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!! read more

Review of Martin D35 Guitar, Sweetwater, and Dan's Music Center: I was a bit apprehensive when I decided to buy my first Martin D35 acoustic guitar online. After reading the posted reviews of the various online guitar stores, I settled on Sweetwater (Fort Wayne, IN). When I called, I got Jesse Duquette. Jesse had previously owned 50 guitars and it was comfortable speaking with him. He answered my questions and opened my eyes to other facts and styles I needed to consider with the guitar. Most important is that Jesse indicated that there is a 2-year warranty on the guitar, and that he and members of the Sweetwater team will be there anytime should I have a concern. When the guitar arrived, I had to wait 24 hours for the package to become acclimated to the temperature and humidity before taking out the guitar. When I finally opened the box, pulled out and tuned the guitar, I was absolutely delighted with the mellifluous sound of the Martin D35. The action was low, which I desired, but I had a vibration when I played the 5th (A) string. Jesse suggested I take the guitar to a luthier who could adjust the truss rod and that Sweetwater would reimburse me for the cost. I took my Martin D35 to Dan's Music Center (Warwick, RI) where I was greeted by Dan Ryder the owner and luthier. Dan was about to have a bite to eat but stopped, so he could assist me. Dan took the time to adjust the truss rod which cleared up the buzzing. Dan charged me nothing to fix the issue for I could tell he understood and respected the quality sound that comes with the Martin D35 guitar. In summary, although I had initial trepidation with the online purchase of my guitar, I was extremely happy with the service I received at Sweetwater (Fort Wayne, IN) and at Dan's Music Center (Warwick, RI) - and would recommend both companies without reservation. I also would highly recommend Jesse Duquette (of Sweetwater) and Dan Ryder - the owner and luthier of Dan's Music Center (Warwick, RI). Finally, thanks to Martin & Co for making my beautiful sounding Martin D35 guitar. Len in RI read more

I have been a Sweetwater customer for over ten years but wanted to relate my recent experience buying a new instrument. It was outstanding in every way. My Sweetwater sales engineer, Chris McCown, was so helpful in answering my questions about the guitar I chose. He helped me understand what Sweetwater does to inspect and prepare the instrument before they ship it. Once I ordered he confirmed by email my order; made sure I knew the shipping schedule and when to expect it; he even sent high resolution pictures of my exact guitar for my records while I waited. The guitar was expertly packed (cased and then double- boxed) and arrived on the day promised. They even educated me (with a label on the shipment) about the need to wait 24 hours before unboxing to allow the guitar to acclimate to my home indoor temperature thus avoiding potential damage due to the winter weather. These guys know their products and sweat the details for their customers. My new Heritage H-535 is beautiful and plays wonderfully- the first guitar I have ever purchased in 50 years that will not need an immediate trip to a guitar tech for set-up! Amazing to me. Plus this is all backed by Sweetwater's free 2 year warranty and their commitment to make sure everything is right with my gear. The best is that I did not receive preferential treatment because I bought an expensive instrument. Sweetwater makes every order a priority and a success. Chris has given me this same wonderful experience when I just had a question with no order or was just purchasing a small item like a pedal or power supply. You will be glad you ordered from Sweetwater on something big or small. I cannot imagine I will order from anyone else if I can buy it from Chris and the team at Sweetwater. Thanks for being such a great company in a world that has largely forgotten personal customer service and attention to the details. -William P. read more

Thanks again for the help with choosing and buying equipment for our church. I just got home from our first drive-in service using the JBL One Pro and the Sennheiser mics. Everything worked great. Using Bluetooth for music the JBL has more than enough power, even outside. Also sounds really good. The hand-held sennheiser works great also, no feed back even when volume at max and standing right on top of the JBL. Also, like the JBL itself, really sounds good. The lapel and headset also work well but with both of them you do have to keep some distance from the JBL to avoid feedback. Not a big problem, but singers or speakers will need to watch proximity to the PA if using at fairly high volumes. One thing that could be better.....the power on-off/pairing/battery life indicator on the sennheiser receiver is on the bottom (can't see it) when plugged in to the JBL. I don't think we will ever push the limit on the battery life of the receiver but if we thought we might (maybe on a float in a Christmas parade) I would pack a small square mirror to lay under the controls so one could see the indicator if it went red. Over all if rating up to five stars.............. Your help........................................Five stars Sweetwater's service and price......Five stars JBL Eon One Pro............................Five stars Sennheiser hand-held package......Five stars Sennheiser lapel package...............Four stars (still worth the money) Head set..........................................Four stars (still worth the money) Thanks again Yours Musically in Christ Our Lord read more

