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Sweetwater

3.4

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Sweetwater Reviews Summary

Sweetwater generally enjoys a strong reputation for its exceptional customer service, with many customers highlighting responsive communication and a dedicated sales team that enhances the purchasing experience. Positive sentiments often revolve around product quality and a broad inventory, contributing to customer loyalty. However, there are notable concerns regarding order fulfillment delays, inconsistent quality control, and issues with returns, particularly for high-value items. Some customers expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of complaints and perceived false advertising. Overall, while Sweetwater's service approach is commendable, improvements in operational reliability and quality assurance could further enhance customer satisfaction.

This summary is generated by AI, based on text from customer reviews

service
372
value
364
shipping
360
returns
192
quality
346
This company responds to reviews on average within 3 days

We monitor reviews for authenticity

Philippines
1 review
0 helpful votes
Follow Lyndon A.
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Superb service
October 7, 2021

Very awesome service. A total of 5 purchases I made with Sweetwater, and all of them have superb mailing service.

Date of experience: October 6, 2021
CustomerExperience .. Sweetwater Rep
over a year old

Sweetwater takes pride in doing the right thing. We appreciate you taking the time to comment on your experience. Thank you, Lyndon!
-Stacia Brinneman, Sweetwater Customer Experience

California
1 review
0 helpful votes
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So Helpful! Amazing customer service!
September 24, 2021

Ordered a drum kit from them. Joe James helped me out and was so patient. Shipped everything immediately and it arrived 4 short days later perfectly packaged. Couldn't recommend these guys & gals enough.

Date of experience: September 24, 2021
CustomerExperience .. Sweetwater Rep
over a year old

Joe is very patient and knowledgeable! Thank you for taking the time to give Sweetwater a review and to let us know Joe took great care of you. We look forward to assisting you again, Scott!
-Stacia Brinneman, Sweetwater Customer Experience

Texas
1 review
0 helpful votes
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Great business!
September 17, 2021

I just got a bass from sweet water and it showed up in great condition with no flaws, also you can tell they put a ton of time into making the shipping safe for the bass or guitars they send out. Heck the even sent a small bag of candy as a thank you for purchasing from them. The shipping was fast. Great business will by from again!

Date of experience: September 17, 2021
CustomerExperience .. Sweetwater Rep
over a year old

Thank you for the great review, Seth! Our guitar gallery and shipping team do a great job preparing and protecting guitars to be sent out. I am thrilled to hear you enjoy your bass! We look forward to serving you again soon.

Illinois
1 review
0 helpful votes
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"The Best There Is…PERIOD!
September 16, 2021

I've been a customer of Sweetwater since the days in Chucks basement. The changes and growth are nothing short of amazing, but even more amazing is the staff Chuck has assembled. To a person they are equipped with amazing training and along with great prices and an amazing inventory to make sure everything is available to ship to their customers. If it sounds like I'm very biased and a super fan of Sweetwater it's because I am. They have supplied me with almost my whole recording studio gear, and along with their knowledgable staff has helped make me a huge success of business in my region and our studio has won dozens of awards for superior excellence in the recording industry. My thank you's to Sweetwater fall very short of how much I count on them every day! "God Bless Sweetwater"

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Barker Recording Studio in Rockford, Illinois
+2
Date of experience: September 15, 2021
CustomerExperience .. Sweetwater Rep
over a year old

Dwayne, thank you for growing with us! Your recording studio looks amazing! The guitar collection is certainly impressive! Sweetwater is able to grow because of customers like you. Thank you so much for sharing.
-Stacia Brinneman, Sweetwater Customer Experience

Indiana
1 review
0 helpful votes
Follow Pat B.
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I'm a church pianist and purchased a Yamaha digital piano from Sweetwater four years ago. This instrument and a set of additional speakers are just what we needed. Sweetwater excels in product quality and in customer service. They carry everything from top-of-the-line instruments to quality beginner instruments, plus all the amenities needed to publicly perform. Their service techs know their stuff and will guide you every step of the way in setting up whatever you need. If by some chance (and that's slim to none) something goes wrong, they will make it right. I rarely, if ever, leave feedback for online purchases but these folks deserve to be recognized. I'm sold on Sweetwater.

