it's so much easier with sweetwater...

[keyboardguy]

I've been with Sweetwater since 1958 that's when they were just called "Sweet's"

Are you sure you're talking about the same company? In Fort Wayne?
They mention they started in 1979....

The Sweetwater Difference | Why Sweetwater

 

[Bob E]

If Sweetwater has it. That's where I'm buying it.

 

[Rebel Rocker]

Love Sweetwater. But have purchased a lot from Zzounds. Buy it one day have it the next day.

 

[QweziRider]

I haven't toured the place but I hear they have a cafeteria and many other things I never took the opportunity to check out.

The slide. You gotta check out the second floor offices slide.

 

[devnulljp]

this advertisement brought to you by ....

 

[basscase666]

SW is out of stock on too many items compared to MF, zZounds and AMS. Maybe that will change with their new mega warehouse. Pro tip: time your purchase so it's in early October; that way, you can re-purpose the candy they give you as Halloween candy.

 

[SirMjac28]

Are you sure you're talking about the same company? In Fort Wayne?
They mention they started in 1979....

The Sweetwater Difference | Why Sweetwater

That was me trying to be funny.

 

[KJMO]

One big difference: by all accounts Sweetwater treat their employees really well. It's one of the main reasons they're my default music retailer after a couple of local independent shops.

If they actually do treat their employees better, that's one of the only things I would pay more for. Otherwise, I just want the right thing shipped quickly for a good price.

 

[bbh]

SW will use your choice of shipper if you ask. They prefer Fedex while I prefer UPS for the tracking, so I make a point every time to please ship via UPS and they do. Same with returns.

 

[Crystalman85]

One time they forgot my candy, and it felt like I was on Santa's Naughty List!

That's odd. I get candy every time I order new gear from there. I'm guessing they may have run out. but surely they will make it up to you if you contact them about it or if you order from them again and who knows you might get double the candy.

 

[Don Dreibelbies]

we buy gear from several big box stores regularly - GC, MF, sam ash, AMS and sweetwater, but today when our new focusrite scarlett 2i2 arrived without a hiccup or any slow shipping, it was such a joy. i ordered it saturday, it just arrived at our front door.

of my last two orders from MF, one someone forgot to ship; eight days after they said it had shipped, i called and it hadn't. it did get here, though. the current order they sent via UPS mail innovations - that's where UPS picks it up, takes it to your area and transfers it to the post office. my box sat in kansas city at a UPS facility for about a week, and only just transferred to our local post office, and since USPS often has dismal tracking, who knows when it'll arrive? true, MF did sent our box, but they choose to use UPS mail innovations, which sucked even when it had another name.

and then there's often an over-45 minute wait to get customer service at MF, and i've discovered that often what they tell you is wrong - because each rep you ask the same question will give you a different answer. and then there was the recurring payment issue where their system wouldn't take my payment - no one could fix it. i finally did by removing any old payment methods.

don't get me wrong - if you're not in a rush, MF/GC often has stuff in stock that no one else has, you can get discounts you can't get from sweetwater and that are more reliable than the sam ash discounts, and MF/GC carries brands sweetwater doesn't have. and then there's the MF 8% rewards program.

but while they don't offer discounts, i can always get quick help without a wait from sweetwater by phone or email, if you ask 3 people the same question, you'll get the same answer from all of them and we've never had an issue of any sort with shipping (they use fedex, which has been very good for us), payment, tracking, changing account info or anything else (ignoring our first ever order there when our rep quit, leaving everything a mess - but that was years ago and never repeated). our rep does things like have the warehouse weigh several sealed boxes of the same cheap bass and send the lightest.

i know some people have had issues, but i have issues from the other stores fairly frequently - some rather amusing, but for years, sweetwater's been flawless. part of that is our rep, ben, but part seems to be sweetwater.

I really love Sweetwater as well. My sales engineer, Ty Heimann, always helps with my gear requests. Can count on him for good advice and efficient service.

 

[organworthyplayer337]

MF has been great for me. Chat in for extra savings and quick shipping (usually same/next day and arrives within 2-3 business days), 8% back without any issues. Sweetwater's been great for the most part, I've ran into some "issues" at a couple points, most of which being communication based. Nowadays, I don't really care which one it is. Whichever one can get me the best price/value is the one I purchase from.

 

[Rebel Rocker]

Sweetwater the most expensive candy in the world, BUT they always throw in good gear with it.

 

[WI Short Scaler]

I just ordered a VOX overdrive demo pedal and the AC adaptor last night at around 9 pm. Already got tracking info that it's been shipped.

