Sweetwater Sound
reviews and complaints

I was doing some research on Music Gear and had some ideas about what I wanted, but I wasn't quite sure about everything. That's when I got in touch with Sweetwater's personal sales engineer, Patrick Cobley. He really knew what I was looking for and suggested the perfect microphone for me. Not only that, but he also recommended a power protection strip that I hadn't even considered before. And to top it all off, there were some plugins on sale that Patrick knew about, which really helped me out.

I've been doing business with Sweetwater for a while now, and I have to say that their service is always top-notch. They really go above and beyond to make sure that their customers are happy. I've never had a bad experience with them, and I know that if I ever do, they'll do everything they can to make it right.

One time, I ordered a guitar that I needed for studio recording. I was very particular about the intonation and wanted it to be perfect. Unfortunately, the guitar I received wasn't quite up to my standards. But Sweetwater was quick to make it right. They sent me a replacement guitar that had limited fret buzz and was easier to play. And most importantly, it had perfect intonation. I've been using that guitar for over a year now, and it still sounds amazing.

Overall, I would highly recommend Sweetwater to anyone looking for music gear. They have a great selection of products, and their customer service is second to none. If you're a working professional, you know how important it is to have reliable gear that you can count on. Sweetwater has always been there for me, and I know they'll be there for you too. So if you're looking for a plan A, Sweetwater should definitely be at the top of your list.

Sweetwater is a music e-commerce site that I recently ordered an American Pro II Tele from. I was excited to receive my guitar, but unfortunately, after two weeks, I still haven't received it. The delivery service, FedEx, falsely claimed that they delivered my package, but they didn't show up at my building or even ring the doorbell. The tracking information says that I signed for it when I did not, and my neighbors also didn't see a FedEx driver or truck that day. I've filed a claim with FedEx on my end, filed a police report, and provided a complaint/case # as requested by my sales engineer, but I still don't know what's happening. It's been almost two weeks since my guitar was supposed to be delivered.

I chose Sweetwater because I heard good things about their customer service from friends and peers. I loved the idea of seeing the actual guitar I would be getting, and their site is probably the most well-designed music e-commerce site out there. The actual online shopping experience was great, but the customer service I've received after FedEx botched the delivery has been disappointing. I feel like they haven't made an effort to make this right other than fumbling around with FedEx. Saying that "the ball is in FedEx's court" for multiple days is not reassuring in the least, and I feel like I'm pulling teeth trying to get any sort of update or info on the situation beyond that.

I understand that FedEx is a terrible delivery service, and I shouldn't have taken the chance on them even if it meant free shipping. However, I'm disappointed in how Sweetwater has handled this situation. I feel like they haven't made an effort to make this right other than fumbling around with FedEx. Saying that "the ball is in FedEx's court" for multiple days is not reassuring in the least, and I feel like I'm pulling teeth trying to get any sort of update or info on the situation beyond that.

I've had issues with FedEx before, and I think they're the single worst delivery service I've ever dealt with. I've never had this sort of issue with USPS, UPS, DHL, or literally any other delivery service, but 3/5 FedEx deliveries I've dealt with have had issues, no exaggeration - this is by far the worst issue I've had with them. The fact that FedEx is Sweetwater's preferred and free shipping option is a huge reason why I won't be giving them my business anymore.

UPDATE: Sweetwater has sent me a replacement guitar, and I'm happy to say that Director of CS Justin Dunbar was very helpful and took care of the issue very quickly after contacting him. I appreciate their effort to make things right, but I still think they could have handled the situation better from the beginning.

I'm a musician for over 30 years and I recently bought some stuff from Sweetwater Music. I gotta say, they have a great selection of products and their prices are pretty good too. I was excited to receive my order, which cost me a whopping $3200. But then, the next day, I got a call from some random out-of-state number. I didn't answer it because I thought it was just another spam call. Later, I found out that Sweetwater had sent me an email saying that they needed to talk to me before they could ship my order. I was lucky that I checked my email because I use a different email for online shopping and I wasn't expecting anything important there.

Anyway, I called Sweetwater back and they told me that it's their company policy to speak to customers before shipping out orders. I was pretty annoyed because they didn't mention this anywhere during the sales process. What if I missed the email? What if my email got lost or corrupted? It could have delayed my order for who knows how long.

I don't necessarily mind their policy, but I think they should have made it clear during the purchasing process. It's not fair to hold back something that I already paid for. So, I'm giving them 3 stars for their weird policy and for not realizing how stressful and disappointing it could be for their customers. I hope they reconsider this policy in the future.

I gotta say, I had a pretty rough experience with Sweetwater. I ordered a Les Paul Modern guitar for three grand in September of 2022. It was out of stock, so I had to reserve it and pay in full in advance. I didn't mind waiting a month or two for it to come in, but when it finally arrived, I was pretty disappointed. The serial number on the guitar was the exact same as the product pic on the website, which had supposedly been sold at least a month before I even placed my order. I mean, I looked at that pic a bunch of times before I made my decision, so I know it was the same guitar.

