A Guitar And Gear Support Forum

and from my experience a flock of Pigeons arrive every ten days with credit card applications at 47% APR

Not sure what the threshold at SW is but they will eventually stop calling you if do don't buy anything for a long enough time. I still get emails but the calls quit about a year ago. The last thing I purchased from them was an amp back in April of 2019.

I also have seemingly unsubscribed mostly successfully from the flood of most guitar marketing emails. Getting rid of GC/MF took care of probably 50% of that right off the bat!

That's hilarious, and true, but it's been years since I've gotten bothered by phone calls from my Sweetwater rep, and I buy something from them at least once or twice a year. I never answered the phone when they called because it was always while I was at work, and I don't have time for that. I think after a while they put a note on your account that says: "doesn't answer phone", or something, and they stop trying. The only time I've gotten calls from Sweetwater since like, 2016, was when I got a new rep, and he only called me twice (a couple of days apart) and then he stopped calling.

Now I've gotten straight-up harassed by Guitar Center and MF since the pandemic hit. They would call me twice a day for days on end, and sent incessant emails. One GC rep said in an email that he was going to keep calling me until I answered my phone. THAT got a response out of me, and I don't think he liked what I had to say at all, because I haven't heard back from him since.... Not even to apologize. Of course, I told him if I received any more directed communication from Guitar Center, I'd file a harassment report with every applicable agency, and consumer advocacy organization I could think of. That might have had something to do with it.

Then I bought something from MF, and cycle started all over again... I very rarely buy stuff from GC or MF, and this just makes me want to do business with them even less.

Last year:

SW sales dude texts : What can we do for you?
Me: Take back a certain Vice President?
Sales dude: Sorry, can't do anything about that!

My wife and I got our black Friday calls from 'Steve at Sweetwater' the other day.

I just got a Sweetwater text yesterday asking about my recent purchase....from "Dave". No sheit.

I went down to Sam Ash a few months ago and bought something, nothing special. They've called me at least 4 times since to make sure "everything worked out fine" with my purchase. I am always polite. I prefer Sweetwater of all the online stores. I have purchased many guitars and amps from them. Any significant purchase in the last few years I get a follow up call from Aaron. I have actually called him too IIRC correctly about an acoustic amp question. Sweetwater is the best.

Just made my final payment on my Gibson Explorer, 48 months 0%, have bought nothing before or since, get calls once a month from Sweetwater since.

Musicians Friend, Guitar Center, and Sam Ash all have gear advisors that call. I just don't answer.


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honyock wrote: ↑Sat Nov 13, 2021 10:13 am Just made my final payment on my Gibson Explorer, 48 months 0%, have bought nothing before or since, get calls once a month from Sweetwater since.

I'm pretty sure in the last few months that I've seen that model going for 25-33% more than they were priced new back then...

tonebender wrote: ↑Sat Nov 13, 2021 9:06 am I went down to Sam Ash a few months ago and bought something, nothing special. They've called me at least 4 times since to make sure "everything worked out fine" with my purchase. I am always polite. I prefer Sweetwater of all the online stores. I have purchased many guitars and amps from them. Any significant purchase in the last few years I get a follow up call from Aaron. I have actually called him too IIRC correctly about an acoustic amp question. Sweetwater is the best.

I ordered a Fender Rumble Studio from Sam Ash a while back (pre-Covid) when nobody else had them in stock, and they said it would arrive in two days. After a week, it never showed up, and I had to email Sammy Ash himself to get to the bottom of it. When I finally received the amp, the wifi didn't work and I had to return it for a refund. Apparently, you can't exchange a defective item for a working one anymore. These days, everyone expects you to return the defective product and BUY another one... while you wait three weeks to get your money back from the first purchase! (funny... when I bought the amp, it didn't take 3 weeks for them to take my money). So I said nerts to that and bought the regular (non-Studio) Rumble 40 from GC (I don't see why an amp needs wifi!). The kicker is; about a week after I returned the Rumble Studio, I started getting deluged with emails and phone calls from the Sam Ash rep, asking me how I liked the amp!

HA! Got my SW follow-up call today on some picks, straplocks and a strap I picked up. Made me think of this thread.

tobijohn wrote: ↑Mon Nov 15, 2021 9:09 am

honyock wrote: ↑Sat Nov 13, 2021 10:13 am Just made my final payment on my Gibson Explorer, 48 months 0%, have bought nothing before or since, get calls once a month from Sweetwater since.

I'm pretty sure in the last few months that I've seen that model going for 25-33% more than they were priced new back then...

That is one I am not letting go, same for the fraternal twin '19 natural finish Flying V that was in mint condition from CME that I paid a bit less for than the Explorer (even after taxes since the Explorer was before Wayfair laws hit online sales with taxes). The 2019 Flying V and Explorer got the rosewood fretboard which I prefer to the torrefied granadillo of the 2018 Explorer, and had I known they were going to switch in 2019, I may have waited. However, that Explorer is the only guitar I specifically ordered as soon as it became available, and the mahogany they used is beautifully figured unlike the '19 Flying V which is as bland as a piece of furniture grade mahogany...

The one at Manchester Music Mill is quite boring in comparison to mine at almost $350 more than I paid new (not including tax I'd have to now pay).