Date of experience: September 11, 2021
CustomerExperience .. Sweetwater Rep
over a year old

Wow, what a wonderful review, Pat! Thank you so much for taking the time to write such an impressive review! I appreciate you turning to Sweetwater for your music gear needs. We look forward to serving you again, Pat!
-Stacia Brinneman, Sweetwater Customer Experience

Georgia
1 review
1 helpful vote
Follow R M.
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Dazzled with Brilliance
September 10, 2021

Buying through Sweetwater was a great experience. Instead of the "if you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with B. S." employees of some well-known walk in stores, Sweetwater employees know their products and take the time to make sure the customer gets what they want. Instead of the online vague answers about products from other sites, Sweetwater employees and associates know or will find out the technical data needed to make a wise purchase. Ordering through Sweetwater was very easy, with a no "wonder what is going to happen next" or "am I going to receive everything". I had questions concerning what actually came with the Rode Go II wireless system and Sweetwater left me knowing I was going to get exactly what I purchased. Sweetwater let me know exactly where my purchase was and when it was going to arrive. They were so concerned about the backorder, they phoned me to make sure I was aware of the backorder. EXCELLENT customer service. As for the product, I cannot say enough. It has been the best purchase I have ever made for the videoing I do. The sound quality is great, the ease of use is great, and the accessories, lapel and handheld mic are the best I have seen for a wireless set up such as this. The dead cats for the Go II are great and easy to assemble. I was a little worried looking at some reviews, but I can attest they are great! The product is well worth the cost. Sweetwater keep up the great work. You are far above the rest."

Date of experience: September 10, 2021
CustomerExperience .. Sweetwater Rep
over a year old

Thank you for taking the time to write such a dazzling review, R M! Our Sales Engineers work so hard to have the answers you need for your music gear needs. If they don't know, they will find out! It makes me so happy to know that you received excellent customer service and are in love with the items your purchased. We look forward to serving you agin, RM!
-Stacia Brinneman, Sweetwater Customer Experience

Minnesota
1 review
0 helpful votes
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The best there is!
August 30, 2021

It's almost unfair how much better at sales and customer service sweetwater is than any other music retailer. They treat you like your local music store, but if your local store had literally every single thing you could possibly need!
Their website is flawless, gear reviews and videos are world class, the staff is extremely knowledgeable and friendly, and prices are the best! It's a perfect buying experience!

Date of experience: August 30, 2021
CustomerExperience .. Sweetwater Rep
over a year old

Wow Adrian, this is high praise! Thank you so much for this amazing review! We love being able to serve amazing customers like yourself, so thank you for spreading the word! Anything you need, just let us know, we will be there for you!

- Zach Bloom, Sweetwater Customer Experience

Pennsylvania
2 reviews
0 helpful votes
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SWEETWATER ROCKS!
August 17, 2021

Sweetwater has great gear, a great selection, great prices, great financing and GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE! The personal attention to each customer / order is unmatched!

Date of experience: August 17, 2021
CustomerExperience .. Sweetwater Rep
over a year old

Thank you for taking the time to write a wonderful review, David! I am so glad we were able to take care of all you music gear needs from beginning to end!
-Stacia Brinneman, Sweetwater Customer Experience

New York
1 review
0 helpful votes
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Always fast service
August 12, 2021

Great price fast service love the personal phone call you guys are number 1 You Rock thanks again Sweetwater

Date of experience: August 12, 2021
CustomerExperience .. Sweetwater Rep
over a year old

Les, thank you for the excellent review! We want each customer to have a fantastic experience, just as you have. Our Sales Engineers work very hard to get you the music gear you need and serve you with excellence! Thank you for choosing Sweetwater!
- Stacia Brinneman, Sweetwater Customer Experience

Florida
1 review
0 helpful votes
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I just want to share about some INCREDIBLE customer service that I received lately. I was having some issues with a software license that I had purchased through Sweetwater Sound, and I could tell that Sweetwater's support team had their hands tied by the software developer and were just as helpless as I was.

Just when it looked like all was lost, I took one final look at my customer invoice and couldn't help but notice the email address of the president of the company right there on the invoice! The email address was accompanied by the following note:

"I want to take the time to personally thank you for your business with Sweetwater. I am so grateful for every customer, and I encourage you to continue to pursue your love of music. I want you to know that your satisfaction is our first priority."

This right here is leadership. A company president who is so confident in the excellence of his customer service team that he would put his own contact information on an invoice. I have to suspect that he rarely, if ever, gets an email - his company's customer service team is really that good! But in this case, I did send an email, and within an hour I'd received a response.

You can't go wrong with Sweetwater Sound. I'll keep going back to them again and again. And I hope that my own professional processes and service standards will measure up to even just a fraction of theirs!

