How did Sweetwater's 55 point inspection stack up?

[@Chrismagdich]

I live in Fort Wayne, and used to work for Sweetwater. Kobie is my friend and a fantastic guitarist.

[@darrellcollins877]

i went to kindergarten with him

[@Ashufrost]

I used to know someone who knew someone who knew him.

[@deanmass]

In 15 years, I have never had 1 bad experience with sweetwater. Simply outstanding.

[@robertwood344]

Sweetwater has always done right by me. Excellent customer service. It's interesting that Fender doesn't give a price break or other incentive to buy direct.

[@PhillipMcKnight]

I agree. Direct in my mind has always implied a better price break.

[@Autojones]

They can't sell for less, if they did the big retailers would stop carrying them. The idea of selling direct is to have more interaction with the customers and give them easy access to hard to find parts, reputable dealers etc.

[@skot373]

Love Sweetwater. I do think they go a bit overboard with the customer service though. If you buy like 2 packs of strings, they will spend over half of the sale on a courtesy call to see if you like them. LOL!

[@krazykat64]

Sweetwater is definitely my favorite online retailer. I will always buy my gear from them if available, but unfortunately there is the odd occasion when they might not carry something that some of the bigger sellers do.

[@phreak1118]

And ship you their 2" thick catalogue...

[@kanebobier8459]

*Guitar is in tune* Sweetwater: "You're safe for today Kobie" *puts gun away*

[@777milehigh]

Phil< One important thing you left out with Sweetwater is their 2 year warranty. Thats a big deal to me. Great stuff, keep it up.

[@GogiRegion]

Personally, I would prefer Fender Direct, because I get a 2 year warranty from them, including regular string change. They are partnered with both Fender and Gibson, and if you order through them you get benefits. People should check to see if their music store does things like that.

[@StratMatt777]

3 years ago or more I bought a Chinese made Ovation from sweetwater on close-out (production had ended)... it claimed to have been inspected, but, based on the spacing of the strings on the bridge it had not been set-up... (probably only because it was a dirt-cheap factory blowout of a dozen Chinese guitars). The action was always too high too play, but I decided to live with it since I couldn't afford a real Ovation. In 23 months I played the thing probably 10 times. Then one of Sweetwater's salesmen making his yearly cold-call called me to ask if I needed anything.... I mentioned the problem with the high action.... Ryan IMMEDIATELY said, "Okay, I've already created a call-tag for you. Send it back to us at the address in the email I'm going to send you." They REFUNDED me my $300 after 23 months of owning the guitar. Wow! That's unheard of! (The FedEx shipping from Seattle to them was $84- UPS is $20 more)

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

Plus Sweetwater has no tax, free shipping and better customer service!

[@xodarap37]

I always buy from Sweetwater, if they have what I want in stock or online... I am fortunate to live about 40 minutes away from their campus... yes, it is FAR more than just a guitar/keyboard/gear store... a visit to their facilities is well worth the trip... worldclass service and products...

[@Condor512]

I was invited by my Sales Engineer to come to Sweetwater for the day so he could give me a 'Grand Tour' of the campus, and to bring my Family. I thought that was very nice but I declined. I'm about 3 1/2 hours away and that's a tad more than I can stand now for a road trip. Plus I knew I'd wind up buying another guitar from 'my guy' Andy :-)

[@davet9387]

I think the Purdue School of Music is also located there...

[@NoSpoonsAllowed]

@@Condor512 mine made the same offer and I'm also about the same distance

[@tomulator]

Plus...you get a bag of CANDY from Sweetwater! 🍭

[@kamerongard8769]

tomulator I was surprised and so happy when I got my bag of candy from them. It's a Realy nice touch. Sweetwater is great

[@christophharriso653]

tomulator What about the Riff City cookies tho?

[@marcstanford5857]

John Footpenis as long as they're connected to the horrible chapman guitars i'll never deal with them. Do they care? They should since I'm a big spender. Not bragging I have GAS and I've literally spent 5 figures on gear.

[@lovecchio420]

I bought a used guitar from RiffCity and it came with a snic-chord-doodle cookie. My wife was very impressed.

[@generay6807]

I never got candy

[@dwheel502]

Sweetwater really does take care of you

[@JamaisMEC]

Wow! Out of the box the Fender Direct was tuned to Dom7#9!!! Jimi's Foxy Lady chord!

