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.
Got amp hooked up & test ran it & all I can say is Wow, more power than I had hoped for ( not a bad thing) & extremely clean amp
Date of experience: April 2, 2017
I've had nothing but great dealings with Sweetwater, they sell awesome DJ equipment and the financing helps a bunch!
Date of experience: March 5, 2019
My order came so quickly and the staff personally reached out to me to make sure everything was correct with my order. I HIGHLY recommend!
Date of experience: December 24, 2021
Love it, great quality, supper excellent, love the color and great sound that it has. Love it, shareing with others how i love it.
Date of experience: October 9, 2017
When you order you're contacted and there are follow ups whether it's $2K+ or $100 that you've spent. My go to for large purchases.
Date of experience: September 15, 2017
Sweetwaters personal attention to each customer goes above and beyond anything I have ever seen. Fast, efficient delivery of great products.
Date of experience: December 27, 2016
Drew Foster is a rock solid sound engineer with taking the time to earnestly giving superlative adivice without up selling gear.
Date of experience: December 22, 2016
Best online purchasing of music gear i have found. Quick shipping with great packing. Friendly and helpful salespersons. Good pricing.
Date of experience: October 23, 2021
Fast shipping sweetwateris the best company for me. Great packaging.SWETTWATER.com in the near future
Date of experience: March 18, 2020
Atomic.
Jesse Cabral excellent.
ROPDNYC.com
As you might know i'm a Multi Platinum Engineer and Producer and i say Sweetwater is a Cut Above.
Date of experience: August 4, 2022
Thank you so much for your kind words! Our Sales Engineers strive to provide overall excellent care for each customer and Jesse is no exception. We have a goal of building relationships with each customer, so I am glad to hear that your experience with him has been a great one! We are excited to serve you in the future! I’ll be sure to pass your feedback along to Jesse!
Justin D. - Director of Customer Experience
A customer since 2015, I still in awe with the customer service they provide. Why go anywhere else?
Date of experience: September 17, 2019
If you want the best quality and lowest price,
The most serenity, and best advice,
Choose Sweetwater's paradise!
Date of experience: April 6, 2017
It all started out on a good note, so to speak. My sales engineer was excellent. So I went ahead and ordered an Ibanez TMB30. I'm new to bass, but not to guitar, so I thought it best to purchase something at a low cost to learn and practice on, then, if I enjoy playing bass, I will swing for a more expensive model. The bass came, and all was well until I noticed green markings on the back of the neck. They told me it was normal for maple. But, in my way of thinking, that wood stock should have been discarded. So I contacted them and they said they would ship out a replacement. The replacement came, and further disappointment set in. The alignment of the strings at the nut was way off center. So back the replacement went. Unfortunately, a guitar selling for less than $300 does not qualify for the 55-point inspection. After talking with the sales engineer, I decided to go ahead and purchase a Fender bass, considering 0% financing over 48 months. Well, at least, I thought, this one will qualify for the 55-point inspection. A day later, I got an email showing photos of my bass, and later a second email indicating it was shipped. They could not have had time to do the inspection, repack and ship in such short a period of time. After viewing the photos, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. A Fender bass showing the same issues I had with the replacement Ibanez. The strings at the nut were way off to the right. Why wasn't this caught when it went through inspection? After calling them, they made arrangements with FedEx to re-routs the guitar back to Sweetwater. Inspection? Really? Why did I, after just glancing at the photos, find the issue when so many hands that are in the process of inspection did not. Inspection my foot. A good ploy to sell their guitars. I'm going back to what I have always done in the past. Visual hands on inspection at the store along with playing etc. That's the ONLY way to purchase an instrument, not online and hope for the best. Sorry, Sweetwater, but you've seen the last from me. Consider it a divorce.
I have included a photo of the guitar showing the misalignment of the strings as shown at the nut.
Date of experience: September 17, 2022
If you buy from them, contact Paul Eckert. They are all great sales people but that's who I've used for 8 years. Awsome guy.
