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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.
Top notch staff! They will work with you nonstop until you are 100 percent happy with your purchases. Their prices are very reasonable and shipping is always free. From amateur to professional they treat you the same, good old fashion customer satisfaction.
Date of experience: July 22, 2019
As a small Christian University the funds for equipment are often limited. When we do spend, we have found the folks at Sweetwater to be willing to work with us to ensure we get the best bang for our buck. They are always our first look when we start the process to identify much needed equipment. We can always depend on quality equipment, backed by superior technical support and prompt service. The connection between the Calvary University and Sweetwater was has been in place for some time, and we look forward to continuing our partnership for a long time.
Date of experience: February 5, 2018
Their website is easy and informative. I don't think their 2 day free shipping is a regular thing, but every time I place an order it has free 2 day shipping. I usually get a follow up phone call to make sure everything was to my satisfaction, which I don't need but it shows they go the extra mile. Sweetwater has been the best out of all the online companies that I buy from for musical equipment, they even send candy in the packages.
Date of experience: February 26, 2018
The best all around retailer! I have been purchasing product from this company for over the last 9 years and have been very happy with outstanding way of doing businesses. I love the way they take extra care with the shipping aspect and you will never find the price lower anywhere els. I would also like to add their return policy is second to none.
Date of experience: May 16, 2018
I love Sweetwater. My only problem is that I cannot spend enough with them. They are truly the leaders in their class, without a doubt. Innovative. Customer-driven. Passionate. Conscientious. No other seller has all these qualities in the amounts that Sweetwater does.
Date of experience: May 11, 2018
My sales engineer was incredibly responsive and more patient with me than the nun at my grade school. He answered a ton of questions and gave me suggestions for the bass guitar I eventually purchased. Everything came as expected and on time. I would highly recommend and I will purchase from them again.
Products used:
Bass Guitar
Date of experience: May 14, 2022
Only recently started buying gear online. My guitarist said to check you out.
Hooked up with Brad, and everything has been awesome. I was really impressed with the guitar check list. Thought I would have to take it to the local tech. Brad has been top notch in customer service, always has an answer for me.
Sweetwater rocks for us older guys!
Date of experience: July 17, 2017
Sweetwater is simply the best option for the big box stores.' I have been to and toured the facility, and they actually maintain their inventory. The 55 point inspection is very real. Not only that, but the company seems to treat their workers very well. This is special when you see how other big music gear retailers treat their workers by comparison. They also take great pains to make their facility as green as possible. These are the companies that are a pleasure for me to support, and I will continue to do so for a long time.
Date of experience: October 26, 2019
I bought a saxophone made by bettersax from Amazon but to my surprise it was shipped through Sweetwater. I am so glad Sweetwater with the ones that shipped my order I love that they did a 40 point check before it left the warehouse Great service from Sweetwater.
Tip for consumers:
I like the way Sweetwater went through my bettersax saxophone before it left the warehouse I loved. His saxophone is great. The service I got was great as well. I highly recommend Sweetwater.
Date of experience: January 12, 2024
I was skeptical about ordering my guitar on a site rather than simply going in person. I was convinced by a friend that had already purchased from Sweetwater before, and I was absolutely surprised by how well my guitar was packaged, everything was in great condition! The people over at Sweetwater also checked in to make sure everything went well and if i had any concerns, they were very friendly and helpful!
Products used:
Electric Guitar, fender stratocaster
Date of experience: June 8, 2022
Nicole - We're so glad you gave Sweetwater a try! A lot of care goes into each 55-point inspection, and we hope you are nothing less than thrilled with your new guitar! We look forward to having the chance to serve you again in the future.
Ethan K - Customer Experience Specialist
Another order from Sweetwater. Now it is Roland SE-02 analog synth.
Very fast shipment and delivery. I get it 22 January (they promise 28 January).
Thank you Tyler Moore and Sweetwater stuff for good work for us music producers!
And keep it up!
Date of experience: January 28, 2019
I just bought my second instrument in less than a year from Sweetwater, and with the same sales rep. Trevor sent me links to several basses that fit what I was looking for in my budget, and matched his online competitors' price once I decided on the axe. I had follow-up questions before and after the sale, and even when Justin wasn't around his colleagues took the same time and care with me. I'm a big fan of Sweetwater.
Products used:
Yamaha TRBX174
Date of experience: March 9, 2021
Thanks for the stellar review Barry! We appreciate your business and I hope you are enjoying that bass!
- Zach Bloom, Customer Experience
I've made purchases from several online music stores over the years and Sweetwater was always the best in terms of price, customer service and fast shipping. I made 3 purchases from them this month and moving forward I will be making ALL of my musical gear purchases from Sweetwater. The knowledge of their staff and sales associates is excellent, and they go above and beyond in making sure you are a satisfied customer.
If you are thinking of buying gear save yourself a bunch of hassle and just buy it from Sweetwater. You won't regret your decision.
Date of experience: November 20, 2020
The team of professionals at Sweetwater are awesome. Our sales rep, Michael Morgan, was especially diligent in finding the exact right piece of equipment to fit our needs and our budget. Whenever we need anything for our sound system, we know we can count on Michael and Sweetwater to deliver the goods, even if it's just a little free advice.