Date of experience: July 31, 2021
CustomerExperience .. Sweetwater Rep
over a year old

Thank you for your wonderful review, Kristen! I am so thankful that you have been able to experience the Sweetwater Difference! Every employee, even our leadership, works hard with a core focus for the customer! We will go to all lengths to do the right thing, serve the customer, and stay alongside to answer any questions! Thank you for recognizing what makes Sweetwater unique! We are thankful we get to serve customers like you!
- Quincee Musselman, Sweetwater Customer Experience

New York
1 review
0 helpful votes
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They cool
July 27, 2021

They messed up my order but fixed it and let me keep the device sent to me. I cant be mad tho despite not have no use for it. Thanks Chris. Void last review.

Date of experience: July 27, 2021
CustomerExperience .. Sweetwater Rep
over a year old

Thank you for your review and feedback, Calvin! I am so sorry to hear that the first time your order was sent out that it was not correct. On the other hand I am grateful to hear that our team was able to get the situation solved in a timely manner while putting you first! We always strive to put the customer first, especially when a mistake is made! Thank you for allowing is to serve you and trusting us to make the situation right when it went wrong. We cannot wait to serve you in the future!
- Quincee Musselman, Sweetwater Customer Experience

Tennessee
1 review
0 helpful votes
Follow Chrissie T.
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I have bought several high dollar instruments from Sweetwater and from placing the order to getting the item couldn't be easier. I know I will get good quality items from them. I play professionally and need dependable equipment and I will not buy anywhere else. Sweetwater is simply the best

Date of experience: July 19, 2021
CustomerExperience .. Sweetwater Rep
over a year old

Thank you for your wonderful review, Chrissie! I am so thankful to hear that Sweetwater has been nothing but great experiences for you! We are always here to assist in any way possible! Thank you for choosing Sweetwater; we are so grateful to serve customers like you!
- Quincee Musselman, Sweetwater Customer Experience

New York
6 reviews
6 helpful votes
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Sweetwater is by far the best company to deal with when buying gear. They have great prices, their customer service is light years beyond anything in the industry and there's no snake oil, used car garbage going on. They don't push they just help. Shipping is very affordable, as in free and fast. Customer for life.

Date of experience: July 16, 2021
CustomerExperience .. Sweetwater Rep
over a year old

Thank you for the phenomenal review, Timothy! We work hard everyday to provide excellent service to each customer that we are fortunate enough to interact with. The best part about our stellar service is that there is no catch! We just want to put the customer first! We are grateful to do business with you and are eager to serve you again!
- Quincee Musselman, Sweetwater Customer Experience

Ohio
1 review
1 helpful vote
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I have dealt with Sweetwater for many years and made many purchases both big and small and always their service is top shelf

Date of experience: July 5, 2021
CustomerExperience .. Sweetwater Rep
over a year old

Thank you for the generous review, Denver! I am so glad to hear that we have provided you with top shelf experiences! This is what we strive for!
- Quincee Musselman, Sweetwater Customer Experience

Arizona
1 review
0 helpful votes
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Acoustic guitar
July 5, 2021
Updated review

The new guitar I received was perfect. Sweetwater has always and will continue to be my go to for all future purchases. They are absolutely amazing. Fair prices, outstanding customer service and the best product selection make them #1.

Date of experience: July 5, 2021
CustomerExperience .. Sweetwater Rep
over a year old

Thank you for the stellar review, Dale! I am glad to hear that your guitar is perfect! Thank you for trusting us with your future purchases! We appreciate your kind words!
- Quincee Musselman, Sweetwater Customer Experience


Sweetwater is usually my go to
July 9, 2020
Previous review

Currently waiting to receive an Acoustic guitar. I got the SN after it was shipped and found it to be 1 1/2 years old. NOS.
They should have advised me up front and discounted it accordingly.
I'm a little skeptical of them now.
Probably will send it back.

Date of experience: July 9, 2020
North Carolina
1 review
0 helpful votes
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Best online store for musicians
July 1, 2021

I've been buying music gear since I was 14. I'm 50 now and have never been treated so well at any brick and mortar store or online store. Not only that, but I've placed 6 orders with them since October 2020, from a single speaker cable for under 10 bucks, all the way up to 1,000 plus for a guitar and case. Every time I was treated like the most important customer they have.

