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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.
Musical instruments and tech are things you definitely want to go right the first time and work for you from the get-go. I can honestly say that this is the first time ever that customer service has made me to feel more than comfortable and confident to tell Sweetwater anything that might go wrong and I know they would take care of it immediately, no hesitation. They get you in touch with someone immediately after you purchase an item and are very PROactive, rather than REactive, in resolving any issues that might come up. I must say that it is greatly appreciated and the peace of mind in knowing that even IF something happens to my equipment or I just order the wrong item for what I actually need, they will help me get what I need, and FAST.
Products used:
Keyboard, guitar, accessories
Date of experience: November 1, 2022
Sweetwater has been my goto shop for almost all need... my man drew foster is awesome... always calling to make sure i get what i really need... ships faster than any other company... and i have even been in contact with the owner by email and he actually replied back... It would be nice if every company took pride in thier business as sweetwater does... NO BETTER SHOP TO ORDER MUSIC PRODUCTS FROM...
Date of experience: October 27, 2017
My husband is very happy with his new Swingster guitar from Sweetwater. For some time, he has wanted a guitar that has a Bixby tremelo bar and a narrow neck. We found that guitar at Sweetwater. My husband selected the beautiful green color with gold accents adorned with the signature Epiphone headstock. It is a perfect guitar.
Tip for consumers:
I am not very computer literate. I don't know how to post pictures of the guitar or the receipt.
Products used:
Guitar
Date of experience: February 2, 2021
Outstanding attention to my order, with follow up, by Ian Lemberg, your sales engineer. Product I bought, TC-Helicon Perform VK, had a problem and was replaced immediately, basically no questions asked other than what the problem was. Your company was highly recommended by a musician friend of mine in the Tampa area, and I highly recommend you as well.
Date of experience: January 27, 2019
I purchased bass strings from New Zealand on the Sweetwater sight.
Sight functionality A+
Product A+
Service A+
Delivery from the U. S to NZ A+
It was really good. For delivery to this part of the world that was fast.
Date of experience: October 18, 2022
Placed a couple of orders and they DIDN'T notify me that THEY had cancelled them (cause my credit card and my paypal both work, and i tried with both) so I sent them an email asking about the order and they just said that the payment didnt go through, the sales engineer seemed to have no interest... Tried again and the same thing happend but they stopped answering my emails. WTF!
So apparently iv'e got bad luck cause there's a lot of happy customers. I hope (and you should too) that the next unlucky customer is not an intense obsessive musician that knows everything about the incoming gear and keeps perfect track of the shipping process. Haha!
Date of experience: July 13, 2019
I've been buying music gear from Sweetwater for almost 20 years, and I've been a long-term customer because they are an amazing organization. I equipped an entire recording studio with gear purchased from them. I've purchased guitars, keyboards, amps, microphones, pre-amps, compressors, mixing desks, i/o processors, software, monitors, headphones, computers, and just about every kind of miscellaneous adapter, connector and gadget you can imagine from these guys... and I am a repeat customer because their prices are fair, and the customer service is absolutely amazing. My personal Sales Engineer - David Hess - has been a fantastic source for problem solving, and professional advice, and I'm pretty sure he can answer any question thrown at him... and, on the rare occasion I've stumped him with a question, he's known exactly where to find the answer in a matter of minutes. I just can't adequately express how necessary Sweetwater has been to my small business, and I look forward to doing business with them for many, many years to come.
Date of experience: May 21, 2021
Gary, thank you for your amazing review! We are so grateful for your loyalty and business over the years! We are happy to hear that your Sales Engineer, David Hess, has been able to be a source of knowledge for all of your musical needs! Our Sales Engineers work tremendously hard to provide top-notch service to every customer! We cannot wait to serve you in the future! Thank you again for your business and feedback!
- Quincee Musselman, Sweetwater Customer Experience
I just recently ordered a meinl cajon and I was impressed. It was delivered very fast and in tip top conditions. The cajon sounds great and I love it. I'm looking forward to shopping more on sweet water.