[@Scrat6061]

JamaisMEC - I was thinking the same... Great chord

[@johnneurohr7156]

emaj#9

[@dappunk1]

@@johnneurohr7156 E7#9*

[@trevinormatt]

I had some bad experiences ordering online from the two major guitar stores, but took a chance with Sweetwater while I was stationed in Korea. Since then I've ordered probably a dozen guitars from them in all price ranges. Never once have a had anything but great instruments come home to me. Their attention to not only the instruments, but the players buying them is phenomenal. I've dealt with my rep enough to where he knows exactly how I want them setup and even know what I like. He'll email with info on demo and b-stock items that he personally knows I'll enjoy.

[@skygmoon]

Thanks for serving in Korea

[@jakekannady558]

Sweetwater 2 strikes. Ordered guitar came with VISIBLE FLAWS. Offered another from wesite. VISIBLE FLAWS in pictures. They are ordering 3rd for me to look at. We'll see.

[@davidmcaninch4714]

Hopefully it wasn’t North Korea. That place is Hell on Earth.

[@jamesdalian8774]

In my personal experience, Sweetwater, NEVER disappoints and neither does Phil's videos! Excellent work!!

[@SixStringHarmonies]

I can remember buying my first electric at Sam Ash back around '93. They took the guitar out of the box, and had it on the bench for about 1/2 hour setting it up, and it was great. Then a few years later the factories started their own "setups", so the stores now just hand you a box, and it hasn't been the same since. Every dealer should be doing full setups. Factories, also, if selling direct. Intonation/action/pickups/bridge saddles/nut/dead spots, etc. A bit ridiculous that you buy a brand new guitar, and then have to lose it for a week and spend another $150 to get what you should've already had. What you paid for. The only one close to getting it right is PRS.

[@michaelgreen5206]

Ernie Ball Music Man guitars and basses, too, imo.

[@johns1159]

Another informative review Phil. Good job. We've personally discussed my experiences with Sweetwater. As an added note, every guitar I've purchased from Sweetwater was intonated & tuned to pitch.

[@blackiedh]

great video Philip I live in fort Wayne shop at Sweetwater all the time and I know Kobie personally great guy and a great tech he has set up several of my guitars and would highly recommend him !! keep up the good work!

[@jackd.ripper7613]

I love Sweetwater. I got a free guitar when I sent away for a $400.00 piece of candy. My favorite guitar is a Squier Classic Vibe 70's Strat. And I have a Chapman and a Gibson.

[@fishhooks100]

Yep! I've got the 50's gold Anniversary edition! Sweet guitar.........love it!

[@vintagevinylvets1187]

Jack D. Ripper We agree Jack, all our staff are made up of musicians/producers. One of us purchased a Squier 70’s Vintage Modified with the maple neck and it tends to be his “go to” guitar.

[@williamseling7957]

Just fyi there's no 70's Classic Vibe...you're referring to the 70's Vintage Modified...no biggie, they do come with Duncan voiced pickups +++

[@RemoteAbductionArm]

@@williamseling7957 There is now

[@12south31]

Canamello D.C. gives you an 1/8th ounce of weed free when you buy a $50 piece of candy!

[@GeoZero]

I bought my first guitar from Sweetwater a year ago, it was a Fender strat for my son, and I don't recall who set it up BUT it was perfect in every way. I was so impressed that if I buy any guitars online it will be Sweetwater for sure - I already get a lot of my other gear there. I only wish they carried G&L

[@gathda]

The guitars I've gotten from Sweetwater have all been set up really well. Intonation on and action set just about right. I haven't ordered direct from Fender, so I can't compare there. I have the Burgundy Mist version of that guitar.

[@gathda]

And, I usually buy "gallery" guitars, so I don't know if that makes a difference. Being able to pick the exact guitar you get is a nice feature, though. You can really see the subtle differences in tuner and string alignment, etc.

[@JeserNoob]

Garry Davlin ordered mine direct from fender when Sam Ash didn't have it in-store and had to get it set up immediately cause the guitar was wonky as hell. then again it's a jaguar and those are finicky anyway

[@LenaandCary]

Garry Davlin I love being able to choose which guitar I buy!

