Sweetwater Reviews 

1,903
TrustScore 4 out of 5

4.1

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Evaluating 214 reviews, reviewers had a great experience with this company. Customers frequently praise the incredibly knowledgeable staff and the truly exceptional customer support team for always going above and beyond to help them out. Many enthusiastic buyers also deeply appreciate the remarkably wide selection of musical instruments available online and the extremely careful packaging protecting all of their precious purchases. However, some people mentioned experiencing notable difficulties regarding their online orders, citing frustrating delays with payment processing or completely unfulfilled deliveries over time. Other reviewers also noted that certain customer service interactions felt completely unhelpful or indifferent when trying to resolve specific purchase issues.

What people talk about most

Product

Users describe positive interactions with product, noting that items arrive quickly, are packaged with care,... See more

Staff

Clients share positive opinions on staff, frequently praising the knowledgeable, professional, and attentive... See more

Customer service

Consumers find customer service to be positive, frequently highlighting attentive sales engineers who provide... See more

Service

People report positive experiences with service, highlighting dedicated sales engineers who provide prompt,... See more

Order

Customers consistently note ambiguous experiences with order processes, highlighting a deep split in... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I just watched Brittnee Kellogg unbox the stunningly gorgeous Gibson guitar you insisted on loaning her while her guitar, ruined by a S.W. Airlines handler, is being replaced. What an amazingly beauti... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Placed an order for drum kit . The service before , during and after shipment are exemplary. The packaging was done to protect the shipment unbelievably well. Everything was as described or better.... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Sweetwater has an excellent staff. The salesman was professional and he listened to what I said. Remembered that I might want to change payment methods. The kit was delivered sooner than expected.... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I pretty much use Sweetwater for all my music gear purchases. But I've recently discovered their GEAR EXCHANGE for selling and buying used gear. They allow store credit or direct payment (where... See more


Company details

  1. Music Store

Information provided by various external sources

Sweetwater is the world's leading music technology and instrument retailer, offering highly knowledgeable Sales Engineers, in-house Technical Support and Service Departments, huge selection, amazing prices, and free shipping.


Contact info

4.1

Great

TrustScore 4 out of 5

2K reviews

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No recent history of asking for reviews

This company hasn't invited customers recently, so reviews may not be representative

Replied to 87% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 1 week

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4.1

All reviews

(1,903)

205 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Trust Sweetwater

I've been buying musical equipment from Dave Cody at Sweetwater for many years. I was skeptical about buying expensive gear without having played or used the actual instrument, but I've never been disappointed. All instruments were thoroughly tested and professionally set up for playability and precision. The occasional returns were handled quickly and usually cross-shipped. Trust these guys to offer great equipment at very competitive prices.

3 July 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

competitive pricing plus good sales

I found Sweetwater to have competitive prices plus very good specials on Demo units. They were very fast to address damage during shipping and replaced my purchase very quickly. Customer Service was great, attentive and listened to my concerns.

13 July 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Purchased with confidence, quite happy customer

Before deciding on making the purchase of a guitar with amp and stand, picks and the whole set for a beginner, I watched the online video with 2 talents demonstrating the sounds of the amp, and just with that I was sure I wanted the set for my grandson's 25th birthday. It came super-fast and there were no damages. The guitar is beautiful (aqua), the sounds with the amp he is still experimenting with and is loving every bit of his gift. He is also a talented bass sax player and wants one like he played in high school band. I'm sure we will be repeat customers in the future and am confident we found the perfect site for his needs and wants. I like knowing that if he has questions or needs help later, he has someone to turn to after the sale.

29 June 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Great customer conversation. Little else.

Great customer conversation.
Terrible delivery.
Bought software, was told I'd receive download link/codes, etc "within 20 minutes".
Two hours plus tick by so i call Sweetwater, where a sales agent tells me my card still needs to process.
Except, it's already cleared the bank, so?
Then he tells me the software server is really slow, and please wait.

None of that made sense, so after three hours, I canceled the purchase and bought from Amazon. I dislike buying from Amazon when there is a "local" source, but Sweetwater couldn't deliver in any reasonable timeframe.
Amazon delivered the sale within 90 seconds of clearing it. And better still, they hold it in their digital vault so I can always access it directly if I need to.