Date of experience: July 1, 2021
CustomerExperience .. Sweetwater Rep
over a year old

Thanks Justin,

We genuinely appreciate you and every customer that walks through our doors(virtually or in person). We recognize you have many options to choose from when it comes to buying your gear, so thank you for choosing Sweetwater! It is our goal to provide that same world class customer service to every customer, every order! I am so glad you understand what we like to call the Sweetwater Difference! We look forward to earning your business for many more years to come!

- Zach Bloom, Sweetwater Customer Experience

Pennsylvania
1 review
0 helpful votes
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Best support. Ever
June 29, 2021

Wish to say that. Lucas N. And Michael H. Gave me one of the best service help I could expect even though I didn't spend hundreds of dollars... Lucas got me hooked up with IT guy Michael and remotely set my computer... thank you guys I would put your last name... your that good... hope your company can tell who you guys are... if not Lucas call me you got my no.

Date of experience: June 29, 2021
CustomerExperience .. Sweetwater Rep
over a year old

Thank you for your review, Derick! I am happy to hear that your Sales Engineer, Lucas, and one of our amazing IT team members, Michael, were able to give you great assistance! Our Sale Engineers and IT team work hard day in and day out to provide the best service to each customer! We can't wait to serve you again!
- Quincee Musselman, Sweetwater Customer Experience

Colorado
1 review
3 helpful votes
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Pushy on Sales
June 28, 2021

When I buy a product online, the only communications I want are:
1) the invoice for my purchase
2) the shipping tracking information

I'll tolerate some online store's marketing emails because at least I can click an unsubscribe button and never deal with it again. With Sweetwater, I got multiple phone calls, emails, etc from a "Sales Engineer" about my purchase, which is not something I consented to in the slightest. Some people might like this, but it should be an OPT-IN service, not OPT-OUT. When I confronted my "sales engineer" about this, he got defensive of the practice, so ultimately I blocked the phone number and his email address and will not be ordering from Sweetwater again.

It's unfortunate, because otherwise their selection is great and my gear came in safe and secure (and quicker than expected).

Date of experience: June 28, 2021
CustomerExperience .. Sweetwater Rep
over a year old

Thank you for sharing your feedback with us, Braden. We take privacy very seriously at Sweetwater and know that the way we do business is different than most retailers. At Sweetwater, our goal is to build a relationship between the Sales Engineer and the customer, creating a top-notch level of service that is unique to each experience. We understand that some people do not enjoy this type of business and respect their wishes to not be contacted. I am having trouble finding you in our system so please feel free to reach out to me directly at [email protected] and I would be happy to help you get this situation resolved.

Justin Dunbar
Director of Customer Experience
[email protected]

Florida
1 review
1 helpful vote
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Sweetwater gives the musician a positive buying experience. Their selection and prices are very competitive and their website is easy to navigate. What makes Sweetwater special is their follow-up after the sale. Every time I have bought anything there, even as minimal as a few guitar picks or a capo, one of their sales engineers will call or text to make sure that I am happy with my purchase and ask if there is anything that they can do to help. This is highly unusual for any other web based shopping that I have done.

Date of experience: June 27, 2021
CustomerExperience .. Sweetwater Rep
over a year old

Thank you for your kind review, Steven! Our Sales Engineers are dedicated to providing next level service and experience to each customer! No matter the size of an order, we want to make every customer feel the same the Sweetwater Difference!
- Quincee Musselman, Sweetwater Customer Experience

Oklahoma
2 reviews
0 helpful votes
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Happy customer since 2007.
June 23, 2021

I've always been happy with Sweetwater for 14 years now. Prices are great, shipping right-out-the-door when you order. I've ordered Korg 88 key workstations, recently a Hammond SKX system with Leslie 2101 and Leslie 2121 (a real screamer!), and lots of guitar processors. Time to upgrade the PA system, so I ordered a couple of QSC KW153's to go with my QSC KS212C subs and it's FANTASTIC and sounds sweet. Sweetwater service is exceptional. I've only had one return in 14 years and it was an easy exchange.

Date of experience: June 23, 2021
CustomerExperience .. Sweetwater Rep
over a year old

James, thank you for your valuable review! Your personal inventory of gear is quite impressive! I am happy to hear that Sweetwater has been your reliable source for most, if not all of it! Thank you for your loyalty to Sweetwater over the last 14 years and allowing us to be a part of your musical journey! We cannot wait to serve you again!
- Quincee Musselman, Sweetwater Customer Experience

From the business

Sprawling megastore featuring high-quality musical instruments & studio recording gear.


sweetwater.com
Founded in 1979
Fort Wayne, IN, United States
+188
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