Date of experience: December 25, 2015
Ordered a Epiphone LP custom the fit and finish was poor. Was told and that at this price point this is what you get. In basic terms. Will not use them ever again.
Tip for consumers:
Don’t use this site
Products used:
Guitar
Date of experience: December 6, 2022
I have shopped with Sweetwater for quite some time and they have always had amazing service, amazing prices and flexible payment options. I want to emphasize the service you receive because buying from Sweetwater grants you a sales engineer who is assigned to you for as long as you both have business with them. My sales engineer, Nick, is amazingly helpful. I have reached out by email late night before and will still get a prompt reply from him. He also writes from time to time just to check in and see how everything is going. He has even gone as far as to order me some pickups that they didn't offer on their site, and got them for me at a cheaper rate than I saw for myself on the manufacturer's website, which I was blown away by. I have only worked with Nick during my time buying from Sweetwater, but I can imagine that this is a pretty standard experience with one of their representatives, Sweetwater seems to heavily emphasize their customer care and a good customer experience, which they achieve and then some.
Overall, Sweetwater has given me no reason to shop elsewhere, they have what I want at the best prices with payment options that are best for me when needed, and the best service you can ask for.
Tip for consumers:
Sweetwater doesn't use any back-handed sales tactics that stick you with anything negative. No part of any of my experiences with Sweetwater has been negative or left me with a bad taste
Products used:
I have ordered guitars, pickups, tons of strings, tons of picks, lots of cables, lots of guitar pedals, power supplies, etc from Sweetwater. The particular receipt attached to this review was for a gorgeous Fender Telecaster
Date of experience: January 16, 2021
That is amazing Jerrod! I am so glad to hear Nick is taking great care of you! I appreciate you taking the time to write such an amazing review, and I shared this with Nick and his manager! I know you have so many options to choose from for online shopping, so we appreciate that you recognize the Sweetwater difference and continue to come back to us!
- Zach Bloom, Customer Experience
I have ordered 10 guitars and 1 mandolin through Sweetwater company all of their equipment and their personnel are top-notch they get 10 gold stars I will always go through Sweetwater for new equipment
Date of experience: May 29, 2021
Thank you for your generous review, Bill! We are thankful for your loyalty to Sweetwater! It is awesome to hear that your guitars and mandolin have been top-notch! We are grateful and excited to serve you in the future!
- Quincee Musselman, Sweetwater Customer Experience
I've been buying from Sweetwater for a few years now. My sales guy is Geoff. He has recommended and delivered everything I've needed perfectly. I would email and say I need blah blah blah and he would know exactly the right thing I needed (he even picks out my drum heads and they are the exact sound I like). I wouldn't even think of buying from anybody else. I love this company!
To Geoff...
Thank you so much for the years of making sure I get the just right thing in the just right time and the just right price! You're the best. You deserve a Gianormous raise!
Products used:
lots of drums and drum stuff
Date of experience: July 20, 2022
Thank you for this spectacular review, Kristine! Our Sales Engineers are focused on building relationships with each customer. Doing this allows them to learn the different needs of our customers and serve them better! Without the dedication and handwork of our Sales Engineers, Sweetwater would not be the company it is today! I'll be sure to pass your feedback along to Geoff. He's an incredible part of our team, and we are very fortunate to have him. Thank you for trusting Sweetwater with your musical needs. We cannot wait to serve you again!
Ethan K - Customer Experience Specialist
I ordered some EastWest products from them and was having problems with making it work in my DAW. Technical support solved all of my problems and even fixed something that I didn't buy from them. From now on I'm going to go out of my way to buy from Sweetwater
Products used:
EastWest backup singers
Date of experience: May 6, 2021
Hi Greg,
I am so glad to hear that you were satisfied with our Technical Support team! We strive to go above and beyond for each customer. We appreciate your loyalty and business! Thank you for your kind review!