 

[2112]

I just placed orders at both SW and MF late last week... because one had items the other didn't and vice-versa. Three pedals, a couple PSU's, a pedalboard, a microphone, and some other garbage I probably shouldn't have boughten. MF got to me first, SW still isn't here yet... and now one item is backordered. And... yup... I forgot until you mentioned it... the SW sales bro once again took my order as an invitation to call me. And as usual I ignored him lol.

I'm fixin to buy some lighting equipment, and I have already noted the same sitch: one has items the other doesn't and vice-versa. It's uncanny how often this happens to me.

Here's a little follow up to my SW experience... let's just say it didn't go off without some drama. Courtesy of the FedEx moron who couldn't be bothered to bring my package just 20 feet further to the front door. Instead, he leaned it against the garage door. The events that followed immediately thereafter when about as you might expected. Let's just say that a Shure SM58S microphone and MXR M83 Bass Chorus Deluxe, while no doubt quality products, simply don't stand much of a chance against a 17" Goodyear TripleTred Assurance bolted onto the front driver-side hub of my Canyonero. The Cali76 Stacked and TC Spark boost fell clear of the tire when outer carton split open, so they were spared any damage.

Called up the SW sales bro, he took away the pain... straight up replaced both without hassle after I sent them pics, they will take it up with FedEx. The replacement package arrived safely yesterday, you could tell they gave it extra attention to make sure it was packaged well. Definitely scored some points with me.

Funny though... this time SW decided to require a signature for the delivery. So the FedEx dude had to come to the door. And when he did, he didn't bother asking my wife to sign for the package. I used to do most of my shipping through FedEx. Not anymore, we're done. I won't even buy anything from anyone that ships FedEx anymore. Not especially after between the original SW shipment and the replacement shipment, I had installed a sign that states "please bring packages to the front door". And the very next day (this is a couple days before the SW replacement delivery), they piled up 10 heavy boxes of other stuff (related to my business, not music) right in front of my garage door so that I wouldn't even be able to pull out without moving the whole stack. Total d-bag move by a total d-bag.

 

[AxtoOx]

After many years, seen GC in 70's so cal, they earned everything I spend now.

 

[pcake]

After many years, seen GC in 70's so cal, they earned everything I spend now.

i first went to hollywood guitar center in 1972, been going to that and other GCs ever since. but i guy from sam ash, sweetwater, musicians friend and american musical, as well. still, of those stores, in the last three years, only sweetwater has had no complications for me, and i really do appreciate that.

it took guitar center two weeks to ship my first mustang, and no one there could tell me why it wasn't shipping, but it took three weeks to arrive. when i got my second mustang from sweetwater, they shipped it the same day i ordered it, and it arrived in five days.

 

[Bob E]

Sweetwater's Fedex shipping is usually almost next day for me. Faster than anywhere else, but I only live a couple hours away.
If I buy strings or something small and cheap they'll send it though USPS. That was like 3 days about a year ago. Now it's over a week, IF the package even makes it out of the Detroit sorting facility at all.
It's worth either buying more or paying extra for Fedex.
And, I'll gladly deny my UPS guy the opportunity to snoop around my place again. If no one is home this guy wonders around my property trying to open everything I own (sheds, spare vehicles, enclosed trailer). He says he's looking for a safe out of sight place to leave my package, but walks right pass my back porch twice and leaves the package on my front steps anyway.

 

[EatS1stBassist]

Sweetwater's Fedex shipping is usually almost next day for me. Faster than anywhere else, but I only live a couple hours away.
If I buy strings or something small and cheap they'll send it though USPS. That was like 3 days about a year ago. Now it's over a week, IF the package even makes it out of the Detroit sorting facility at all.
It's worth either buying more or paying extra for Fedex.
And, I'll gladly deny my UPS guy the opportunity to snoop around my place again. If no one is home this guy wonders around my property trying to open everything I own (sheds, spare vehicles, enclosed trailer). He says he's looking for a safe out of sight place to leave my package, but walks right pass my back porch twice and leaves the package on my front steps anyway.

That’s really weird?

 

[MCF]

i first went to hollywood guitar center in 1972, been going to that and other GCs ever since. but i guy from sam ash, sweetwater, musicians friend and american musical, as well. still, of those stores, in the last three years, only sweetwater has had no complications for me, and i really do appreciate that.

it took guitar center two weeks to ship my first mustang, and no one there could tell me why it wasn't shipping, but it took three weeks to arrive. when i got my second mustang from sweetwater, they shipped it the same day i ordered it, and it arrived in five days.

I’m holding off ordering anything of real value during this pandemic. All three shippers are having difficulties. In the last four months, even small things have been messed up; some light bulbs through Amazon that were supposedly delivered but didn’t arrive and some parts for a Roomba that also supposedly arrived, but didn’t. Near us, the most reliable orders have been from Monoprice which uses a local courier in SoCal.