[@b.j.surfdog3724]

EVERY GUITAR I've purchased from Sweetwater has been perfect upon reciept. Electrics and Acoustics alike. Expesive and inexpensive, same attention to detail. Good video , could have been even better had you followed the 55 point inspection list of sweetwaters as you compared guitars. No, I'm not an employee of Sweetwater

[@vanargrand3199]

That color on the Sweetwater guitar is GORGEOUS

[@cupolove1]

i had a friend who was hired to design and build a recording studio from top to bottom and he relied on sweetwater for the whole thing. he told them about the project and they made recommendations and guided him through the whole process. it ended up being a $50k project and turned out pretty amazing! they even made physical studio design recommendations like have the monitors hand from the building rafters through holes in the ceiling so they weren't connected to anything in the room. they weren't affected by other vibrations. really crazy but it sounded amazing. these guys are awesome

[@moviesuae]

The Classic Vibe is a fantastic guitar for the money. I bought one for my oldest last year and it's great! Right up there with my Lone Star. I think it's fantastic that people getting into music for the first time have the option of getting a good instrument that isn't going to break the bank and has the quality to encourage them to keep going. As a kid in the 70's who couldn't afford name brand gear our options were pretty limited. As far as Sweetwater goes I have dealt with them and always find them to be first class. I also like the fact that you can buy the actual guitar you see on their website.

[@kenchambers7604]

I own 3 Squier Classic vibes and I bought two Hot Rails for my grandchildren. None of them needed a setup. They were set up right out of the box. One of the Hot Rails has the pickups reversed but the build quality was still first class. I have other more expensive guitars but the CV and Deluxe Squiers are great quality at any price.

[@FloodExterminator]

Jaye G What is a Lone Star? Is it a special edition?

[@moviesuae]

A Deluxe Stratocaster with Texas Special single coils and a Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates humbucker in the bridge position.

[@MarqueaxM]

Squiers are ok if you are not used to high quality guitars. If you are, you will never be truly happy with them. I bought 2 Classic Vibes (Strat and a Tele), sunk $ into them to make them "right" and ultimately sold them and bought better guitars. Great bang for the buck, but not a serviceable gigging guitar for me. You will not mistake one ofr an American Vintage or an American Elite, Custom Shop, ect...

[@bluemonster65]

Jaye G i

[@alexmurphy5289]

I bought my first tube amp from Sweetwater and to say their customer service was incredible is an understatement. After this video, I'll order all my guitars from there too. Thanks Phil!

[@manny75586]

I'm not surprised. Every guitar I've ever gotten from Sweetwater has never needed much of a set up. I live in IL so the shipping isn't that far which I'm sure helps. All of the other items I've gotten from them have been great as well. Whereas ordering from Guitar Center online I've gotten hard cases sent to me with entire corners crushed.

[@eljefeguapobarbon]

Picked up the Sherwood Green Classic Vibe and really am impressed with the attention to detail and playability. Sweetwater does a great job! First purchase from them was a Kramer Baretta that was set up nicely as well.

[@alexanderkoronczay6153]

he should make alright kobie shirts

[@PhillipMcKnight]

How about Kobe Knows His Gear Shirts.

[@alexanderkoronczay6153]

yeah!!!!!

[@Markle2k]

+Phillip McKnight Maybe you could have one made up for him especially and then back ship that to their inspection center, if it's possible to find that out. Just make sure his name is spelled correctly. Shame that the Godin turns a Sweetwater is awesome into a Sweetwater looks good if you get the right guy, but could be a hit and miss. Fender not selling at a discount is probably just the flip side of the coin that makes online resellers have you put the product in their shopping cart to reveal the sale price thing. Fender isn't Tesla, setting up their entire customer service infrastructure from scratch. They have relationships with retailers going back over half a century that they don't want to damage.

[@kobiehuff8704]

Markle2k im down for the shirt! haha

[@guidry2462]

Hi Phillip. I've always had excellent results from Sweetwater. Customer service is also above board. Bought a Wolfgang special from them and was extremely happy with the way it was set up and quality.

[@davidtonnfishin]

Yeah, Sweetwater is by far the best place to buy your guitars and gear, They have always done me right!!!! Only good thing about guitar center is being able to trade in gear ( at your local store), but I would choose sweetwater every time.