I called my sales rep right away, but he didn't really have an explanation for what happened. He just kept saying that it was a brand new guitar, so it was all good. But come on, if you're spending three grand on a guitar and you're told it's out of stock, you expect to get a different one than the one that's been posted as sold on the website. It's just common sense.

To make matters worse, the guitar had a manufacturing defect that Sweetwater didn't catch. I had to contact Gibson about it, and my sales rep just kept repeating that it was a new guitar, so that's all that mattered. But that's not the point. The point is that I trusted Sweetwater to give me a guitar that wasn't defective and that hadn't already been sold. And they let me down.

This isn't the first time I've had a bad experience with Sweetwater, either. The last time I bought an instrument from them, the salesperson screwed up my order and had to apologize to me. I don't care if the guitar is new or not. What matters to me is that I can trust the transaction. And in this case, I couldn't.

I asked my sales rep if he would have been okay with this kind of transaction if he was the consumer, but he wouldn't answer. I'm never buying anything from Sweetwater again. If I was a famous musician, they would have sent me a new guitar right away. But since I'm just a regular guy, they don't seem to care.

I gotta say, I've been a fan of Cubase for a long time. I remember when Gibson bought out Opcodes Studio Vision Pro and Cubase 3 came out. That was before the SX 1 version, mind you. But what I really appreciate about Cubase is that they've always been on the cutting edge of development. I mean, they created the VST format, for crying out loud!

Recently, my friend - who's been a hobbyist recording engineer and a guitarist for over 50 years - got burned by Cakewalk's sell-out of Sonar. I felt for him, so I decided to buy him a copy of Cubase. And let me tell you, it's been a great decision.

Cubase has a ton of features. The included instruments like HALion Sonic LE and the Retrolog synth are incredible. And the drag-and-drop ease of moving tracks and samples in Cubase is a breeze, including the Sampler. If you work on a laptop (which I don't, I work on two 27-inch side screens and a 40-inch main screen), you'll appreciate that you can place all your project screens on a single monitor all at once. Of course, there are full screens of the mixer and the scroll, the drum track, and other screens too. Comping is easy, and comp assembly is even easier. Cubase has a feature that allows you to go back as many steps of editing and hanging as you desire, with just one click. And it allows you to do multiple edits (you know, the original and the clean versions) from the same tracks with full alternate mixes. Cubase 9.5 Pro is 64-bit processing for the voices and the VSTs, but it's also 64-bit processing in the operations of the DAW.

As expected, there's a full complement of professional tools for sheet music notation. Steinberg now has a dedicated sheet music writer's program, but I can't see myself ever needing more than Cubase provides.

What's really cool about Cubase is that it's set up so that you can have a recording session with anyone else with a computer and the internet, anywhere in the world. They record as you monitor them live. And get this - they don't even require Cubase as their DAW. All they need to do is download a free interfacing program.

Now, I've toyed with Pro Tools, and if you just want to record but not create your own music, I think Pro Tools could be considered. And I have Logic Pro in my computer (it's a Mac Pro) - usually, I use it to entertain the teens that come over to learn the basics of making music. I also have Ableton Live. If all I ever wanted to create was hip hop, that might be all I ever needed.

But Cubase 9.5 fills my every need and does it seamlessly. I highly recommend it. For years, I was trying to get my friend to buy Cubase, particularly after his Sonar fiasco. Finally, I put my money where my mouth was and bought him his copy. He's very excited about it.

If you're someone who doesn't like sales reps calling you, then Sweetwater might not be the best option for you. I made the mistake of not reading reviews before ordering a $20 tuner and some strings from them. After 4 or 5 days, my order was still pending, and I assumed that they were selling items out of inventory and stating on their site that they were in stock. As someone who works 12+ hours per day, 6 days a week, I don't have time to sit on hold and deal with sales reps for 10 or 20 minutes. That's why I prefer to buy things online in an automated fashion.

I finally got some time off early one evening and tried calling Sweetwater, but they were closed outside of my work hours. So I emailed them instead. I received a customer service reply from Aric Brenner, who said he was trying to call me and had left messages. It never occurred to them to EMAIL! He never explained WHY he was trying to call me. As it turns out, my PayPal still had my recently turned off cell number on it, but I had my current number on my newly formed Sweetwater account. However, they didn't think to look there.

It also turns out that they WILL NOT SHIP ANYTHING TO YOU WITHOUT A PHONE CALL! Some may call that "customer service," but I call it an INCONVENIENCE! The reason I buy online is for CONVENIENCE! I don't like sales reps bugging me. Turns out Sweetwater policy is to call you when you order, after the order ships, after you receive the order, and likely sales call you OUT OF THE BLUE going forward. (This is per reviews I've seen). No thanks! I protect my cell number with a passion and gave up my prior number due to the incredible volume of telemarketing BS calls. Sweetwater is along those same lines, and I don't have time for that nonsense.

