Is Sweetwater Legit? (2023) Your Questions Answered! - Killer Guitar Rigs (2023)

FAQs

How trustworthy is Sweetwater? ›

In short, yes Sweetwater is legit. They are one of the largest and most reputable music retailers in the entire world, right behind Guitar Center. They offer products from the biggest brands in the industry and also offer benefits such as free shipping, a free 2-year warranty, and an excellent return policy.

So cut to the chase – Is Sweetwater Legit? Bottom Line: Yes. Sweetwater is the biggest online musical instrument retailer in the US, serving millions of customers a year, and have top ratings on all review sites. You should have absolutely no reservations in ordering with them.

1–5 business days within the contiguous U.S. 6–7 business days to Alaska and Hawaii. FedEx Express Saver® – U.S. only (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). Delivery to business by 4:30 p.m. and to residences by 7 p.m. in 3 business days.

“We're now selling a thousand guitars every day,” adds Sweetwater's Surack. “It blows me away.” In 2019, Sweetwater had days where it would peak at 800 or 825 guitars, but one thousand has since become the daily average.

Being a store card, the credit score requirement for a Sweetwater card is lower than the score that would typically be required by a bank or other external creditor. The score needed to gain access to Sweetwater credit is usually 630.

Overall, these companies are pretty even in terms of pricing, shipping and inventory. Sweetwater maintains a slight edge in customer service, and their website is more professional and easier to use. They also offer a free 2-year warranty, something that zZounds does not offer.

Sales engineers start with a salary guarantee in the mid 30Ks. In the second year they go on commission, with an average earning of 35K. The average for the second year is 53K, in the 5th year 75-85K, and six figures after 10 years. 15% of the sales staff makes $95,000 or more a year.

The average Sweetwater salary ranges from approximately $26,000 per year for Sales Associate to $124,808 per year for Sales. Average Sweetwater hourly pay ranges from approximately $13.00 per hour for Sales Assistant to $16.56 per hour for Collection Agent.

We may request a credit report and will work with you on the terms that are best for you to pay off the gear in either three or six months. After paying a nominal processing fee, you can split your total up over three or six months and make equal payments using your existing credit card. Minimum purchase required.

Sweetwater ships guitar safely, with a guitar, case, and package box protection, and the customer service is the best possible. They do refunds, and you can return the defective product with no or low shipping costs.

Does Sweetwater or Guitar Center ship faster? ›

Here's the Short Answer: While there is no clear winner, Guitar Center has a slight advantage over Sweetwater as they stock more guitars, ship faster, and offer a 45-day return policy compared to the 30-day Sweetwater return policy.

A setup typically involves our world-class Guitar Workshop installing your preferred strings, adjusting to a requested action height, and even installing new pickups or other parts. If you would like your instrument set up before it ships, simply tell your Sales Engineer. They'll be happy to oblige.

Sweetwater's annual total sales increases have ranged from 11% to 28% every year since 2010. The company sold more than 147,000 guitars in 2019, up from 128,000 in 2018 and 107,000 in 2017.

Sales of acoustic guitars have been declining in recent years. This is due to a number of factors, including the rise in popularity of electric guitars, the popularity of digital music, and the increased cost of acoustic guitars. Acoustic guitars have been a popular choice for musicians for centuries.

Top Guitar Brands

Gibson holds the largest share at 34%, followed by Fender at 30%. Ibanez, Yamaha, Epiphone, and other brands make up the rest of the market.

Average Sweetwater hourly pay ranges from approximately $9.81 per hour for Support Specialist to $20.40 per hour for Product Specialist. The average Sweetwater salary ranges from approximately $24,000 per year for Sales Representative to $135,000 per year for Software Development Specialist.

What's the Synchrony Bank credit card credit score requirement? It depends on the credit card you are interested in. Most credit cards offered by Synchrony Bank are designed for people with fair (640 – 699), good (700 – 749) or excellent (750 – 850) credit.

sweetwater.com's top 5 competitors in November 2022 are: musiciansfriend.com, zzounds.com, americanmusical.com, samash.com, and more.

Sweetwater competitors include Reverb, Sam Ash Music, Guitar Center and zZounds Music. Sweetwater ranks 1st in CEO Score on Comparably vs its competitors.

Can you return guitars on Sweetwater? ›

"No Hassle" Return Policy:

If you are not satisfied with any new product, for any reason, you may return it for a refund of the purchase price or an in-house credit, or you may exchange for another product within a fair amount of time from the shipping date (usually 30 days).

If a position's pay mix is 80/20, for example, then the base salary accounts for 80% of the mix, while commission accounts for the remaining 20%.

They can make you work more than 40 hours because you are on commission. The pay will be great after a few years, but it is always 90% luck. It fully depends on what customer calls to order.

