Sweetwater Reviews 1,829

They had exactly what I needed. And the salesman who recommended the product have been very, very helpful. I will definitely buy again.

Hi my name is Mitch Goulla I recently purchased a new amp Blackstar mkiii head and matching 1x12 blackstar mkiii speaker cabinet. Everyone at Sweetwater has been fabulous and has made my purchasing experience a unique pleasure. Starting from the sales reps. To there product support engineers. I recommend to anyone who's shopping for gear to use Sweetwater. Thank all of you Ryan and Allen in the sales department and thank you Jericho in the engineering product support. Excellent customer service. Fast shipping and they stand behind there product. I will only shop here from now on.

This was my second time ordering a plugin from Sweetwater, and once again, something went wrong. The first time, support eventually helped me out — and I even told them I’d come back because of that. But here I am again, and this time I’m done.

After paying with PayPal, I received an email saying there was an issue and that I’d get my license later. I waited patiently and followed up politely multiple times. No response. Not even a simple “yes” or “no.” Just complete silence.

At this point, I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if someone at Sweetwater reads and responds to this review before replying to my actual emails. That would say enough about where their priorities lie.

As a customer, that’s incredibly frustrating. Mistakes happen — I understand that. But ignoring someone who paid and is just asking for clarity? That’s unacceptable.

I won’t be buying anything from Sweetwater again. I was ready to be a loyal customer, but after this experience, that decision became very easy.

Prompt electronic delivery.

Sweetwater has a great staff. Anthony Longano has been my go to guy for many years!

My experience with Sweetwater was way above awesome. I purchased a Martin Ziricote acoustic electric guitar and absolutely love it. Everone that sees it oohs and ahs over it. Tim Greene was awesome to work with. My experience with Sweetwater was great.

Ordered a guitar nut for my Yamaha Revstar to raise the action for slide guitar. Was not a big purchase. Yet, the quality of the guidance before the purchase, and the proactive follow-through after receipt of the item to ensure that it indeed met my expectations and needs. Truly impressive!

Rob, is no good. He acts like an arrogant surgeon. I would not buy cat liter from him. Sweetwater, use to have good customer service.

I have ordered a couple of guitars from Sweetwater and have been very pleased with their service. The instruments arrived quickly and were well packaged. Calder was a big help, especially with the first guitar because I was torn between two different makes. I followed his suggestion and ended up with a great guitar. Definitely recommend these guys.

Product came when stated. Terms of financing were clear and they even offered technical support.

My go to! Amazing place, support, feel you are buying in a store even being online! Their Plek services are amazing and do recommend!

I've been an active musician for more than 50 years and Sweetwater is simply the best music store that I've ever encountered. Rumor has it that they treat their employees fabulously, which would help to explain why their people are so great, but it's more than that.

As a massive store, they have everything any musician might need. Everything they sell has clear explanations on an easily searched website. Not just still photos of the products, but often video demonstrations by skilled employees.

From your first encounter you get matched up with a sales rep who is a musician, usually with tastes and experiences similar to your own. That same rep sticks with you every time you make a purchase or ask a question. You get to know the rep and (s)he gets to know you.

Oh, yeah, and they give you candy with every purchase.

I would like to thank Dawn so much on behalf of my friend Dominick who is 104 years old and still playing saxophone! I helped him order the Yanigasawa SW010 Elite Soprano Saxophone and he just loves it! It's very easy blowing and has a wonderful full rich tone with great action of the fingerings. It also has not only a high F# but also a high G. The order was placed on Wednesday and as promised by Dawn it arrived today Friday as promised. My friend Dominick is not only a 104 year old sax player but is also a combat veteran of WW2 and is still active going to veterans functions and performing for the guests. He loves his new Yanigasawa Soprano and looks forward to playing it for years to come God willing. Thank you Dawn and Sweetwater music!
Sincerely Al Biondi

This is hands down one of the worst buying experiences I’ve had in years, and the main problem is not the seller — it’s the platform itself.

I purchased a microphone from a seller through Sweetwater Gear Exchange. The seller wasn’t perfect, but at least at first, he was responsive. Then UPS marked the address as undeliverable — even though the address was correct and confirmed multiple times with proof. I immediately contacted the seller and Gear Exchange to resolve the situation. I even offered a second shipping address, and someone who could physically pick it up. What did the platform do? Absolutely NOTHING.

Gear Exchange just sat there watching the situation spiral. No real intervention, no urgency, no protection. They had no control over the seller and no power to fix the problem. They couldn’t even provide a proper update without me chasing them down like a child after every delay.

Eventually, the package got sent back to the seller. Gear Exchange still did nothing but send copy-paste responses. Then suddenly, without even confirming the condition of the item or offering an updated solution, they just refunded me — like that was a resolution. Weeks wasted. Trust destroyed. And no compensation or accountability for the chaos.

This platform is a complete failure. They act like a middleman but take zero responsibility. They don’t enforce standards. They don’t manage disputes. And if things go wrong? You’re on your own. They’re completely unprepared for real transactions — no system, no leverage over sellers, and no concern for buyers who actually pay.

Sweetwater should be ashamed to have their name attached to this. Gear Exchange is not a professional platform. It’s a wild west free-for-all that dumps all the risk on the buyer and hides behind policies when things fall apart.

If you value your time, your money, or your sanity — stay far away from Sweetwater Gear Exchange.

*** By the way, that reply they’re giving is an excuse to look good at the end, i did told the selle i was going to be out of the country soon, that was the reason of me asking him no delays with the product, so i can have it before i leave, besides that, your company never mentioned anything about the second address provided, anyways all transaction was done through PayPal, so there’s no worries about buying from Hong Kong or Africa, those are just excuses. You won’t get any richer loosing a buyer but at least this can be read for future buyers ***

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

I can't say enough good things about these guys. Always a great price and fast shipping. Also, after the sale service was over the top fantastic! Highly recommend.

My order was received on time in excellent condition no problems. My shopping experience was awesome. Have ordered many times before and will do all my music business with Sweetwater. Thanks Rickey Smith

100% pleased with my experience. I bought the most expensive guitar I have ever owned (Rickenbacker 330) in April 2025, and couldn't be happier with the instrument itself, plus packing, shipping experience, and the patience of my sales engineer Evan Neiman. I've never played a guitar this well setup before. THANKS SWEETWATER TEAM!

The staff is always helpful. I ordered an Audio Technica
turntable. It came a day earlier than posted. I have been dealing with Sweetwater for a few years and have never disappointed in their customer service. it's always been top notch. I stick with a service that provides good prices & service.

Awesome company with quality merchandise, outstanding customer service and great prices! The guitar picks I wanted to order were not in stock. Roger is great! He followed up and when the picks were available and ordered them for me. They arrived a couple days later. Very secure packaging and they even give you sweet treats.