So if you're like me and dislike being telemarketed by sales reps, DON'T USE SWEETWATER. I've told this rep via email now TWICE to just cancel my order and refund my PayPal. He won't do it and won't reply. They are playing some sort of BS game here where apparently I must CALL THEM to get anything done. If I can't find time to call, I'll be filing a PayPal complaint instead. I mean, seriously!? Wth? I guess I'm way too spoiled by Amazon Prime. It's so easy, and reps are there IF you have an issue with an item, and PRIME implements great service as it's meant to be.

Sweetwater, you're not giving good customer service by demanding to speak to customers before, when, and after items ship. You're being a nuisance. Never again. Now they've lost out on my next guitar purchase this Black Friday. I liked their view the guitar you buy and 55 point inspection, but it's too much hassle to deal with them.

I recently purchased an Orange Rockerverb amp from Sweetwater and I have to say, I was disappointed with my experience. While I was able to get a discount on the retail price, it turned out that the amp was a special order and non-returnable. I specifically requested the black tolex version, which meant that the Orange company sent me an amp that had been sitting in their warehouse for three years. I didn't realize this at the time, but it became apparent later on.

After the return period expired, I started experiencing issues with the amp. It turned out that there was all kinds of corrosion and other problems inside that I couldn't see. Sweetwater's two-year warranty was no help, as they only repair certain things during that time period and it's usually things that don't go wrong within two years. They also charge a lot of money for repairs, which is frustrating.

When I contacted Sweetwater for help, they told me that it would be more expensive to have them fix it than to have Orange do it. So, I had to send it back to Orange within the first six months to have all the input and effects loop jacks replaced, as well as other corroded parts. It sounded fine for a few more months, but then I started having problems again and Sweetwater didn't offer any assistance.

It turns out that Sweetwater gives you a "deal" on something "brand new" by giving you the oldest one in the warehouse that hasn't sold. This is why they offer discounts. I found out that my supposedly brand new amp had been sitting in the Orange warehouse for three years before they gave it to me. By the time I found out, it was too late to return it.

If you're considering buying from Sweetwater, be aware that their two-year return policy is not worth it. It's a scam to get you to buy their stuff. The 2-year warranty is only helpful for very non-expensive items. If you want something costing over $300, they won't help you if problems arise after 30 days. If you get a discount and don't pay their premium price, you'll get something old from the warehouse that has never been purchased and has been sitting and getting banged around and exposed to a lot of elements like moisture.

I've since started buying my gear from Reverb.com and Musician's Friend, and I've never had a problem with anything. If it's too good to be true, it usually is, and Sweetwater's two-year no-hassle return policy is full of crap. They tell you what you want to hear in order to get your money and then abandon you once you buy something.

If you want to save money and get wonderful gear, go through Musician's Friend or pretty much any other major retail outlet other than Sweetwater, or buy used from a reputable store. Who wants to buy brand new stuff that's been sitting in warehouses forever?

I found Sweetwater by accident and wanted to share my thoughts on this music store. A friend of mine who plays keyboards for big names recommended it to me, and since then, I've spent over $7000 in two years. Overall, I've had good service, but I did have to change my Sales Rep once because I felt he wasn't listening to my needs unless I was going to buy something right then. The current Sales Rep is better, but still not the warmest personality. It's all business with the Sales Reps.

Recently, I purchased two Celestion Gold speakers, and it took three days to get the shipment going. When I inquired, another Sales Asst Mgr told me that Celestion was slow to send them speakers and that my Sales Rep should have notified me before I had to inquire. The bright side was that this was a price match which saved me $60 for the pair.

Now for the better news. I bought an amp and had reverb problems. Four months later, even though I was out of the return for refund window, my current Sales Rep sent me a return label and said to ship back and they would fix the problem. When the amp returned, the same problem occurred. This time, I was sent a brand new replacement and told to send the old one back postage paid.

UPDATE: In February 2016, I purchased a Fender DRRI Limited Edition amp. In June, I had to contact Sweetwater regarding an ongoing issue with the amp. The issue was that I could turn on the amp, wait for the tubes caps to get charged up, and then turn the standby to on, but there was no sound, no hiss, NADA! I would turn it off then restart the process. Still the same result. Then suddenly, the amp would sound came on (Hissing) and it would work. This happened a half dozen times.

Notifying Sweetwater four months after the purchase, I asked for some help. Initially, I was told they normally don't take the amp back outside of six months from purchase. I had to remind the Customer Service Rep it was only four months. I got more stall before the CSR agreed to send me a postage-paid return label and RDM # so I could send it back. I sent the amp back with a letter explaining the problem and a request to call me BEFORE the amp was returned. Glad I did because the amp repair tech called telling me the amp worked fine and did not experience the issues I said. He was going to send it back until I explained further the issues and that I would return the amp a second time if not fixed.