Average Sweetwater Handler hourly pay in the United States is approximately $15.02, which meets the national average.

In addition to its website, Sweetwater began offering its catalog of products to buyers on Amazon, eBay, and Reverb.

Yes, Sweetwater Card reports your account activity to the following credit reporting agencies: Equifax. Experian. Transunion.

Since its founding in 1979, Sweetwater has been a supporter of numerous music and education-related activities through donations, sponsorships, and in-kind products and services including free recording time both in-studio and during live performances.

Many Vendors will not cover these types of damages that may occur to finishes in these types of conditions, so we urge you to allow at least 6-24 hours depending on the differential between outside/inside temps for the guitar to naturally acclimate itself to the new environment.

Why is it called Sweetwater? ›

This oasis with sweet water amd bitter-tasting gypsum streams, Sweetwater has long been considered a place to rest one's weary feet. Long before the settlers and ranchers arived, the Kiowa Indians names the site "Mobeetie," which meant sweet water.

Chuck Surack, President and Founder of Sweetwater, Inc., has been a musician and a salesman for as long as he can remember.

Guitar Center main competitors are Vudu, Fender, and Factory Direct, Inc.

The House of Guitars®,Inc. is located in Rochester, New York and known as the “Largest Guitar Store in the World.” The store was started in 1964 by Bruce and Armand Schaubroeck out of the basement of their mother's home and quickly became famous for being the intersection of music, art and culture.

Also, since Guitar Center is a larger brand, they're more likely to have a particular guitar in stock if you already know the exact model of guitar you want. At the end of the day, both Sweetwater and Guitar Center offer an excellent experience when buying music gear.

Generally speaking, a professional setup costs around $50, but it could be upwards of $100 if there's a lot of work to be done. New strings are usually part of the setup process, since the gauges of the strings affect intonation.

Once we've assumed that refretting is the way to go, you'll need to know a few things in advance: It's a delicate process. You might not get it perfect the first time, but practice makes perfect. You will have to purchase some specialized gear and gear up with a lot of patience, working space and some time.

For years, Sweetwater Sound has been packing handfuls of candy into boxes full of music technology and music instruments that are shipped all over the country. Little did they know that this little "thank you" to customers would one day help save a life.

Buy - Sell - Trade quality used gear. Sell quality used gear, and browse gently pre-owned items. If you are looking for the Sweetwater Gear Exchange website, visit http://www.sweetwater.com/used/.

What happened Sweetwater? ›

In 1971, Sweetwater disbanded to pursue their own careers and lives. Two Sweetwater LPs were released after Nancy Nevins' accident, Just for You (Reprise, 1970) and Melon (Reprise, 1971).

Probably the main reason so many people quit guitar shortly after they begin is because they aren't having fun. Perhaps they are getting discouraged, frustrated, or just finding practice to be grueling and uninteresting.

Fender Stratocaster

Considered the world's greatest electric guitar, the Stratocaster was known for its distinct voice and three pickup design, when most electric guitars during its time had only one or two.

Not only is the Sweetwater Music Store open to the public — with its vast Guitar Gallery, drum room, and the largest on-site inventory of any music store in the country — but our customers and community members are welcome to come and enjoy the rest of our space, too.

Sweetwater and Guitar Center are competitors. Guitar Center does not own Sweetwater. It's owned by Chuck Surack, who founded the company in 1979. Guitar Center is owned by Brian Capital, the firm that also owns Musician's Friend, another popular online guitar store.

Their customer service is amazing and I love that I get to deal with the same sales person every time. Chris Arnold is fantastic and Sweetwater has become my first stop when I need anything music-oriented. It's usually my last now too because they almost always have what I'm looking for!

We may request a credit report and will work with you on the terms that are best for you to pay off the gear in either three or six months. After paying a nominal processing fee, you can split your total up over three or six months and make equal payments using your existing credit card.

Who bought out Sweetwater? ›

SweetWater Brewing Sold For $300 Million To Canadian Cannabis Company Aphria Inc.

Get a decision in seconds with no impact to your credit bureau score.

A setup typically involves our world-class Guitar Workshop installing your preferred strings, adjusting to a requested action height, and even installing new pickups or other parts. If you would like your instrument set up before it ships, simply tell your Sales Engineer. They'll be happy to oblige.

You have late or missed payments, defaults, or county court judgments in your credit history. These may indicate you've had trouble repaying debt in the past. You have an Individual Voluntary Agreement or Debt Management Plan. This might suggest that you can't afford any more debt at the moment.

Yes, Sweetwater Card reports your account activity to the following credit reporting agencies: Equifax. Experian. Transunion.

Currently, Sweetwater collects sales tax on purchases delivered into the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, ...