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Sweetwater, again.

Salicete

Salicete

Gold Supporting Member
Aug 20, 2006
1,409
4,077
Godforsaken-Maryland
#1
I've said it before, but Sweetwater has their act together.

Buy a boutique bass or just a bag of picks, and a customer service rep. calls to say thanks, confirm your order and give you your shipping details.

Yes, I know very well that call is combination, fraud prevention-sales pitch for additional gear- schmoozing call, but I still appreciate it.

That is all.
 
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#2
Dunno - I found them frankly a BIT over the top for a simple order of 4 wall-hangers. The call to confirm an initial order as a fraud-check, sure. The multiple follow-up emails, etc., paper catalog, etc. strikes me as veering from service towards desperation. But I've never been all that into having a salesperson hang around me when I'm shopping in person, either. I like my space. I was amused (but having been here, not surprised) by the bag of candy...
 
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#6
I really like Sweetwater. For those of you who don't like getting the calls, if you ask them not to call, they won't bother you.
I told them I liked them and appreciate the support, but I prefer not to get the sales calls. Now they only call to confirm an order. @T_Bone_TL used the word "desperation." I don't think that is it at all. It is just a very proactive sales strategy.
 
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#7
I was going to make a Sweetwater appreciation thread, but thought I'd search first. Sweetwater is simply the finest online retail outlet for musicians. They have high standards for QC, and it shows. I'm betting they actually check stuff when it arrives to them and if it doesn't pass their standards it goes straight back to the manufacturer. Do that for a couple years and those manufacturers become trained to send their best quality of instrument because they know their B stuff is only coming back to them.

Then they start to send all their B stuff to other stores who are not as caring about QC. Then there are some retailers online who get the C stuff, which only a blind monkey would pass off as quality.

But you'll never have to worry about getting junky gear with issues out of the box from Sweetwater.

To top it off, if you're buying an expensive instrument you can see the actual pictures of it and know its weight before you even pull the trigger!

But wait, there's more, they have a 3 month payment plan with no interest! Money has been tight for me, and I had to sell my Fender Mustang P/J bass to pay the mortgage this month. For $70 bucks down I've got a brand new Ibanez Talman TMB30 short scale bass on the way.

This kind of option was formerly only available on those sites which don't offer the kind of QC Sweetwater does.
 
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#8
I love Sweetwater hell I got a heritage svt for $1700 on the 24 month 0 interest just like all the other stuff I got from them, BUT, we have a probably. Got a $1000 special order lefty bass. Not listed on the site but they got it, and I got it on a week. There were issues. Things like a loose pot that turned with the knob, rear tuner screws loose to where the tuners wound move. A loose connection inside that causes an issue with the kill switch. Worst, NO CASE! This is a schecter Nikki Sixx so it won't fit in a reg case. Now, I assumed (fool) that it would come in a case, esp with the odd shape, but no. Sorry, I have a problem with a $1000 bass coming in a box.

I emailed my guy, he's out for the week so we'll see how they handle the issue. Granted, the repairs were minor but I should not have gotten it like that ESPECIALLY when it "passed" a 55 pt inspection. Really? Confident it will be handled but let's see. I am expecting a proper case to be sent to me in lue of this
 
#10
wolfkeller said:
Still, the only other company I'd deal with is Zzounds. Sweetwater definitely smokes the others esp musicians friend who still refuse me a credit card. Fools, I've spent a good $4500 with Sweetwater in the last 3 years.
Click to expand...

I believe the MF credit cards are issued by Synchrony Financial, and MF really has zero say-so on who is approved and who isn't. It is just based on credit scores. Same bank that does Sweetwater cards by the way.
 
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#16
I've been a very satisfied Sweetwater customer for some time. My guy calls when I order which is fine with me as it saves me a call to place the order. I just send it in and get a call to confirm, eazy peasy.

Something else I've discovered. If I put something in a list or in my cart and leave it, my guy will call in a day or so and talk to me about it, and invariably offer me a deal before the conversation ends. It's never any high pressure and he's always friendly and helpful when I go tangential looking for cases or other non call related stuff.

I'm happy with them and their service
 
#17
I'm not worried about phone calls. When they called for my last order I didn't even have my phone near me. It was safely tucked away wrapped in a foam box, placed inside faraday cage, housed by a makeshift cone of silence. I didn't even hear it ring! And it couldn't hear me... :woot:

cone-of-silence_0.jpg
 
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#20
At times, for me the SW customer service calls and interest may seem a bit put on. I buy used gear a lot, a lot, so I don't have much use for them, as other places have it cheaper, but have used SW in the past and been pleased. They haven't called me in a while.
 

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