Long story short, he said he would pull the circuit board and take a look. The problem was found to be a bad fuse. In the newer Fender amps, I was told that unlike the older previous models, the fuse is not located on the circuit board and soldered in. Thus, it can only be fixed by an Authorized Fender Repair Shop or dealer like Sweetwater. The problem was resolved, at least to this point, as I haven't experienced any more issues since its return.

Summary: be persistent. Sweetwater provides the extended 2-year warranty, which I found also doesn't cover everything and apparently only if you are within a specified window of time from the original purchase date. I can tell you this, Sweetwater reps are all very polite, and I will stay with them as they have been helping me resolve my issues SO FAR! Any changes, I will post. Lastly, I plan to continue being their customer so long as the Customer Service is strong.

I gotta say, my experience with Sweetwater was a total bummer. I ordered a new sound system back in November 2020 and it's been nothing but trouble since then. The customer service has been a total letdown, and I feel like they're only in it for the sale and the money.

Let me break it down for you. I worked with a guy named Josh, who made the $4K sale to me. He promised to help me set up the equipment once I received it, since I'm a total newbie when it comes to this stuff. But once I got the gear, he vanished into thin air. I've been trying to get in touch with him since December, but he's nowhere to be found. He promised me support with set up questions, but I haven't received any help at all.

To make matters worse, I was sent used equipment without my authorization. When I called Josh out on it, he apologized and promised me a discount, but I still haven't received it. It's been over a month now, and I'm still waiting for my refund.

If you're experiencing any red flags like I did, I suggest you speak up or go elsewhere. I wish I had. Here are some more details about my experience:

1. Josh promised to assist me with set up, but he's been MIA since December. I've spent hours trying to figure out the equipment on my own, and I still haven't gotten it to work. When I called the support line, they told me to contact Josh. But when I did, he told me he was too busy to help me and asked for my understanding. He promised me it would only take five minutes to help me out, but he never followed through. It's been a total letdown.

2. I received a used Presonus Audio Interface, even though I paid full price. When I called Josh out on it, he admitted it and apologized. He promised me a refund, but I still haven't received it.

3. My ribbon microphone arrived in a damaged box that had clearly been rebuilt with packing tape. Josh told me it was brand new, but I have my doubts. He didn't offer me any discount or compensation for the damaged box.

Overall, I regret buying from Sweetwater. I feel like I've been taken advantage of, and I haven't received the support I was promised. If you're looking for personal connection, integrity, and kindness, I suggest you look elsewhere. This experience has shown me that Sweetwater is only in it for the sale and the money. It's a real shame.

I recently received my replacement amp from Sweetwater after having some issues with the first one. I want to share my experience with others so they can see everything that happened. The day after receiving the amp, I spoke to my sales tech and sent him pictures of the damage. He agreed that it should be replaced and transferred me to another department. They also had access to the pictures and I told them that I wanted a replacement amp, not a refund. They said it would ship 2 day FedEx and I would have it on Friday. I changed my work schedule to pick it up at a local FedEx drop off point, but on Friday I still hadn't received a tracking number. I called my sales tech and he told me it wouldn't arrive until Monday. Even though it was sent 2 day, it took 5 days to receive the replacement amp. However, I was pleased to find that it was packed very well and arrived in showroom condition.

I also want to mention that the power cord was secured into a loop and placed in an envelope, which was then sealed around the cord. The padded envelope prevented the cord from damaging anything inside the amp during transit. I had originally thought that Sweetwater had installed the Jensen speaker, but it turns out that it ships from Fender with the speaker. I now believe that the original amp had been shipped to a customer who then returned it with the power cord removed from the protective envelope, the speaker unhooked, and the packing materials damaged.

Overall, I had a good experience with Sweetwater. The three people I spoke with were sympathetic and my sales tech and the man who arranged the shipping of the replacement amp were very helpful. However, I have changed my rating to 3 stars because Sweetwater definitely had the first box open and should have seen the condition of the amp and packing materials. Additionally, the man who arranged the shipping of the replacement amp should have known that I wouldn't receive it until after the Thanksgiving weekend and never sent me the tracking number.

Despite these issues, I am very pleased with my American Professional II Telecaster and Fender Blues Jr amp with the Jensen speaker. They are awesome and I'm glad that Sweetwater took care of the problem.

On a side note, I want to mention that my original Fender amp arrived with multiple problems. The plastic bag that should have covered the amp was instead stuffed into the box beside the amp and none of the styrofoam packing blocks were intact. The amp was loose in the box and moving around, causing white smudges on the tweed cabinet. The Jensen speaker had been installed, but the cable was dangling loose in the cabinet and there was an empty torn envelope inside. I believe this was entirely the fault of Sweetwater and the employee who installed the speaker and repackaged the amp simply didn't care about the quality of their work or if customers received a product in new condition. I spoke with customer service and they told me to speak to another department to complete the swap. While the customer service agent was sympathetic, they did nothing to help me. I am currently giving Sweetwater a 2 star review, but will adjust it accordingly once this situation is resolved. My advice to others is to beware and check your products carefully upon arrival.