Date of experience: March 17, 2018
SWEETWATER IS THE BEST WHEN IT COMES TO CUSTOMER SERVICE, I WAS UNHAPPY WITH A GUITAR PEDAL AND THEY LET ME SEND IT BACK FOR ANNOTHER ONE
Date of experience: May 20, 2020
When you make a purchase from them, you are automatically assigned a Sales Engineer to help you with your order by answering any questions you may have about the products you intend to purchase. I don't get it. I've thoroughly researched the $5000 eurorack system I committed to when I hit that "place order" button. What questions could I possibly need answering that I couldn't answer myself with a quick google search? Oh, how about, "why did you mysteriously cancel my order after 2 weeks of ghosting me?" These people won't pick up the phone or answer emails. Orders aren't fulfilled until the Sales Engineer gives the "go" signal. But what happens when your Sales Engineer goes AWOL? You sit there waiting for 2 weeks, stressing about whether or not you're going to receive your stuff, and with that amount of money on line, it's impossible to initiate plan B, and go with another vendor. I've sent half a dozen emails trying to get an update on the status of my order, and then one day, the order just disappears completely from my account, with no proof it even existed. And now the system I attempted to purchase is out of stock, so I guess my Sales Engineer didn't even bother to reserve a unit for me. No explanation, no confirmation of cancellation, no responses whatsoever. Well, their loss. I was about to drop 10k easy on new equipment, and I did end up doing just that with a better company that actually values their customers. Don't let their "one on one customer service" act fool you. They are an empty corporate shell of a company. They seriously need to drop this nonsensical sales engineer middle-man BS. Y'all know they're just in it for their employee gear discount.
Date of experience: May 21, 2020
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 as soon as we can. When you have a moment, please send us an email with your order number to WeCare@sweetwater.com. Thank you for your review.
I'm a voiceover talent and recently decided to upgrade to a Neumann TLM102 based on necessity (my Rode NT1A was broken and causing static in the recording). I've heard wonderful things about Sweetwater on several voiceover forums, but never previously ordered anything. When I searched online, I found the best price with free shipping at Sweetwater.com and ordered it. I soon received a call from Brad to talk about my recent order and talk about other items in my sound chain. I know Brad's job is to sell gear, but when I was talking to him, I never felt like he was trying to push products on me or upsell for the sake of his own bottom line. I really appreciated his knowledge and expertise, and he kindly took time to explain the difference between preamps vs. interfaces, some features of the new microphone I had purchased, and what other items might pair well with my new upgraded microphone. He showed concern about my purchase being delivered safely, and sent an email immediately after it had been delivered. I found the product packed safely, and the little bag of candy inside was a cute touch that my kids enjoyed too! I got yet another call a few days later from Brad to make sure I was happy with everything and I told him that I wouldn't mind him calling me in another month or so to see if I was ready to purchase a new preamp we had talked about. He's the kind of guy I don't mind spending money with because he actually seemed to care about giving me the best studio equipment that fit inside my budget. I don't have all the money in the world to spend on gear, but when it's time to buy something else for my home studio, I'll be buying from Brad Thomsen. If you want to call him for gear needs, his number is *******700 ext 1964.
Date of experience: March 19, 2016
Excellent Equipment, Love my New Crown 1502 amp as well as the Mackie Pro fx 12v2. Thanks Phillip Courtney for your Expertise.
Date of experience: January 12, 2017
Do not trust them! Both guitars were not worked on or inspected! LIARS AND PAID EXTRA! SALES TEAM IGNORANT
Date of experience: May 13, 2020
After starting a MIDI class at SLCC, I was told by the teacher that I should invest in a MIDI controller if I wanted to do the homework easier at home. He suggested Sweetwater as a place to buy my controller and Cubase software. I was kind of leery about going to the first website someone suggested, so, after looking on Sweetwater, I browesed a couple other online stores. I ended up going back to Sweetwater because they had better deals and prices. Plus I was able to get a student discount on Cubase itself. Trying to find a cheap, but good product was very easy to do with the way they set the website up. I found what was supposed to be a great product for my budget. After placing my order, in order to receive the Cubase license code, I just sent them a picture of my student ID. Within a few hours I received the code and they responded to any emails I sent quickly. The MIDI keyboard I ordered arrived faster than I expected (within 1 week with the holiday weekend) and the M-Audio Oxygen 25 was far better than I was expecting. It feels durable, not like I'm going to accidentally move the pitch or mod wheels too fast or hard and break them like some models I've seen before. Once plugged into my computer it started working with Cubase without having to edit anything or install software for it. For a beginner MIDI guy on a tight budget, this is probably one of the best controllers to have in mine and my MIDI teacher's opinion (who has been in the business for over 30 years). It does come with only 1 slider, so some might not like that, but for me, it's all I need. The 8 pads are great to have and sense velocity, the keys are velocity sensitive and feel sturdy enough to pound away at them. Overall, I absolutely love the two products I bought and when the need rises to get anymore equipment, Sweetwater will be the first and only place I go to. One of the best companies to do business with!
Tip for consumers:
Contact the employees for any questions. They are great to work with and, if by email, quick to respond.
Date of experience: July 26, 2017
Just what I wanted, it can be a little flaky when you try and play fast. Works well with MOTIF Rack...
