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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 have been a musician for 32 years and still in a band, still writing music, Gigging and recording. I have bought a lot of gear in my day and by far Sweetwater has been the most concerned with the welfare of the musician first. I bought some new gear and ultimately had an issue and was scheduled to go into the studio 3 days later. I had the studio time booked for months and was going to have to reschedule. My Sales Engineer Chris Ishak was professional, accommodating and genuinely concerned and helpful. He immediately took action and shipped out a new item so the studio time can still happen. Needless to say I was super impressed and thankful for the quick reaction and concern for me making the all to precious studio time I was looking forward to. Now the show goes on! My Band Endgame will continue to record our first full length and Melt faces with our brand of Metal! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! You have a customer for life! Oh and Give Chris a raise... He deserves it!
Date of experience: April 12, 2019
My ovation celebrity CE445 arrived and I played it right out of the box. It was already in tune.
This is my second purchase from Sweetwater. Watching and listening to Matt Smith play the mellow tones from the CE445 sold me instantly!
Joe Romeoville, Illinois.
Date of experience: April 15, 2018
I wish I could send a pic. For you folks, working on the tech. I bought an Earthworks. Think of bear of little brain! MY kick drum sounds over top from the back. Come and check out the room, that's what I wanted! I hung the the mic over the sill from kitch. And my studio about 4' from the kick. It WORKED! My kick sounds great not too much thud and a nice boom, not bad for 66 yr old. Drummer and a 50 yr. Old kick drum, Heavy Rogers ball and socket made in 67
Date of experience: August 7, 2017
Bought my first 5 string from Sweetwater. Set up great enjoy it. Also went out on a limb and picked up a 6 string guitar. World's worst guitar player. Had not owned one in decades. Great case recommendations! BTY, the guitar was a HH Squire Telecaster, NEVER BE SCARED of that name. Better than many high dollar instruments. The set up was good. No fret buzz. For the cost unless your a collector why buy more? (GAS is the leading cause of divorce) With the Spark amp,the larger one,you can get lost for hours. Surprised how good the core sound is and the way it handles bass. If you detune your low B do not come looking for me. My Sales Eng. Is great. No,I do not want to share. Best online company I have ever worked with. Amazon is not as good and I have been a Prime Member for 20+ years. I also have 30 years retail music experience, including repair. I trust them. Never worked for them. Just enjoying retirement in Florida. Sorry no pictures. Do not want Condo robbers.
Products used:
Guitar and Bass
Date of experience: July 31, 2023
Great job Sweet-water! Lets work on a custom guitar for me!
Thank you Woody-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date of experience: January 4, 2017
Sweetwater is THE BEST. DON'T buy anything music related from Amazon. The prices at Sweetwater are competetive, shipping is free and the A+ customer service can NOT be beat. Their whole philosophy is about the customer and excellence. You don't have to be a professional (I am not) they still treat you like you are (or maybe will be :)) . My last purchase was a turntable for my son's birthday.
Products used:
Last purchase was a turntable but I have bought musical equipment and lighting equipment from them in the past.
Date of experience: October 25, 2023
They come off as a company that is here to help you and make your musical career easier. The sales rep boasts about his knowledge in music gear but takes him and his team a month to come up with an answer to a defective soundcard on an Xone K2 from Allen & Heath. In that time I was able to A/B this soundcard myself, determine it wasn't viable for anything out than hearing them off logitech computer speakers. I then was able to find a solution, purchase, test and verify working while still awaiting an answer from sweetwater. Go elsewhere for your gear, everyone offers 2 year warranty and 2 day delivery.
Date of experience: July 30, 2019
Have purchased from Sweetwater for about four years now. I'm not a musician but do the audio mastering for our church's podcast. So, I buy things that relate to that endeavor; microphones, digital recorders, etc. Not once has their customer service been anything short of exemplary. Our client engineer, Khaleed Matmati, has been an attentive and engaging representative, always genuinely interested in our projects. He has been helpful in the extreme and shares a passion for audio engineering that I've never been blessed with, with any vendor, in the past. We have also been to their store / headquarters in Ft Wayne, three times and can only say, you have to see it to believe it! It is an audiophile or musicians' absolute dream destination.