So, I recently made a purchase from Sweetwater and was assigned a Sales Engineer to help me with my order. At first, I was skeptical about this whole thing. I mean, I had already done my research on the $5000 eurorack system I wanted to buy, so what could this Sales Engineer possibly tell me that I didn't already know? But boy, was I wrong.

After hitting that "place order" button, I was bombarded with questions that I never even thought to ask. My Sales Engineer was incredibly knowledgeable and helped me make some important decisions about my purchase. I was impressed with the level of customer service I received.

However, things took a turn for the worse when my Sales Engineer suddenly disappeared. I tried calling and emailing, but to no avail. I was left in the dark for two whole weeks, wondering if I would ever receive my order. It was a stressful time, especially since I had already committed so much money to this purchase.

To make matters worse, my order was mysteriously cancelled without any explanation. I was devastated. But, as they say, when one door closes, another one opens. I ended up finding a better company that actually valued their customers and ended up spending even more money with them.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about Sweetwater. On one hand, their Sales Engineers can be incredibly helpful. On the other hand, their customer service can be lacking at times. I think they need to work on their communication skills and make sure that their Sales Engineers are always available to their customers.

In conclusion, if you're thinking about making a purchase from Sweetwater, just be aware that there may be some bumps in the road. But, if you're willing to take the risk, you may end up with some great gear and a great experience.

I recently decided to give Sweetwater a try after hearing some good things about them. I was in the market for a few new instruments and thought I'd see what they had to offer. Upon opening my account, I was automatically assigned a sales engineer without any input from me. As someone who has been a professional musician for almost 30 years, I was a bit put off by this. I would have preferred to have been asked about my music background so that I could be paired with someone who could answer my more technical questions.

In my first few emails to my sales engineer, I asked a very specific question about my split order. Instead of answering my question, he went on and on about the Sweetwater family and how nice they are. It wasn't until my fourth email that I finally got an answer about my order. I then asked about a specific detail regarding a keyboard and was given a very vague answer about how his friend liked it. It felt like I was talking to someone who was trying to sell me a beauty product - all fluff and no substance.

Despite this, I decided to go ahead and make a purchase. However, my sales engineer seemed to take my "probably" as a definite yes and went ahead and finished the purchase without my approval. When I asked him to stop my further order, he went ahead and ordered anyway. It was frustrating to see that the word "cancel" seemed to mean "buy" in his pushy sales tactics.

I tried to find a way to change my sales engineer or get support from someone else, but I couldn't find any information on their website. All of my questions were going to my assigned sales engineer, and I felt like I was wasting my time. There are so many other music stores out there with simpler and more classic systems. If you have questions about keyboards, for example, you'll be directed to the keyboard department and get the best support in that area.

In the end, I decided to say goodbye to Sweetwater. It was a short and unpleasant experience that left me feeling like I had wasted my time.

I've been a musician for a long time, 40 years to be exact. I've always enjoyed dealing with Sweetwater, they've been great to me. Recently, I purchased a Roland DJ-707m from them and was promised the Serato Suite software. Unfortunately, when I received the package, the software was not included. I was really disappointed because I had a DJ karaoke gig coming up and I needed the software to make it work.

I called customer care and they told me that the controller was supposed to automatically unlock in Serato after I registered it. I tried that, but it didn't work. I spent days trying to figure it out, but nothing seemed to work. Finally, my sales person found out from the Roland sales rep that the serial code was supposed to be included in the box. I was relieved to hear that, but it was too late. My gig was ruined and I lost money.

I'm a working musician and guitar player with a full band normally, but I wanted to try something different. I liked the mixing capabilities of the Roland DJ-707m to do solo/duo shows, DJ break music, and to do karaoke, etc. However, without the software, it was useless to me.

To make matters worse, my sales rep went on vacation for 3-4 weeks and I was left unable to unlock the software. I was really surprised that a company with such a great track record dropped the ball so much. I had other options to find open box deals from competitor companies for several hundred dollars less. I should've gone that route and purchased the software separately.

I think there's a good chance the software code was taken out of the box from someone before it shipped. It took some major convincing to my wife to spend the money because we are both employed in the entertainment industry and are struggling due to Covid-19. I'm really disappointed with Sweetwater and I've never left a negative review in 40 years, but I had to share my experience to help anyone in the future buying Roland controllers who are promised the Serato Suite package. Peace to all and stay safe.

I just wanted to share my experience with Sweetwater, especially when it comes to their after-sales support for anything musical. Let me tell you, it's been a real nightmare. I'm beyond frustrated and angry at this point, and I just have to vent about it. Of course, when I posted about it on their Facebook page, it was taken down immediately. Surprise, surprise!

I've spent thousands of dollars on mixers, speakers, and other equipment from Sweetwater, but I can honestly say that I will never buy from them again. And I strongly advise any of my musician friends and acquaintances to steer clear of them for any online purchases.