Date of experience: October 27, 2017
I have never had such a horrible experience with a business like Sweetwater. Months ago I tried to make some purchases with their installment plans, but my credit score was not good enough, and the orders were cancelled. So I asked a family member recently if they would help me out and they obliged. I made a new order with a shared credit card with my family member (installment plans since their credit is great), and a second order on a Sweetwater credit card that was offered to us during browsing the Sweetwater site via Synchrony Bank (my family member has Synchrony bank cards elsewhere too).
WELL, apparently Sweetwater does NOT want our business or money, because ALL orders were cancelled and the account was blacklisted as "fraud"... SIMPLY BECAUSE OF DIFFERENT ADDRESSES ON FILE / NAMES OF PEOPLE (again, FAMILY members).
E-mails with the original sales representative went ignored or just told "try again" (to order), and even after my family member sent in multiple forms of identification like drivers license and the full credit card info, they still hem and haw about selling. Just absolutely ridiculous. ARE YOU GUYS IN BUSINESS TO MAKE MONEY, OR TO BE CREDIT GATEKEEPERS? The second sales rep we spoke to even was almost ready to deny us business, and their manager wanted a WIRE TRANSFER to pay for everything. EXCUSE ME? Credit cards and YOUR OWN COMPANY'S CREDIT CARD WAS OFFERED TO US to buy from you.
On the other hand, my family member has helped me purchase from Zzounds issue free, AND super fast shipping from them too. It sucks because Sweetwater is the only place we have a credit card with AND the products I am after (modular).
Now they want SYNCHRONY BANK to verify my family member's identity over the phone? Or something, in order to even complete any orders with them. Just absolutely ridiculous. DO NOT try to buy from Sweetwater on credit or with their credit card offers, if your credit score is less than perfect they will cancel your order and never speak to you again if you try to have anyone else help you and gift you purchases from them. Apparently they don't understand that PEOPLE (family) LIVE TOGETHER.
Date of experience: March 23, 2021
Hi Chris,
Thank you for reaching out and sharing your experience with us. We never like for our customers to be disappointed with the interaction that they have had with Sweetwater. Each day, we approve thousands of credit card orders without incident. We are very aware of your orders and we are working hard to find a way to help you get the gear that you need. Zach in our Customer Experience team was working on this and is happy to continue to work with you to find a way to ship your orders. Unfortunately, we could not support this order as placed and we do hope you understand and continue to work with us towards a resolution. Sincerely Dave Fuhr SVP of the Sweetwater Experience.
My experience with Sweetwater starts with a very small order, a pair of kid's guitar straps. Very popular straps which aren't carried by most music stores, they immediately are on backorder. After a week or two they arrive, no problem. Here's where the Sweetwater difference begins... as soon as I made the order, I recieved an email from James Lorann, informing me that he's been assigned as my Sales Tech, if I should have any question. He also asks how I heard of Sweetwater. I tell him it was via search engine and he replies. A week or two after my order arrives, he writes to inform me of a sale taking place. I reply with a short list and he returns a quote, with all items on the list generously discounted. I placed the order by phone. James is super freindly and polite, double-checking on availability on the spot, for all items prior to confirming the order. Some of the items are gifts, and he splits the order into separate shipments. Everything ships withing a day, and arrive in great shape. Wonderful! SO happy with Sweetwater and particularly James' previous service, a few weeks passed and I placed a guitar order, again contacting James to make the purchase. The particular guitar I was interested in features a distinctive wood top, which varies on each individual guitar. Sweetwater allows you to chose from their stock, providing Hi-res pictures of each guitar! My guitar arrived in a state of readiness that only required a tweak of the tuners. Beautiful! On top of that - sales staff ability to make a deal, great customer service, an awesome hands-on 55-point check (that's remarkably close to a setup), the 2-year Sweetwater Warranty and free double-boxed shipping, Sweetwater has become my go-to for music stuff. Comparing that to a chain music store where they just point at the rack, or tell you it can be ordered when you inquire about an item, and I'll be checking Sweetwater every time. They seem to have found a way to really satisfy their customers without resorting to a chain of stores and all the inconsistency that produces. Way to go!
Date of experience: July 9, 2020
TOP NOTCH... Greg Savino is the best music dude in the music business,,,, hope to a lot more business with him and Sweetwater... Hebie Brown
Date of experience: February 26, 2017
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.
Jerry, thank you for choosing Sweetwater for you music gear needs! We appreciate you and look forward to assisting you in the future!
-Stacia Brinneman, Sweetwater Customer Experience