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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.
I absolutely LOVE our representative, Austin Childress, his customer service skills are superior and secondary to none. It is in fact what has also made purchasing with Sweetwater such a tremendous experience, from start to finish it has been phenomenal- keeping us informed, sending updates and photographs through out. Then of course when my son received his guitar, the quality was immaculate and his favorite of his 8 guitars is the one purchased through Sweetwater. Because of the wonderful customer service of Austin, and the phenomenal purchasing experience, together with the quality guitar, we absolutely will go to Sweetwater for future purchases and would highly recommend to everyone!
Tip for consumers:
Cannot highly recommend enough! Will definitely purchase from again!
Products used:
Guitar brand new
Date of experience: June 15, 2023
I couldn't have had better service. I love my guitar which my husband bought as a birthday present for me. I got all kinds of good advice from him and from Sweetwater before finalizing my decision. Plus, they send candy :) Thanks for a truly positive experience, Sweetwater.
Date of experience: April 12, 2017
I order almost all of my gear from Sweetwater. When I spend a great deal of time on the road I can order whatever I need and get it in a few days. Carson, my rep, is very helpful. I recommend them to everyone I can.
Date of experience: November 27, 2017
I can't say enough about this 20 watt Champion amp. I have had Johnson and Peavey amplifiers,
But right out of the box I started with experimenting with the different tones coming out of this thing, and all I can do is say thank-you. I always wanted a Twin-Reverb, but living in a small apartment, the size and portability is perfect for me. The British and Metal and clean tones are outstanding! For low volumes this is perfect but this amp can growl! Thank you Sweetwater for good service and good deals. Don
Date of experience: July 4, 2017
This was THE BEST experience I've ever had online shopping. The care they show for each individual customer is incredible, my package was on my doorstep 48 hours after I placed the order, and it came with a bag of candy! I will never order from anywhere else for any of my music needs!
Tip for consumers:
You will not be disappointed
Products used:
Guitar strings, medium and light gauge.
Sustain pedal for keyboard.
Date of experience: August 12, 2020
Attention to detail and discussion about shipping and follow up was amazing. Part of my order was out of stock and the explanation provided was quite professional. Amazed at Sweetwater's follow up to make sure a customer's needs have been met!
Date of experience: September 8, 2019
I love ordering from sweetwater because I know the stuff I order is shipped quickly with care and quality every single time. Thank you guys for being so great and I enjoy doing business with you now and In the future!
Date of experience: January 26, 2017
Gear is always easy to come by for a drummer. Having someone in your corner who you can ask for advice and then they hook you up with great prices, that is hard to come by. This is the reason I swear by Sweetwater. Justin Sunday is amazing at his job and he knows what he is talking about. The equipment I ordered is great and I thank Justin for the recommendation.
Date of experience: March 6, 2017
All I really need to say is sweet water has never failed to please me. Shipping is always timely and they have the greatest selection for every budget. Sweet water is the only place I want to get my gear from.
Date of experience: March 27, 2017
I have bought 3 acoustic guitars, 1 amplifier, and many music assesories. Everything comes with free shipping regardless of cost or size. Amazing! I had 2 of my guitars setup to my specs and they Play great. Their sales engineers take the time and get to know your musical goals and help you get there. I had 1 item that wasn't my cup of tea so I contacted my sales engineer. He said since this was the 1st thing I was returning it would be free shipping back since I bought so much before. What more could I ask for. Also for people like me living in a rural area I would have to drive for hours to access the world class Musical products and services that I can access with my smartphone and my finger tips. Sweetwater isn't the only place I shop but it is the best Place I shop. Their website is amazing and easy to browse. Sincerely William P Kennedy from Sproul, PA.
Date of experience: September 5, 2022
I ordered my DW Pancake drum mid-afternoon on a Friday and received my order on Saturday! That's pretty hard to beat. I am a loyal customer for life! My only complaint (and this is reaching, I know) is that I did not receive any "sweets" with my order.
Date of experience: June 1, 2017
My guy AJ always is ready to help. I never feel like I'm being sold something I don't need and I'm getting what's best for my needs. I also want to say the PC tech Kenny is a cut above everyone else. Super helpful and a very nice guy. For a metal head. Lol jk. Love Sweetwater. Couldn't do it without em. Thanks again
Date of experience: September 8, 2017
It was probably the best customer experience I've ever had after ordering a product online. After I placed my order, I received a phone from Matt of Sweetwater, personally reaching out just to thank me for placing an order. I didn't pick up, so he left a voicemail for me, which I would occasionally replay just because I couldn't believe that companies still did things like that. It was the nicest thing! I would highly recommend purchasing from this company every time!
Date of experience: March 17, 2022
These guys literally take the best care of you, treat you as family and as a professional. Customer service is out of this world (my experience.) They do everything in their power to give you everything you need and guidance in your musical journey providing only the best and latest. They grow alongside you! Also the prices a lot of the times are lower than anywhere else!
Also, specially during this unique time (COVID-19) they took the best measures to still offer top notch service to their customers.