After I made my online purchase, it took over two weeks, multiple emails, and phone calls (hours of my time) just to get a response from their support team about my shipment status. And even then, they couldn't even look up the tracking numbers. They promised to update me on a Thursday, but I had to chase them down again the following Monday. Not exactly confidence-inspiring, right?

It wasn't until I sent a very angry (and admittedly somewhat rude) email that I finally got a response from their Sales Engineer, who seems to be the only person handling all clients and routes to voicemail repeatedly when calling. I finally got part of my order, but the Thump Go speaker I received was shoddy right out of the box. The overload triggered with NOTHING even plugged in.

It took a couple of weeks to hear from a tech guy, and when I finally did, I responded with a detailed explanation of the issue and asked for next steps. But I never received any acknowledgement or response. And that was over two weeks ago, on top of the first several weeks of chasing them repeatedly.

Their client service is just terrible once they have your money. I had heard great things about Sweetwater, but my experience has been one of the worst of my life when it comes to trying to get simple client service.

So, to sum it up: never again. You've been warned.

I recently made a purchase on Sweetwater.com for two drumsets. I was pleased to speak with a friendly gentleman who was able to sell them to me and inform me of the amazing deals and shipping options available. He informed me that I could receive free shipping and that the drumsets would arrive on the 1st or 2nd of the month.

However, on the 28th, the day after placing my order, I received an email from a sales engineer named Gregg. I reached out to him via email but did not receive a reply. I decided to call Sweetwater today, assuming that they would have everything under control. Unfortunately, the customer representative informed me that my order had not been shipped or packed yet.

As a new band member and drummer opening up for The Wailers, I needed these drumsets by the 3rd for my gig. I was frustrated to learn that my order had not been shipped yet, despite the fact that there were excerpts everywhere stating that if they couldn't get it out to me when they said they would, I could call them and they would overnight it for free.

I called today to get it overnighted for tomorrow, but the customer representative said he needed to do his due diligence and would have Gregg call me back. When Gregg finally called me back, I was told that only a couple of boxes had been shipped out, containing only my sticks and cymbal polish. This obviously frustrated me, and when I asked how they planned to make this right, Gregg's response was unprofessional. He asked me if I wanted money and laughed, saying he couldn't pay me.

I was taken aback by his response and asked him what Sweetwater does for other customers who have dealt with this issue. He suggested that I could receive a refund and go to Guitar Center to buy something else. This alone makes me never want to buy from Sweetwater again.

This was my first experience taking out a line of credit to purchase something that completes my soul, and this is what I get. I am extremely disappointed in Sweetwater's lack of professionalism and customer service. I hope they can improve their services in the future. #Sweetwater #GreggsAnEggHead

So, I decided to give Sweetwater a try and ordered an Ibanez TMB30 bass guitar. My sales engineer was really helpful and made the process easy. When the bass arrived, I noticed some green markings on the back of the neck. I contacted Sweetwater and they told me it was normal for maple wood. I wasn't too happy about it, but I decided to keep the bass and practice on it since I'm new to bass playing.

However, I soon noticed that the alignment of the strings at the nut was off center. I contacted Sweetwater again and they said they would send me a replacement. When the replacement arrived, I was disappointed to find that it had the same issue. I was frustrated that a guitar selling for less than $300 didn't qualify for the 55-point inspection. I talked to my sales engineer and decided to purchase a Fender bass instead, which would qualify for the inspection.

I was excited to receive my new Fender bass, but when I got an email with photos of the guitar, I was shocked to see that it had the same issue with the strings at the nut being off center. I couldn't believe that this wasn't caught during the inspection process. I called Sweetwater and they arranged for the guitar to be shipped back to them.

I was really disappointed with Sweetwater's inspection process. It seemed like a ploy to sell guitars rather than actually ensuring that the guitars were in good condition. I decided that from now on, I would only purchase instruments after a visual hands-on inspection at a store. I don't think I'll be ordering from Sweetwater again.

Overall, my experience with Sweetwater was frustrating. While my sales engineer was helpful, the issues with the guitars and the lack of proper inspection left me feeling disappointed. I've included a photo of the Fender bass showing the misalignment of the strings at the nut.

I had a really bad experience with Sweetwater. I'm a musician and I was looking for some drum heads. I ordered two from Sweetwater, but when they arrived, they were both defective. I tried to contact Sweetwater to get them replaced, but it was a nightmare. I had to deal with them for almost three weeks, through email, text, and phone calls. They kept telling me that the drum heads weren't defective, and that I needed to measure them with a ruler and examine them with a microscope. It was ridiculous.

Finally, I gave up and told them to keep the money and never contact me again. It was worth it to not have to deal with them anymore. They were completely clueless and frustrated, and they didn't seem to care about helping me at all.

One of the things that really bothered me was the amount of packaging they used. They sent an 18 inch drum head in a box that was way too big, and they used so much bubble wrap that it was ridiculous. I'm sure it will end up killing a bunch of fish in the ocean, because there was so much excess plastic.