10 July 2026
Unprompted review
Sweetwater logo

Reply from Sweetwater

Hi Douglas, thank you for this review. I'm sorry that we were not prompt in delivering you the software, and that the sales person you spoke with didn't offer to allow our tech support team to hop on the call and work through fixing that right away. We take responsibility for not handling this better. If there is anything you'd like to discuss in more detail, feel free to email bethany_jones@sweetwater.com

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I was all set to buy my new guitar gear…

I was all set to buy my new guitar gear from Guitar Center, but their customer service created so much unnecessary friction that I gave Sweetwater a shot instead. I’m glad I did.

From sending professional photos of my actual guitar before it shipped, to replacing a faulty cable with no questions asked, every interaction has been outstanding. Recently, I ordered a guitar case and capo, no big deal and Michael Brad reached out just to thank me for the order and let me know it was on the way.

That kind of customer service is rare these days. Nice job Sweetwater!

6 July 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

They care a lot

I got a call from the folks at Sweetwater the day I placed my order. They were professional, fast shipping, just the product I wanted at the price I wanted, and sent some candy in the box. Thanks!

20 June 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Sweetwater's kind deed for Brittnee Kellogg

I just watched Brittnee Kellogg unbox the stunningly gorgeous Gibson guitar you insisted on loaning her while her guitar, ruined by a S.W. Airlines handler, is being replaced. What an amazingly beautiful thing to do! Also, in the thousand plus comments, so many of the commentors shared what a wonderful company Sweetwater is to deal with. Thank you so much for your service and your kind heart!

4 July 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Sweetwater guitar makes musical…

Sweetwater guitar makes musical instruments and accessory purchases and enjoyable experience. Their customer care is superb. I order online and they make it so simple in their communication is fantastic. All my items that have arrived have been in perfect condition as promised. Well packaged and extremely wonderful experience

30 June 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Please read (yes I know it’s long)..this is an amazing business

I’m never one to leave reviews. Mostly because I’m young idk. But i genuinely felt i needed to because i truly had like the best experience with this company. So much attention to the customer.

I recently bought my first thing from this site after looking for a specific guitar strap as a gift. It was a $30 Gibson guitar strap that was out of stock. I placed an order on it anyways just waiting patiently for it to come in as it wasn’t a rush or a gift for a special reason. A few hours after I get a text from a number saying how my order was placed (he said is name was Wayne). I thought it was an AI bot and I decided to talk to it. I eventually stopped talking after a few paragraphs fully convinced I was just talking to a bot.

A few days later (or maybe a week or so idk) I get a call from a random number and I answer. The person on the other line says they are Wayne from sweetwater and I was like “yo what…” since I didn’t think it was a real person originally. He just said he was making sure that I still wanted the order since it was going to take a few weeks. Never in my short life have I gotten a personal call about anything I ordered. He legit asked if I didn’t want to wait and didn’t want it, keep in mind I received all this personal attention over a $30 strap…not some $30,000 custom guitar.

Seriously the best buisness model ever. I was constantly updated with emails for tracking which made it so easy and it even came early. When I got my package it came with a little of treats (like little candy) and a sweet water sticker in a personally signed note of packaging.

This was absolutely amazing and I felt so like idk lucky to have gotten this. Will 100% be buying gear and pedals and stuff from here now on. Seriously recommend.

29 June 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I absolutely love this company and ever…

I absolutely love this company and ever since I started working with a sales rep it’s been even better. Devin Cunningham’s product knowledge is incredible and I feel like he always steers me in the better direction.

He helped me get the best shell pack and laid out all facts of the equipment. He took the time to send me pictures of the different finishes. He helped me choose better-for-my-means protective gear for my drums. He actually told me what products were worth it and I am confident I got the better gear for me and genuinely with a better deal. We missed a bag for my bass drum, I called today and he got one on two-day shipping for me.

Sweetwater rules.

29 June 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Sweetwater customer care goes above and beyond

I want to praise the Sweetwater customer care department ( especially Nicholas ). I had an issue with a recent purchase. He worked miracles with his support staff, and was able to resolve my problem above and beyond expectations.
I would highly recommend them for any music related purchases. 10 stars out of 5.

13 June 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We have had an outstanding experience…

We have had an outstanding experience with this Sweetwater from start to finish. Their professionalism, attention to detail, and commitment to customer satisfaction truly sets them apart!

The team is knowledgeable, responsive and went above and beyond to ensure everything was handled smoothly.

What impressed us the most is the genuine care they showed throughout the process. It's rare to find a company that consistently delivers on its promises while maintaining such excellent customer service.