Date of experience: November 13, 2021
I bought from Sweetwater from the first time online when I had to replace a sustain pedal for my keyboard. When I plugged the new pedal in, the pedal functioned in damper instead of sustain, and I couldn't figure out how to switch the mode back. One of the sweet water rep's emailed me to follow-up on my purchase, and when I told him about my experience, he gave me step-by-step instructions to switch back the pedal function for my 20 year old Roland keyboard, which immediately worked. Very satisfied with the product, price, and service!
Date of experience: December 27, 2022
I've been purchasing from Sweetwater longer than I can remember. I thinks it's been 15 years or more. I've participated in GearFest and WorshipFest and the many workshops that they offer. I've bought thousands of dollars of merchandise from them. They are always profession, warm and knowledgeable. Their customer service is perfect, although I have rarely needed it. Greg Savino has been my sales rep for ages. He knows his stuff and is always ready to assist. If I lived closer this is a company I would want to work for. Thanks guys.
Date of experience: September 17, 2020
Last week, I wrote a review on the Roland Go-Mixer. There was no profanity of any kind and the review met the guidelines of Sweetwater. Yet, Sweetwater didn't post it. Now I really can't trust the reviews I read on Sweetwater, and Sweetwater is just about to lose my business.
Date of experience: May 22, 2017
Thought I would give them a try on buying some dj equipment as I needed a gator case for my dj controller overnighted The sales rep was really nice but when I informed her that I could get another name brand case for 150 bucks less from the dealer I was told at this time they couldn't offer any off the price. If you can't be competitive and show your customers you want their business then I'm just not interested in giving them my money. I too am in Customer service and know how things work and we all need to make money but when you dissmiss a customer like that you better believe their is another company that will gladly take their business.no response is needed to my review as I have removed you from my email list and I would appreciate if you guys would not call me with unsolicited offers anymore. The company I ordered my case from was more than glad to ship it to my door overnight at $150.00 less.
Date of experience: December 29, 2016
I originally ordered an amp from guitar center. After a couple weeks, I called to ask where my package was, and they said they didn't have it in stock and had already given me my money back. I ordered the same amp from Sweetwater and it got to me in 4 business days. Todd Cotten called me a couple hours after I placed my order to tell me that it was on the truck. Another time I ordered and Todd called me to make sure I got my product, and offered to give me advice in using it because he's an experience musician. Great people and a great company.
Date of experience: April 29, 2019
A few years ago we ordered a guitar from this company. We never recd the guitar, we were not charged.
A few months go I ordered the roasted ash vintage Stratocaster. I recd confirmation. I followed up on email, asking for expected delivery date. I had no response. I called and was told my order had been cancelled. I was surprised. They told me to send them a copy of my drivers license and both sides of my credit card then they would reprocess my order. I have never been asked to provide copies of my license to place an order online. I am suspicious of any company that cancels orders without notice and then insists on extraordinary documentation to sell a product. I am not likely to give them a third try.
Date of experience: December 1, 2017
I knew i would be taken care of before my last purchase because of the great experiences ive had previously with sweetwater. I recieved my order extremely quickly. Their customer support is top notch, they will follow up with you after youve recieved your order to make sure that everything is great, whether it be general questions about your new gear you might have or troubleshooting potential issues. I appreciate their effort in making sure youre completely satisfied. Sweetwater dot com is the best site online to buy music gear hands down.
Products used:
Mackie big knob passive 2x2
Date of experience: January 2, 2022
Called my sales engineer and explained Amazon was selling the same items for $60 less, and he straight up knocked the price down $60 and then gave me a slight discount for my overall order. Shoutout to my sales engineer Patrick C.! Excellent service, packing, and timely shipping of the items. What's better than opening up packaging and discovering a pack of candy to make your day and unboxing experience sweeter?
Tip for consumers:
Talk to your sales engineer before placing your order. They will give you advice and help make the purchase affordable and high quality.
