaneb411
Massachusetts
1 review
0 helpful votes
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February 25th, 2023

I was interested in a certain model guitar and noticed a demo available at a lower price, so I put it on my wishlist. Ben responded in an email that if he could be of any help, just let him know. I told him that I was very interested in this guitar, but I needed to come up with the funds (which might take me some time). He came back with a price that I could not tune down. The shipping was quick as well. So, I am very pleased and satisfied with Sweetwater!

Products used:
PRS McCarty 594 SE

Value
Shipping
Quality

Date of experience: February 25, 2023

Thumbnail of user eileeng171
California
1 review
0 helpful votes
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January 21st, 2022

Sweetwater's product selection, prices, and customer service are some of the best I have ever experienced. They are truly an extraordinary company that clearly focuses on assuring that their customers are treated with respect and great care. I NEVER write reviews, but when I got a follow-up email to a recent order, I decided to take the few minutes to share my experience with this exceptional company.

Products used:
music equipment

Service
Value
Shipping
Quality

Date of experience: January 21, 2022

Thumbnail of user brandonm177
Texas
1 review
0 helpful votes
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May 31st, 2018

Sweetwater is one of the best companies that I have ever had the pleasure of doing business with. Their customer service is the best hands down. These guys have such a comprehensive knowledge of the products they sale and are very helpful when it comes to purchasing anything music related. If you have a problem, they fix it. No ifs, ands, or buts.

Tip for consumers:
Speak to my boy Ben Robinson Ext. 1673

Service
Value
Shipping
Returns
Quality

Date of experience: May 31, 2018

Thumbnail of user robertd279
Indiana
2 reviews
0 helpful votes
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March 16th, 2017

I've purchased a few items and always experienced great service from Sweetwater! I wanted to order a lightweight stop bar tailpiece which was designed for a Les Paul and needed to find out if it fit my Gibson SG. I called Brent Leuthold to find out and I provided him with the serial number of my guitar as he requested. He called Gibson and they verified that it would fit. He got back to me promptly with the answer so I was able to order the part without any worries. Great job Sweetwater! I really didn't expect this kind of service for such an inexpensive part! Keep up the good work!

Date of experience: March 16, 2017

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From the business

Sprawling megastore featuring high-quality musical instruments & studio recording gear.

Business History

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.

Company Representative

Thumbnail of user steved158
CustomerExperience ..
Typically responds within 4 hours

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