We highly recommend this company to anyone looking for reliable, high-quality service. Sweetwater exceeded our expectations and I wouldn't hesitate to work with them again in the future.

25 June 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

UN CALLED FOR BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE

Update: They have taken care of my problem by giving me a discount off the price. But the story still stands on its own.
Ok. Called Sweetwater in December 2025 about a Behringer XR18 Mixer. Spoke with Pepe. They were out of stock and recomended the Midas MR18. Same mixer but better quality parts,mic pre's, and warranty. The MR18 is more expensive than the XR18 so I asked Pepe if he could do something on the price since I was looking at a less expensive model. Pepe said there was no wiggle room on the price, so I moved on to another company where the mixer was in stock and purchsed from the other company. All good at this point as I don't expect a company to lower a price just because they don't have exactly what I want.
Now June 2026 and I am ready to purchase the Midas MR18, Sweetwater has in stock, so I purchase online from there web site knowing that the price is firm because I spoke to Pepe back in December. No more than 3 hours after I purchased I get a phone call from Pepe thanking me for my purchase. Pepe asked me why I did not call him for the purchase saying that if I had he would have been able to give me a better price than the advertised price because there is always some wiggle room and if I had called him he would have given me a discount. NOT THE INFORMATION HE TOLD ME BACK IN DECEMBER. Of course I asked Pepe to give me the discount on my current purchase but he refused saying that should have called him first before I bought and there was nothing he could do at this time.
Mixer is on the way to me now.
THIS IS A GOOD REASON TO SHOP AT ANOTHER PLACE WHERE THE STAFF DOES NOT CALL YOU AFTER A PURCHASE TO TELL YOU THAT YOU MADE A MISTAKE BUYING FROM THEIR COMPANY BECAUSE THEY COULD HAVE GIVEN ME A BETTER PRICE IF I HAD CALLLED IN AND NOW THE BETTER PRICE IS NOT AVAILABLE. LEAVES A SOUR TASTE IN YOUR MOUTH AND HE CALLED ME TO RUB IT IN. BY THE WAY, I HAVE SPENT MANY $$$$$ WITH SWEETWATER IN THE PAST. THEY WON'T BE MY FIRST STOP ANYMORE UNLESS THE FIX THIS UNFORTUNATE CUSTOMER SERVICE.

21 June 2026
Unprompted review
Sweetwater logo

Reply from Sweetwater

Hi Bob, thank you for sharing this feedback. I'm very sorry about your poor experience, and we want to make this right. It's clear that this interaction did not live up to our customer service standards. A member of our Customer Experience team has reached out to you, and we hope to solve this in a way that makes you feel valued.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Sweetwater is the best!

Sweetwater has the best customer service of any online retailer - period. I will never buy from another website if I can help it. Even on the rare occasions where Sweetwater's price isn't quite as good as other retailers, the ability to talk to a REAL PERSON for product troubleshooting or anything else makes Sweetwater well worth it.

25 June 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Gear Exchange has your back.

I pretty much use Sweetwater for all my music gear purchases. But I've recently discovered their GEAR EXCHANGE for selling and buying used gear. They allow store credit or direct payment (where their take is lower than Reverb or eBay.)

I've usually had flawless transactions, but recently sold an extremely high-end snare drum that the buyer claimed I'd "tampered with" and demanded a partial refund. I KNOW I never took an Allen wrench to the drum, and the possibility exists that the BUYER had damaged the snares. Classic "he-said, she-said" situation. Gear Exchange communicated throughout the dispute, and in the end, ATE the refund cost that I would have had to pay.

100% class act, and I 100% recommend that you can sell gear on this platform where they will have your back. Reverb and eBay may have a broader audience, but that advantage is not relevant when they do NOTHING to protect their customers.

22 June 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Good customer service!

I purchased a digital keyboard earlier this month and the shipping was fast. Smooth order process, my Sales Engineer Wes is also very friendly and helpful. I decided to exchange my model for a different one and there was no issues doing that. Unlike many companies where the service feels cold or hard to talk to, Sweetwater is very different. One rep also called me since my usual rep was out of the office. They also included candy in my original order. Overall a super experience!

19 June 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

CT-1 Pre Amp

They Was outa Stock for the original pre Amp i needed for my Sm7b But luckily they had the CT-1 Which is the Different Version of the original Pre Amp i was Going for But i was Happy they called me and told me they would give me the CT-1 Works Great for my Sm7b and shipping was amazing to. Customer Service was a 5/5

4 June 2026
Unprompted review

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