Overall, I would not recommend Sweetwater to anyone. They are completely unconscious and they don't seem to care about their customers at all. If you're looking for musical instruments or accessories, go to a specialized store where the musicians actually care about helping you. Don't waste your time with Sweetwater.

Been a customer of Sweetwater since 2016 or before. I made a big order and 3 items were listed on the site as "in-stock very soon", so I thought I had to wait for 6 weeks, no biggie. 4 weeks passed, so I sent an email asking for an ETA. They told me "late December/early January". Early January came, and I sent another email. No reply. I called Support to find out. Support then told me that 2 of my 3 items were another month to 2 months out. The lack of warning or communication and the fact that I had to be on the phone with Support for 45 minutes already frustrated me. They transferred me to another agent. This CS agent told me they would credit my account instead of giving me a direct refund after I asked to cancel the items and return the refund to the card I paid with. I said I needed it on my card and let them know I was charged the full amount and there was no "credit" issued to my account. They tried to tell me I was not charged the full amount and I was credited. The proof was in my AMEX statement. I told them this, and the agent literally screamed at me and berated me for disagreeing. When I asked to speak to someone high up in management, they then screamed at me, "It won't do you any good. They're not going to do anything." After screaming and berating me some more, they finally transferred me to a very kind CS Manager that confirmed I was correct about my frustration and refund I was supposed to get. From there, I was issued a refund and an apology. I've spent a lot of money with Sweetwater over the years, it'll be a hard choice for me to do business with them again. Gave an extra star for the past good service, but this interaction has left me with a bad taste. Review your CS agents phone calls, and teach them patience and how to respectfully talk to people without raising their voice or personally attacking them. Sweetwater was in the wrong from the beginning here, still in disbelief how this situation was initially handled.

Update: The Customer Service Manager called me directly the next day to confirm with me that they listened to my phone call in question. They apologized profusely and even sent me a gift card, which they did not have to do. That went a long way with me. I appreciate the effort they made to make things right. It shows that they care about their customers and are willing to go the extra mile to make things right. I will consider doing business with them again in the future.

My name is David C. Maugans. I lve in the Columbus, Ohio area. I am a trained musician traveling singing Southern Gospel.

The time came when i had to rertire due to age and voice change. However, i decided to go on my own so built a small in-home music studio.

Thats when i introduced to Sweetwater. Over time i have spent a lot of time with sweetwater and have spent a lot of money.

Over time every thing great with my sales person and became good first name friends.

Then something went wrong. I was completely cut off from my sales friend who would not talk to me.

I attempted to talk to several managers who refused to talk to me about this problem.

What I want to know (and no on will tell me) is what did i do or what did I say to be cut off. I am totally in the dark here.

I am very disapointed with sweet water and if need be will spread my disapointment to other customers.

SWEETWATER -- TALK TO MEi

I once used Sweetwater exclusively before discovering Zzounds and haven't used them since 2017, since then, I had some credit cards canceled, but for some reason or another, they keep all this information in their database. Christmas week, someone tries to run a CC I canceled in 2017, How strange considering Sweetwater is the only company with this old info. The CC declined and they simply went on to the next card on file which I've had since 2016 and they charged 300 in software. I immediately picked up on what was going on and that this was not random and obviously someone who has access to Sweetwater which wouldn't have been an Email hack etc since I haven't used them since 2017 so there was no email trail or paper trail etc. I deleted all my payment options on their database, now, they couldn't get access to any other card, so they apparently looked me up in their system to see if I have a Sweetwater card which I just opened and tried to charge an additional $200, but it was declined. I call Synchrony and immediately get a call service out of India asking me to send them a video of myself as well as a copy of my state I.D. You've got to be kidding me. Canceled every Synchrony store card including Sweetwater which I will never use again! Smells like an inside job!

Nobody replies to my emails...But of course,payment accepted immediately for gear and shipping costs...immediately :-(

Order nº L2111705927 on September 3rd 2022 and today is September 13th 2022 ,and not received the order nor any reply from the sales department. Just a shame and very bad image of the company.-

I decided to buy a high end bass guitar from Fodera at SWeetwater (SW) . I found their inventory quite extensive and was able to find a beautiful "demo" piece (brand new item that most likely was used at their retail location) for thousands less then the asking price. I reached out to SW and was introduced to a sales engineer who told me he would be my go to person at SW, kinda like a relationship manager, who would be responsible for sales, support, questions, anything basically going forward. That really was impressive, considering they are selling music gear, having a person who sole's position is to take care of my music needs. Form there on, the engineer was on it, anything I asked he would respond quickly and would provide feedback for everything I needed and asked. He told me he would be taking care of me going forward and ensure my SW experience would be top notch.