- Quincee Musselman, Sweetwater Customer Experience
After playing over 45 years I was tired of settling for a guitar and knowing what I really wanted. This time I didn't! The Godin a12 is my all time favorite guitar period! I can't put it down, thanks to Sweetwater and my salesman Tyle Schultz r for making sure it was perfect, Steve Ellis Anacortes wash.
Date of experience: July 1, 2020
I ordered a drum tool for my set and the order was through PayPal. So then I get an email from Vanessa, and a phone call from a guy there stating that I had to approve through thier system my PayPal order? So after speaking on the phone to the girl there she tells me to call this other person a guy and have him proces the order? So then he tells me that my PayPal is outdated and I need to call them to give them my card number over the phone? Haha! Not a chance! I instead ordered my part through Sam Ash and had my PayPal go right through with no issues! I'll be ordering from Sam Ash, Guitar Center, Musicians Friend from now on because I've never had problems with any other online music stores.
Date of experience: November 29, 2022
We had bought 10 Peavey Dark Matters speakers which failed 60% of the time. Sweetwater replaced the speakers every time we had a fail. After the sixth fail Sweetwater agent Tyler worked a solution of switching out the Peavey speakers for the same type of speaker by Behringer. We were very impressed with Sweetwater working with us for 1 and 1/2 years and swapping out for the Behringer Speakers which sounds amazing and are easily to set up and use.
Date of experience: August 17, 2017
Just a great place hellbent on being nice to the customer and making the sales experience as nice as possible. Prompt delivery. Price was a little high but the free delivery and the personal touch to the service even though it's over the internet, is extraordinary. Great Service up the yingyang.
Date of experience: March 29, 2018
I recently purchased a Tech 21 bass driver through Sweetwater. I have in the past tried contacting them to provide information to assist in making a decision on whether I should purchase other Tech 21 products. With no response. I finally decided to purchase the Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI Effects Pedal. I purchased it through the Sweetwater website. A few hours after submitting the order, one of their customer service reps called and suggested I get one of their demo models because the new ones are on back order. Which was discounted and was delivered a few days later. I tried plugging it in and hooking it up to my current rig with no results. I went to the Tech 21 website and found that the power cord was sold separately and ordered it through a different music shop in Chicago. Tech 21 videos demonstrating the product clearly show the power cord being used.The customer service rep made no mention of the needed power cord. Nor does the website advise customers that it is needed. A few simple questions would have taken maybe another minute or so. But it was more important to get the call over with to move on to other calls. I have several friends who've used Sweetwater before and have been extremely disappointed with their customer service. This will probably be the last item I buy from them. Maybe I should have contacted my friends at House of Guitars and been happier with my experience.
Date of experience: March 21, 2021
Thanks for reaching out about your experience, Russ! We appreciate the feedback, and are so sorry for the lack of clear communication on our part! I see your Sweetwater Sales Engineer has reached out to you, but if you need anything else, please email me direct at zach_bloom@sweetwater.com. Would love to hear from you!
Zach, Sweetwater Customer Experience
"Sweetwater has access to the same goods as everyone else. They sell that at roughly the same price as everyone else and offer the same free shipping etc. But, how they differentiate is on their personalized service.
When you buy from Sweetwater you get assigned a Sales Engineer and that person is now your point of contact for Sweetwater. Whether it's a technical question or trouble with your order or any other reason to contact Sweetwater, your knowledgeable and friendly sales engineer is available.
Like others, Sweetwater also has a very good website with good blog posts and knowledge articles. They also have a great YouTube channel which al helps with the education part of your buying experience.
Like others they offer free shipping.
But unlike others, they offer a two year warranty (fulfilled by Sweetwater) on any item that does not carry a manufacturers warranty over 2 years.
So in short, they do everything everyone else does, and then they have a dedicated Sales Engineer and a two year warranty. They really do care about each and every customer personally."