Date of experience: July 23, 2020
I have a collection of guitars and amps, some of which came from Sweetwater including a Les Paul Standard and Mesa Boogie Mark 5:25. My latest purchase is a PRS Paul's Guitar SE and it's a great guitar which I will keep. However, it made it through PRS and Sweetwater quality control with the intonation way out of adjustment and cost me an extra $40 to have set correctly. The adjustment set screws were loose indicating they had never been touched. Hope they can improve this.
Tip for consumers:
You may have to do additional work to get a proper setup on guitars. The 55 point inspection doesn't always catch critical adjustments like intonation.
Products used:
PRS Pauls Guitar, Gibson Les Paul Standard, Mesa Boogie Mark 5:25 and others
Date of experience: November 30, 2022
From the moment I first contacted Sweetwater, I met sincere friendliness, and eagerness to help. Even, when I had to return what I bought, Digital Piano, they helped me to get the least expensive way for shipping.
I really was grateful.
Products used:
Digital Piano
Date of experience: August 23, 2023
Never could be more happier with Sweetwater and it's professional services. Evey time I make purchase Chris Mosley always gives me an update about my items whether it was damaged or if I'm satisfied with thier product. If thier was any complications at all he doesn't hesitate to give me a call and give me a heads-up on anything and everything
Date of experience: December 7, 2017
Sweetwater is without a doubt the only place to shop for musical gear for a number of reasons: Fantastic products and pricing, awesome sales rep (for me, Stewart Hisely is the bomb!), #1 rated website with killer product demos (Don Carr is sick!), fast free shipping, and all sorts of knowledge at your fingertips. I have a couple of "other" stores where I shop occasionally, but the experience pales in comparison to Sweetwater! I will shop here as long as I continue playing and beathing!
Tip for consumers:
Make sure you checkout their awesome demos of just about every piece of gear imaginable. Very informative and detailed to help you make sound decisions.
Date of experience: January 21, 2017
I have ordered twice from Sweetwater, and am waiting for my second order. Te first time the cable jack on the guitar cut out, but it was an easy fix for me. They said I had to return it to get it fixed, but I fixed it myself. Overall good operation!
Date of experience: June 4, 2015
Can't say enough about the professional service I get every time I order from Sweetwater. I have never had a bad experience shopping with them. They always follow up with a phone call to make sure order was received in good order and if I am satisfied with what I ordered and if I'm not, they certainty will make everything right! Love my Sweetwater! (P.S. Love the candy too!)
Thank You!
David Wesley Kreger
Stinnett, Texas
Date of experience: February 24, 2018
I purchased a Hohner Blues Harmonica for my musically inclined son on October 29th. On October 30th I received a call from Tim at Sweetwater following up to see if I was satisfied with their process. I was happily surprised about the call. I've never had that happen on any other internet purchase. I really appreciated it and will purchase again from them I am sure. Exceptional service and good prices.
Date of experience: October 30, 2022
Mike was amazing. After visiting your website and realizing one of the items we needed could not be shipped overnight, Mike was eager to help find a comparative gooseneck mic that could be shipped in the timeframe we needed. Both the mic & the light are just what we needed to complete the refurbishing of our podium.
Date of experience: September 17, 2018
I am not a professional musician. I am a hobbyist. Sweetwater has made me feel like valued customer for many years. The gear selection is top not notch and I have NEVER had a complaint. EVER! My purchases have arrived in a timely fashion and on the one occasion they did not my sales engineer Ben Stokes kept me updated on the issue. The issue was NOT Sweetwater's fault. I am a dedicated customer!
Date of experience: December 2, 2020
My friends is a true guitar lover. He's fond of listening to rock music and he has plenty of idol from the world of rock music. I knew this information and understood that if I would never buy him a guitar, then probably he couldn't ever try to play guitar, maybe it would be his favorite activity. Anyway, I believe that the best gift is something that is presented from the bottom of your heart. I applied to this store and asked them to tell me information about one guitar which I noticed in their assortment. So, the customer support managers helped me and I ordered it. It is a great guitar and my friend really like it.
Date of experience: November 20, 2021
Their reps have a nasty attitude. After spending tens of thousands of dollars on equipment at Sweetwater, a rep was nickel and diming me over $6 to pay for return shipping on a broken brand new pedal that they sent me. The nut slot of the A string on a brand new guitar that they sent me was cut too deep and the A string was buzzing no matter how high I raised the saddle. When I called Sweetwater, instead of immediately offering me a replacement, the "tech support" wanted to teach me how to use Crazy Glue to fill in the nut slot, then file it down to the right height! Imagine that! I had to spend 25 minutes on the phone to convince him that I didn't want to spend time learning how to and fixing a brand new guitar and that I just wanted to return it. The reps at Guitar Center are a million times nicer and friendlier and their return process makes you feel like a welcome, valued customer. I'll never buy anything from Sweetwater again!
Date of experience: October 23, 2022
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.
Hi Izzy T, I am so sorry that you are having issue with the gear you purchased and haven't had the Sweetwater Experience that we strive to provide with every interaction. We would embrace the opportunity to help get you taken care of the way you deserve. Please contact us at your earliest convenience, and we will do our best to help resolve this issue and get you taken care of the Sweetwater way!