Noah is the man. I order a lot of stuff, online, and there are only 2 companies that have this level of customer service. I have been a sales manager for over 15 years, and 1 of the first things I teach new employees, is "Do not lie to the customer. If you do, and they know it, you will lose their trust and business." I contacted Noah, one Friday, itching to buy some kind of vocal processor. I asked about a few I had been researching, that Sweetwater carried, and was totally ready to drop some cash on some new gear, even though I was, and still am, weeks away from recording vocals. Noah asked me a few questions, and steered me in a different direction, Meladyne. He even told me to not go 'all-in' and try out the cheaper version of the software, before I spent hundreds. That's what's up. He listened to me, realizing that I didn't need something right then, and protected me from an impulse buy. He rocks. Now, when I have ordered gear from Sweetwater, no matter how big, or small the order is. I get email notifications on the status of the order. AND...get a personal phone call when it ships out, which is 9/10 times, on the same day I ordered. NOT TO MENTION......The very 1st order I placed with Sweetwater, I goofed, and ordered the wrong part. Totally my fault. When I called, he walked me through the process of returning the incorrect part, but went ahead and shipped me the correct one, at no extra shipping, before they received the return from me. I honestly, check Sweetwater.com, to see if they have what I need, every time. If they don't, or I find it used somewhere, it's ok. But, if they have it, I am def 100% ordering from Noah, and the gang at Sweetwater. Somebody give that man a raise. read more

I've shopped with all the biggest online retailers of musical supplies, Musicians Friend, Guitar Center, Amazon; Sweetwater is absolutely the best! They show you the exact weight and a pic of the guitar you're looking at- no one else does that on so many instruments. They also take extra care in shipping your items- I've had things that could easily be damaged get sent by some of the other sellers in just an envelope w/ the bubble wrap crap.. Not Sweetwater- you always get the appropriate amount of protection and CANDY! And perhaps the most important part, the sales engineers are fantastic- I've only ever spoken to the guy assigned to me Tyler, and I really like that. It's kind of hard to speak candidly and trust what someone tells you unless you know them and I feel like I know Tyler as a friend and he has always put forth the effort to be kind and helpful, he even remembers what we talked about from previous conversations. So unless I got the best employee in the whole company- Sweetwater does a great job at training their people. I would recommend if you are someone who is new to music, or someone experienced that isn't up to date on the latest gear, definitely give your sales engineer a call they are so much help. And most relevant to me- Sweetwater now has a deal going with Behringer where all their guitar and bass pedals are super cheap! Anywhere from $20-$40, which is insane when every other worthy brand of pedal out there is at least $50-$150 each. I've sold off 3 of my old pedals and now I'm running thru 6 Behringer pedals and a Ditto+ looper with the same money and getting a way better sound. Sweetwater rocks!!! read more

I originally provided a review here to express my frustration regarding a problem with the software portion of a product purchased through Sweetwater Sound, Inc. and the rather extensive course of time necessary to try and resolve the problem through a collection of technical support divisions of companies all having some interest in the product's manufacture or sale. I wish to step forward at this point in editing this review to highlight the fact that Sweetwater Sound came through by owning this problem so that it did not result in becoming my own and through their technical support team, programmed a replacement product themselves and tested it to make certain that if functioned as advertised and swiftly sent it to me. As stated in several other reviews, I consider myself rather demanding when problems occur and yet Sweetwater Sound never once deviated from their professional stance and courtesy in staying the course until the matter was resolved to my satisfaction. So I'm here to now state that if you need musical equipment and want the comfort of knowing that a company has your back if and when something goes wrong or that you're not satisfied for any other reason, first contact the folks at Sweetwater Sound before you look elsewhere. Any company willing to stand by a product so intensely as they did where my issue was concerned is the place I want to do my shopping. A big thanks to everyone in tech support at Sweetwater and everyone else who pitched in to make certain I came away entirely satisfied. read more