Chris M. - Voices of Praise Gospel Music
Date of experience: March 17, 2019
I don't purchase musical equipment nearly as often as I'd like, but when I do, I frequently prefer to do so from Sweetwater. Each transaction has been flawless, the follow up from the sale staff is always timely, and the purchased items usually arrive a day or two ahead of the expected date. They've always been a pleasure to deal with and they'll certainly see more business from me in the future.
Date of experience: April 19, 2017
Sweetwater is a great company - excellent selection, prices and tremendous customer service. So refreshing to be able to speak with a knowledgeable person before and/or after a purchase. Prices are good and even in the event that you find a slightly better price somewhere else, pass it by. It won't be worth giving up the customer service you will get with Sweetwater. Keep companies like Sweetwater in business. I sincerely hope that they will prevail in this online environment where price trumps all.
Date of experience: May 10, 2018
Sweetwater stands apart from all the rest with service and technical expertise beyond the sale. They continuously step up their game and provide the best customer experience that can be had in the industry. I without a doubt will be a LIFELONG customer of them and highly recommend them if you are looking for anything musical. They don't abandon you after the sale and are always very helpful and eager to answer any questions that you might have and help resolve any problems.
Date of experience: December 8, 2020
Sweetwater has a good reputation so I'm a little befuddled here. First, they charge my credit card $300 when they do not actually have product to send - not a pre-order authorization; which I did give, but an actual charge that I had to pay with real money. Then they erase my order history from my Sweetwater account but fail to credit my card and it is now 10 days past the time they said they would do so. In summary, a full month later I have no product and no money to buy it from vendors who have it in stock at the same price. Great job Sweetwater. You have now almost guaranteed that I will go out of my way not to use you. Retail is brutal and online retailers still need to understand that customers are priority one. Tell me again what distinguishes you from the other available online retailers.
Date of experience: April 22, 2014
I placed an order for one of our church locations which had to be delivered on Friday so we could install and use the mics during the weekend service. However, I tracked the shipment the next day and found that it would not be delivered until the following week. I contacted our Sweetwater "Sales Engineer"(Riley Koenemann) and he went to great lengths to ensure that we got what we needed in ample time. We will definitely be doing more business with Sweetwater in the future!
Products used:
Microphones
Date of experience: October 21, 2022
Thank you so much Dennis for your feedback. I am so happy that it's been a pleasure working with Riley, but I am not surprised. I know personally just how hard Riley works to make sure his customers are taken care of. I will make sure to pass this feedback to Riley's direct manager so we can celebrate him. We sincerely appreciate your continued support. Thank you again for taking time out to provide this feedback to us and we look forward to working with you in the future.
I have purchased multiple items such as a Fender Acoustic Amp, Danelectro convertible guitar, and other gear items. Sweetwater is the best gear store for customer service, quality, branding, pricing, and free shipping. Kudos to Team Sweetwater!
Date of experience: December 23, 2020
Thanks Dave for the great service. You are the man. I recently purchased gear and experienced a problem with set up. I called and left a voice mail. Within an hour a got an email saying a replacement was on the way. I didn't expect such quick service. I had to call back and ask them to hold while I worked the problem. Turned out it was user error. I emailed SW back and they followed up immediately. All this for a $40.00 keyboard stand! This kind of service is refreshing and unprecedented. Thanks again, Dave.
Date of experience: January 30, 2021
Glad we took care of you on that! Our founder and CEO Chuck founded this company on a simple motto, Do the Right Thing. I know Dave embodies that in how he cares for his customers, so I am sure you are being well taken care of!
- Zach Bloom, Customer Experience
Sweetwater provides World Class Service and Support for musical instruments and all related equipment. Tech Support and special interest free finance programs are most compelling. They stand behind the sale and routinely deliver a superior customer experience.
Date of experience: August 9, 2018
I own 14 guitars and a hofner bass
You were the only people Who offered the exact product I wanted, and unbelievably a bus load cheaper than Amazon, that can't hold a candle to your inventory of equipment. You guys are so good God bless you all. Thanks for the sweetS too. I will be back always forever, I will never forget the cool
Date of experience: June 19, 2019
The staff here were really responsive and helpful, even during the pandemic. I ordered the wrong thing at first, and they set me straight and that made me order a lot more. They have great customer service and assistance. Better than buying anywhere else online. They offer assistance with equipment for like 2 years. Very happy. Vaughn was great! Fast response from the staff.
Date of experience: April 19, 2020
I will never purchase another item from this site. It seems like the sales person I had is only interested in making the sale, and not following up on an item I had to return. It takes forever and a day for tech support to respond back also. Typical sales jargon. All talk. I've had it with them. Do not order from Sweetwater. Give your money to Guitar Center.
Date of experience: September 20, 2013
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.
Thanks Douglas for the kind words! We work really hard to be there for our customers, and I'm thrilled to know that your sales engineer was there for you and responding quickly to your questions! We'll look forward to working with you again soon!