Date of experience: July 19, 2017
This cover is exactly what I wanted. I had previously ordered one from an industry competitor, but they sent the wrong cover. It had side handle openings and none on top for the Portaflex cabinet. So, I turned to you and ordered the cover. Voila! It arrived very quickly and was the exact cover I had ordered. Thank you, Sweetwater, for being a great supplier for us "musical junkies."
Date of experience: April 17, 2017
Had a great experience at sweetwater online orderd a high end guitar and everything was spot on when you spend that kind of money online you tend to get a little nervous but it was great thanks sweetwater Greg
Date of experience: November 15, 2017
From start to finish and beyond, Sweetwater did an incredible job with my buying experience. My order was unfortunately on backorder but Sweetwater keep in touch and contacted me bi-weekly in reference to my orders status.
Date of experience: April 7, 2018
I have been dealing with Sweetwater for years and they have never steered me wrong. They helped me when I purchased my first set of voiceover gear and they have continued to provide excellent support and products ever since. A great place to shop.
Products used:
Mic, interface, headphones
Date of experience: June 18, 2021
I am a total beginner and was looking for a guitar. I selected sweetwater because they had the color of the guitar and was in stock. I did read the reviews here and was a little worried about some of the negative reviews. My experience was one of the best internet sales experience I ever had. I placed my order late one night and the next morning Greg Savino from sweetwater called to confirm the order. He kept me up to date on the whole process and sent pics of the guitar before it was sent. Guitar was packaged great and out of the box in tune. I have rarely been so impressed with a company and its service. It is so rare I took the time to write this review.
Date of experience: March 13, 2014
Q: What do you get when you cross an online retail giant like Amazon with the personal service and vibe of a "Mom & Pop" store? A: SWEETWATER! You don't get a salesman - you get a "sales engineer" - a fellow musician, incredibly knowledgeable on all their products who will steer you to the prefect gear for your needs and budget. Always friendly, best prices around! I don't feel like a customer - I feel like part of the Sweetwater Family!
Products used:
Software
Date of experience: April 8, 2021
Thanks for being a part of our family Denny! We appreciate your business, and are so happy to have you as one of our many awesome customers!
- Zach Bloom, Sweetwater Customer Experience
My Husband is a musician he really wanted this headphone amp. He wanted it so he can practice around me safely due too my type epilepsy the bass can trigger seizures. I ordered the 26th my order was shipped the 29th. The site said I would receive my item in 3 days from. Shipping. Day 10! No amp! They used USPS to save money on shipping which btw is way less than what I was charged for shipping. I have emailed Alan twice as in the past he has helped my husband. Sadly he has ignored my emails and offered me no hey we are sorry or anything. My advice check Guitar Centar I ordered from them and they shipped it from California and I had my item in 3 days via FedEx.
Date of experience: December 8, 2020
Hi, Amanda. Thanks so much for reaching out to us and 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. We'd like to send your information to our Customer Service team right away. When you have a moment, could you please email your order number to WeCare@sweetwater.com? Thank you again for the message.
The Fishman loudbox mini is a wonderful acoustic amp. I've used one for years.
The Mike stand, microphone Mike cable and amp cover make a wonderful bargain too good to pass up.
The service is always first class thanks to Danielle.
Date of experience: January 17, 2017
What a horrible experience and an odd business practice. I placed an order on their website and everything seemed to be okay. Apparently, they tried to call me during work hours to make sure that it was actually me. Who does that? Why would i give them my credit card info, my home address and then still have to call me!? When I called them to ask what was the problem, they told me that they couldn't reach me and i asked them to call me from the phone that I called and nothing. When i called after a few minutes, the representative told me that he "tried to call me many many times" and that they couldn't reach me again. I called them back within 2 minutes and he said that they were getting a non-responsive phone number. I have the same number for 20 years and never had problems with this phone. Very odd.
Date of experience: February 9, 2018
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.
Thank you for the awesome review, D. M.! I am glad we are able to provide you with guidance and excellent products! We are grateful to serve customers like yourself! Thank you for your loyalty to Sweetwater!
- Quincee Musselman, Sweetwater Customer Experience