[@ibanezrg7421]

The two Sweetwater guitars that I've received have been the ONLY guitars that have ever been setup well out of the box. They also follow up on purchases and seem like a company that truly goes that extra mile. Forever a fan.

[@williamsporing1500]

I’ve been through Fort Wayne several times while on the road. I’ve stopped at sweet water several times, and the place is awesome, the people are great, and it’s hard to beat their price. I’ve never had a bad experience at sweet water. And if you’re in the market for a Lamborghini or Ferrari, they have a company called sweet rides. Same customer service model.

[@joshuamcnellis14]

I order all my stuff from Sweetwater. Excellent staff, do an excellent job helping making purchases, very knowledgeable, follow up calls, fix any problems. Very good company.

[@stevenpeterson9735]

I bought a high end Taylor electric from Sweetwater - my first guitar purchase from them. That guitar also underwent their so-called 55-point inspection, but the third fret was not completely seated and caused all kinds of mischief and mayhem. Now, to Sweetwater's credit, they did offer to replace the guitar with another they had in-stock, but I had picked this one from their website for its top, which was absolutely beautiful. So, this guitar made it through Taylor's quality control and Sweetwater's without being caught and fixed. I ended up taking it to a local shop that I've bought guitars and amps from in the past and had them fix it. Kudos to Sweetwater for offering to replace the guitar, but shame on them and Taylor for not catching the obvious error in the first place. The mistake was pretty glaring and obvious.

[@dburton7929]

Had Sweetwater actually done the inspection as defined by their own checklist, they would have caught the problem. The fact is, they don’t perform an inspection as they claim. I know, because I also bought a guitar from them, and intonation was so far out, it was completely unplayable. That was only one of the four items on the list that were missed. The fact is, they only inspect to see if the funds have cleared the bank before they cram your order in a box and ship it. I will NEVER do business with these liars and thieves again.

[@EvilSewnit]

I visited Sweetwater last year and I have to say they have amazing staff and it was a wonderful experience going there.

[@bentpolski]

I LOVE that Maple Neck on that Green Strat!

[@ChrisSkinner1]

Phil, you keep making such great videos that the regular Joe wants to see, and they are awesome. keep it coming!

[@murfdog19]

How long did it take you to master that crazy fast tuning method?

[@BONELESSMaTT]

Yet again another great video. I'm glad I've been subscribed for almost a year. On a side note, Phil. You are the bomb. Earlier this week I asked my friend if he could stop into your store before it closes since I'm all the way in NC and won't ever make it. Maybe you remember him, you ended out recommended him grabbing me a ton of guitar swag and a know your gear shirt and even signed a little flyer. I really appreciate it man, from what he told me you're an awesome people person. I hope your channel continues to bring you success

[@beng0lf180]

Alright Kobie, great work🚶 🎸 🤘🏼

[@MrBHBjr]

I watched and enjoyed the video, gave it a thumbs up and closed it out. I instantly thought how well this video was and realized i needed to come back and let you know Phillip McKnight this was an EXCELLENT video!

[@ibanez2010]

Nothing but good experiences with Sweetwater for me. Love the detail they put about each individual guitar. Makes buying online much less "luck of the draw." I also love how they offer payment plans even on demo/used gear. I've scored some nice deals that way!

[@redwhiteblue9866]

My experience with Sweetwater has been great. Jake contacted me to make sure I was cool with my purchase which was only a 10 pack of strings but it sent the message that Sweetwaters very approachable. Good customer service is everything to me I've had bad experiences with other vendors in the past.

[@byrne5948]

Good Job Kobie 👍

[@joshwinger]

I love the concept of this video. I never would have thought of a subject like this. Nice job!!!

[@joeabrenica4467]

I bought lots of guitars at Sweetwater! Some are "set up good" some are "not" but theres a card that says "set up by"...but they always have my business!

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

My guitar instructor was impressed at how well Sweetwater did in my new guitar inspection and it was setup perfectly!

[@lizzietheheretic7831]

Alright Kobie! Lol😊

[@kobiehuff8704]

Magic Forest to you and all the people that liked or commented this is me..and thank you all very much for the kind words!