Everything was fine until I decided to return the bass. I had other basses from the same luthier and found that I was not going to have much difference from what I already what at home to their new product. So I reached out to my "go to guy", and heard nothing from him. That's when I realized the whole talk about taking care of my needs, about being my point of contact, about relationship based experience, was all BS. The moment I needed to return something, I got nothing anymore, no answers, no response, nothing. I ended up calling them and asking another person to help return the bass.

My sales engineer made his first mistake right there. When you are a relationship driven specialist, the first thing would be to get back to me and ask why. that's it, he should have tried to understand why I was returning, so that he could really make a bigger impact! Well, he didn't. And in the process, he had no idea I actually wanted to buy a much more expensive item, that SW had in their inventory, he could have really understood his job and helped me get to where I needed, but he decided to go silent, probably took the return as an offense. That's where sales people fail, they do not ask more questions, don't try to understand why it didn't work, don't try to understand me as a client and how I could be in a better place with a different piece of gear. He just decided to go quiet, and not only lost the sale (which was double what I had paid initially), it lost a client. All because of his lack of interest and no interest in listening to the client, and asking probing questions.

Too bad, I thought SW had something going, and I was WOWed initially. But then their inexperienced sales person managed to make the situation worst, and had me go to the competition, spend money that could have been theirs...

I am still trying to get feedback on my return, the bass was delivered to SW and I sent an email asking for feedback but guess what... he still hasn't answered me.

The order was placed at 7:25 PM on Wednesday 10/24/18. Signature required. The items were supposed to arrive on Friday 10/26/28. As of Sunday 10/28/18 the items had not arrived. I expressed in an email to Wayne Wildman on Sunday regarding the non delivery. He responded Monday in an email that he was sorry for the delay and that he needed to clear up some info with me over the phone. We talked and all Wayne clarified was the address and signature required. Which is ridiculous. It's obvious someone screwed up. I was supposed to be kept it the loop regarding delivery. Not lack of delivery. This is extremely unprofessional. Wayne said I should get it in a couple of days. I am not the one that screwed up. He didn't even says the items would be shipped overnight. I am beside myself. This is the first time purchasing something from you. This is how new customers are treated.

Mar/29-31st 2018
Purchased Epiphone guitar and cockfight plus wah pedal.
I do not have a product invoice number I never got one.
i attempted to create a account every time i do the web site tells me my password is incorrect. I have attempted 5 times the exact way the site says to do it. Each time it basically says I am wrong. Secondly, sweetwater stopped my order claiming the company can not accept pre-paid credit cards. I have told sweetwater over 8 times My credit card is a bank mastercharge card. The
employees of sweet water are disrespectful, inconsiderate and do not care about their customers. Its funny! I never have a problem with guitar center or musicians friend! With this kind of scamming I will never buy anything from sweetwater ever again. Sweetwater does not care about resolving issues or how they treat customers.
Either resolve your account creating issue or refund My federal funds immediately. Chief Redelk Ironhorse Thomas Cree Nation Federal Law
Enforcement Bureau.
[protected]@mail.com

I paid for their premium service and thought I would be an exclusion, that it would protect me from all of the awkward situations that are described in reviews. But no, the premium account doesn't give you absolutely anything and it's a total waste of money. Yes, they will be nice to you unless you got into trouble with your order. They will leave you on your own and stop answering your questions. I will definitely not renew my membership and will never buy anything from them anymore.

They definitely could be better if they really cared. They could have recruited more people to work at their so-called customer service department. Because once a problem occurs it makes impossible to contact absolutely anyone. The line is always busy, but I don't believe it's overwhelmed by customers' calls. It just cannot be true.
So I have been trying to cancel my order for three weeks. And no, they haven't shipped it yet, so I have enough time to cancel. That what I thought. In fact, contacting them is hard.
I don't know what to do. They have my money I would like to refund...

I have ordered phosphor guitar strings from Sweetwater website and before I made my order I contacted these guys and asked if the strings I wanted to buy were in stock. Their rep assured me they were, so I made my order.
About two weeks later they contacted me and asked me to pick something else. They said that their rep made a mistake and that my strings were not in stock for a long time. I refused and demanded my money back, soon I got my refund.
Very unprofessional. These guys only wasted my time!

I have ordered from Sweetwater several times and everything was fine. They deliver very fast and products are really good, but Sweetwater is quite a risky business to deal with.
In case of any issues they don't want to do anything to fix the problem. When I wanted to get a replacement they said that I need to live a message and they will see what they can do. They never contacted me back and then just stopped replying.
So it's like 50/50. They are not bad but very unprofessional and there is no way you could ever get a refund.

pastor robert leon *aka; informed my sister in california ( a parishioner) that he would give her cash to get her teeth fixed if she could make a purchase on my mothers credit card. there was no amount given., and after the charge was made to my moms card, my sister was not given the money, and the charge was for $6000. my family has been paying the bill for 9 months, and my sister attempted suicide, and is now on life support because of the stress.
my mother has a copy of this charge on her credit card, and if needed, can provide printed proof.