I'll be honest here: I am a long time GC shopper. In recent spurts, during the phases of building a studio and performance rehearsal facility, I spent (what was to me) quite a bit of money with them. During those spurts, I worked very closely with some excellent persons who were very helpful. Then months later, all those familiar faces who used to greet us because of the work we did together were gone. Maybe it's just me, but I missed that recognition and camaraderie. It was not an impediment, i just missed it. I also made some small purchases from Sweetwater some time ago, and was assigned a sales engineer (Stephen Oppenheim) who religiously emails and phones me to keep me advised of sales, product information, and sometimes just calls me to see what I am up to. Stephen even proactively called me with some critical information on a product that I had purchased 24 months prior, knowing that an OS upgrade would cause a driver issue with a critical studio component. Who does that? There has been no change or turnover in my sales team in some 6 years. Same guy. During this whole time, customer service off the charts. Long story short, given the opposing scenarios I just described, who would you rather give you business to? Makes me regret ever even doing business with the other guys, and thankful that I have pulled my head out and begin an exclusive relationship with a sales team and company that really care about me. Seriously, Thank You Sweetwater! I hope you know that you are awesome! read more

I ordered just a few things from Sweetwater for the very first time. Not only do they have an INCREDIBLE selection of just about ANYTHING you can think of, but their prices are, flat-out, unbeatable! They ALSO offer free shipping on most orders! I placed my order online, and the NEXT day, I received a phone call from Brian, who works at the store, and not some guy with a heavy middle eastern, or asian accent called, "Steve". (Looking at you EVERYONE ELSE). Brian told me that one of the guitar cables was not in the color that I requested, so I got the green one instead. In the past, when an order I placed at a different store, was not in stock- I would wait for days, before finally calling THEM, only to find out that it wasn't in stock, or whatever. Brian took the initiative to call me, and make sure that I was up to speed with my order, and that I was completely satisfied. He told me exactly when my order would arrive- and sure enough it arrived on time! Once the box was open, I found everything that I ordered- all present and accounted for. There was also a full size catalog, that has everything that they have to offer! To add to all this wonderful service, I found a small bag of my favorite candy! How did they know I loved Bit O' Honey!!??? I am absolutely AMAZED at how awesome Sweetwater is!! I will MOST DEFINITELY be ordering from them exclusively, from now on! Seriously- they are bad-to-the-bone! You and ALL your friends need to know about this place!! read more

Although normally I am a Guitar Center customer due to the physical locations, after much research, I decided to do business with Sweetwater. It absolutely was the right choice and I couldn't be happier with the customer service. I requested a Martin guitar that was on back order and was told it likely would be several months. After only a few weeks I was contacted and told they had come in early and one was reserved for me. I ordered the guitar but had some billing issues that played out over several days due to a new debit card being issued. Although solely my fault, they held my guitar for me. After receiving the guitar, it had some buzzing coming from inside the guitar due to the electronics. I could have easily fixed the issue but it also had a small cosmetic issue that most would never have noticed. I am a very attention to detail person so I was not happy with it. I contacted Sweetwater and after sending some pictures, they stated they were more than happy to send me a new one. Also, I was told to keep the defected one and play it while the new ones came in, which of course was on back order also. After several weeks, they sent me a new guitar and I returned the defected one in the same boxes. I can't say enough about Sweetwater's team from sales, tech support to returns! All very helpful and professional. I also like how they make their senior staff's contact info available on line! Considering a defective guitar, all around great experience!! read more

I don't often take the time to write reviews, but this "glowing review" for my Sales Engineer, Stephen Oppenheimer, ...well, he deserves every bit of praise I have written here. We experienced some "challenges" caused by third parties. I was a frustrated customer, but he kept a positive attitude through the entire process, and could not have provided better customer service. I will just highlight a couple of the issues. There were actually more My guitar was out of stock at the time I ordered it. I pressed Stephen hard for accurate delivery information, as I have experienced longer that quoted delivery times from other vendors. He did a little digging and gave me an exact date they would receive the guitar, and a date when it would be shipped. the dates were correct - I loved it. The guitar arrived via FED-EX with a small puncture wound in the carton, and the wound punctured the top of the case. Thankfully, no damage to the guitar. Stephen immediately shipped a new case. Unfortunately, the second replacement case, which was packaged from the manufacturer in an interior carton, shipped in a second padded carton had a manufacturing defect that was not caught - a crushed hinge. Stephen sent me a third replacement case which was fine, and FED-EX picked us the damaged cases today. Sweetwater is a great company, represented by terrific Sales Engineers like mine, Stephen Oppenheimer. Their system really works!...I'll be back! Thanks so much, Stephen! read more