- Log in
- Browse Businesses
- Guides
- Resources
- Write a Review
- Request a Review
- Backed by the National Science Foundation
- For Business
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.
With Forest as account manager I have received the best service. When I referred friends with Forest they had the best experience.
Date of experience: December 21, 2016
5 is what it is thank you sweetwater the gear is the best the staff is grate love you guys I can't thank you enough Mr. James.
Date of experience: June 7, 2017
I have not had a better online shopping experience than the ones I have had with Sweetwater. I have complete confidence in shopping with them.
Tip for consumers:
Their reps will contact you directly to ensure that your needs are met.
Products used:
Purchased an interface for mobile device recording
Date of experience: April 22, 2020
I like the specials and the remarkably good customer service and focus on the customer. Wish every company was this good.
Date of experience: September 7, 2017
The best merchandise, the best sales engineers, the best financing terms, the best tech support and repair services! Well... just the best!
Date of experience: February 1, 2020
Thank you Sweetwater and David Merkosky for my new guitar! Great service and no hassles. Will do business again. David made it all easy! Thanks again
Date of experience: October 27, 2018
Really good really good really good really good really good really good really good really good really good really good really good really good
Date of experience: July 21, 2019
Quality products, "back alley" prices. Team of techs for back-up. This is where you want to spend your money.
Tip for consumers:
Techs are knowledge and helpful.
Products used:
Numark mixer, Numark controller.
Date of experience: October 28, 2021
All items were delivered as stated in an extremely timely manner. Great follow up and support fro the product. Will definitely buy again.
Date of experience: May 28, 2017
Great prices. Customer service is awesome, as are the sales engineers. 1000% better than Guitar Center.
Date of experience: May 29, 2017
Sweetwater has great people working for them who place an emphasis on customer service. All of my purchase experiences have been good.
Products used:
Musical accessories
Date of experience: May 6, 2021
That's great to hear Tommy! I'm grateful that you understand the Sweetwater difference and that you continue to choose us as your go to place for music gear!
- Zach Bloom, Sweetwater Customer Experience
Other guitar stores in my neighborhood but none come close to the customer service and abilities of Sweetwater.
Date of experience: July 14, 2017
Great job keep up the good work will be placing another order soon working forward to your service again
Date of experience: July 15, 2018
Awesome customer service and fast delivery. Would definitely recommend for anyone looking to purchase anything music-related.
Date of experience: January 27, 2019
It doesn't get much better than Sweetwater when making crucial purchases. Always knowledgeable, helpful and patient.
Date of experience: October 15, 2020
Never any difficulties with Sweetwater, great deals, top-notch products, very responsive customer service.
Date of experience: September 23, 2018
Sweetwater sales and service combined with Sibelius incredibly friendly interface has made for a totally positive purchasing experience!
Date of experience: November 23, 2017
Chris was an excellent sales rep. Informative and very helpful during my purchase experience. Awesome follow up, as well.
Date of experience: October 26, 2020
Very customer oriented. I know nothing about this stuff but they are right there to help during and after the sale.
Date of experience: November 1, 2018
Outstanding customer service and pricing! Fast delivery with a no hassle return policy. Enough said!
Date of experience: December 8, 2017
Excellent customer service and super fast shipping. Looking forward to doing business with Sweetwater in the future.
Date of experience: December 7, 2017
Ive purchased several guitars & processors, from Sweetwater. Always a professional knowledgeable staff. Easy to get issues resolved. My goto source
Date of experience: December 16, 2017
Helped me find just the right product and had it delivered sooner than expected. Wonderful experience.
Date of experience: March 4, 2019
Selection, speedy delivery, free extended warranty, great follow-up, video previews... everything about Sweetwater is top notch.
Date of experience: December 26, 2017
"hard to find" item was in stock, fast delivery, received exactly what I needed, thoughtful customer followup, great job by Sweetwater!
Date of experience: June 28, 2020
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.
It's our goal to do what is right for the customer and to help you find the right product that will fit your needs, Michael! Come back for our
"back alley" prices again!
-Keith Holman, Sweetwater Customer Experience