Date of experience: January 28, 2021
Thanks for the review Stuart! We do absolutely care about every customer, and I'm glad you know that! I am so happy that you are enjoying your experience with us, and we look forward to sharing more great business with you in the future!
- Zach Bloom, Customer Experience
I wanted to try to learn how to play the guitar again.
I was very hesitant to do so because of previously failing in junior high school.
After I talked to a friend. He suggested SWEETWATER! They had a starter guitar set with everything I would need to get started again. I received a BEAUTIFUL YAMAHA guitar and strap and soft case and even a battery operated tuner and picks all for around 200 BUCKS! And free shipping!
Needless to say I'M OVER THE MOON WITH SWEETWATER! And have started learning how to play the guitar again with confidence I have the best equipment available for me. SUPERB QUALITY COMPANY! SATISFIED CUSTOMER! GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE! 10 STARS OUT OF 5!
Date of experience: April 11, 2021
Thanks for the great review Richard! Best of luck to you on your guitar learning journey, if you need any resources on that, check out our knowledge base for tons of articles ranging from guitar lessons to tips and tricks for playing! You can find that at https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/
- Zach Bloom, Sweetwater Customer Experience
The sales team are very knowledgeable and answered all of my questions. Guide the to perfect headphones I was looking for and gave direction on what was need to push best sound, great service quality
Tip for consumers:
Talk to sales engineers
Products used:
Headphones
Date of experience: June 18, 2021
Thank you for the kind review, Pete! Our Sales Engineers are very knowledgable about our products and work hard to find the perfect product for each customer! They truly get to turn dreams into reality every day!
- Quincee Musselman, Sweetwater Customer Experience
I honestly don't know why there are one star reviews on here-I have dealt with Sweetwater for over 20 years and have NEVER had anything but excellent service and customer support-I have called with software problems because of my stupidity and they have remotely accessed my pc and mac MANY times and helped me. I drove 8 hours to go to Gearnet and it was the most awesome thing i have ever done music wise-Incredible one time deals, great workshops and music. When a company can accommodate 10,000 people in two days and make it an amazing experience that says a LOT. Always first class in everything they do in my opinion!
Date of experience: June 20, 2016
Ez drummer sounds great nothing negative there. My complaint is you cannot record individual channels outside of ez drummer when you separate each drum sound in ez drummer you cannot record each channel in studio one 3 or send them individually to my presonus 24ai it was a waste of a 150 bucks I wanted it to take over the drum sounds of my korg m3 with the same freedom I have with my korg m3 drums.
Date of experience: June 9, 2017
Just awful customer service they will make you wait for an eternety I called them 8 or 5 times a couple days ago and they treaded me like I was involved in a fraud they wouldn't listen or anything they just tried to avoid me because I put my cousins address as my shipping and billing address becuase I went to visit my family in Turkey. Such an awful evil company. Just don't expect any customer service or respect what so ever!
Date of experience: May 24, 2020
Thanks so much for reaching out and sharing your experience, Can. We'd like to have our Customer Service team look into this for you as soon as possible. When you have a moment, could you please confirm your information and order number by sending an email to WeCare@sweetwater.com? We truly appreciate you bringing this to our attention.
I was looking to purchase the Shure SM7B Mic at a low price; however, in every website and local store it cost about the same. Suddenly, just by mistake I came across with sweetwaters website and the finance plan is just so confortable and reachable that it made it impossible for me to say no. With a 0% interest is just so good to have a great brand new mic. I bought my mic with just 2 month payment plan (using my regular debit card) however, they also have their own credit card that let you purchase anything with a plan of 24,36 or even 48 month plan with 0% interest. I will be buy more often in this page
Date of experience: March 30, 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.
Those are pretty smooth looking guitars! The gold accents on the green body catches my eye every time! So glad you guys are enjoying it! Feel free to reach out to your sales engineer if you need anything else!
- Zach Bloom, Customer Experience