As far as music equipment is concerned, I’m pretty much satisfied with what I got. In fact, I find myself selling off stuff that I no longer use, especially in the electric guitar area. As I have been cleaning out my house, I am finding amplifiers and effects pedals that I don’t see myself using, since I am sticking to acoustic music, and with that, primarily songwriting and not band situations.
That doesn’t mean that I don’t shop around any more. Thanks to the COVID shutdowns of so many businesses, going into stores and getting your hands on guitars and actually trying them out is almost completely gone. I really miss that. Musical instruments are a lot like cars. You want to test-drive the puppy before making a buying decision. On the other hand, buying books, videos and CDs is a bit different, and I have no problem ordering online or mailing in an order form.
I want to tell you about a great experience that I had with a recent purchase with Sweetwater. I have been on the company’s mailing list for years, even though I don’t purchase much from them. A few days ago, I received an email from Sweetwater about some clearance items. There was an audio interface module available for a great price that I couldn’t pass up (even though I do very little with music and computer hook-ups), and made the online order. About an hour later, I got a phone call from Marcus, a rep at Sweetwater. My first thought was that the product was sold out and he was going to try and talk me into buying something more expensive that I didn’t want or need.
I was wrong, to say the least! Marcus talked with me for about five minutes just to confirm my order and address, as well as to thank me for the purchase and tell me about how many days the shipment would take. No sales pitch, no bad news. On top of that, he sent a thank-you text to my cell phone. As far as emails, Sweetwater sends one out to me at every step (received order, packing order, sending out order).
This isn’t the first time that I have dealt with Sweetwater, and I have never had a bad experience. The packages usually get to me in a fast amount of time, and there is always a bumper sticker or a small bag of candy included with every order. That is good customer service! It’s that little extra, which doesn’t cost much in time or money, that customers will remember and come back for more. You feel important to Sweetwater, even if you are just buying a set of strings or a capo.
Sweetwater founder Chuck Surack started out like many of us, as a musician after graduating high school. At age 22, he bought an old VW Westphalia Microbus and converted it into a mobile recording studio so that he could record bands around his hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana. This passion for music led to the creation of Sweetwater Sound Inc, which is now a $275 million business, selling 3,300 guitars, 830 keyboards, 460 drum sets, and 5,300 microphones EVERY WEEK!
Surack knows what lies in the heart of every musician, whether he/she is a hobbyist playing in the bedroom, or a professional sweating it off on stage every night. Sweetwater was an oasis for many of us during the pandemic while brick-and-mortar shops had to close up. The people at Sweetwater honestly care about you as a musician, because most of them on the other side of the phone line, or in the warehouse, or at a desk inputting invoices, are musicians as well.
My advice: Go to Sweetwater’s website at www.sweetwater.com and take a look around. Sign up for its mailing list. Check out what is going on at its YouTube channel. There are not a lot of honest and friendly companies on the internet. Fortunately, Sweetwater is a good one, and treats its customers with tons of respect.
Chew on it and comment.
Luegra 