[@musicmxer69]

Can I make a request for Kobie next time I buy a guitar? Great job man, awesome to see a guitar tech get credited for his quality work. I have paid for guitar setups that sucked and find myself just doing it myself now.

[@mikeb7083]

Kobie can you come to my house and check the setup on all my gear. You are the man.

[@kobiehuff8704]

yes i think you can request i set up the guitar, just talk to your sales rep!

[@carloscasamayor7861]

I buyed a PRS on last year from Sweetwater and was perfectly on tune and no complain about nothing, that was perfect, even with a great discount on Presidents Day sale.

[@SynthesisMod]

Hey Phil, glad to see Sweetwater did so well in your comparison. I recently bought an Ovation from them. The sales guy called me, walked me through what their inspection and set-up process was, and emailed me the high-res original pictures. The guitar I received was perfect and I'm a fan. Interesting about your Godin though, receiving something like that would change my mind!

[@joesatchton212]

Phil: Send Kobie a "Know Your Gear" t-shirt...then ask him to take a selfie so you can post it... :) Question: why did you not choose to order 2 of the exact same guitar? Would that not have made for an even more revealing comparison? cheers!

[@michaelmiller7909]

If I'm spending my own money, I wouldn't buy two of the exact same guitar.

[@reuvengershon6625]

Dude I can listen to you yabbering on about guitars all day. Like my favourite Uncle. Love a guy who knows his stuff and happy to share it with the world.

[@superman01232001]

awesome review, I was thinking about buying a guitar from sweetwater, will definitely now

[@bozboz133]

superman01232001 soooo glad this was the way it was. Karl long is my guy there 4 guitars only 1 needed a setup to my standards.

[@riffsnreviews]

Well on a side note his godin A6 bought from sweetwater the same day came completly fucked up, so they might not be flawless... But in theory you should be ok ordering from sweetwater

[@Babs42]

I bet you they will rectify the situation.

[@tatialo37]

superman01232001 reccomend drew foster at sweet water sales engineer good guy!

[@Majik53]

Yeah, I talked with him recently while my rep, Roq Martin, was on vacation. I agree, great guy!

[@bradyoung1052]

I just bought a classic vibe and I'm very impressed with this guitar. It's a great value. I really dig your channel keep them coming!

[@deanlaster1724]

Phillip can you do a comparrison of the Classic Vibe Strat with a Mexican Strat to see what the difference in quality is?

[@fishhooks100]

Now this I would like to see!

[@todbadman]

Dean Laster have both...I think Mexican is much better . Bridge feels cheap on CV compared to MIM....

[@deanlaster1724]

Tod Thompson Thanks Todd

[@RorysIrishTour]

lol, do you know where the "mexican" hardware comes from (including pickups)? they are produced in asia. i wouldnt be surprised if they are exactly the same.

[@JMantas]

Mex Standard is worse guitar. Classic Vibe has decent pickups ( made in the same factory as Tonerider pickups ), is cheaper, sounds better and from my experience is more consistent. Mex Standard has terrible ceramic pickups , more expensive and i played some really terrible Mex strats ( Squier Bullet level of terrible ). Both of these guitars have low quality hardware.

[@laybricks]

I ordered a 2017 les paul tribute gold top from Sweetwater Thursday. It is supposed to arrive at my house within the next 2 hours. The sales reps were very nice and professional. I am hoping that they did the 55 point inspection. I have faith that they did. I can hardly wait for FedEx to get here. Thanks for the great videos. Love your channel.

[@SlipperyDad]

#givekobiearaisesweetwater

[@kobiehuff8704]

I can get behind this!!!

[@emmanieuwenhuis2688]

I bought my new Gibson SG from Sweetwater. I am so happy with my purchase. It came with a Plek'd fretboard (they have a video about it if you're interested) and the intonation is perfect, the pickup height is phenomenal, and it looks beautiful. I am going to change to a Graphtech Nut, but that's because of Gibsons normal tuning issue, not anything Sweetwater could do.

[@ADITADDICTS]

Sweetwater has always gone above and beyond whenever I've done business with them. That's why I keep going back.

[@jaym4958]

hey Phil, just wanted to give a BIG thank you for all the gear vids, helped me alot in deciding,

[@fonzybrookestone727]

$399. Rem just a little while back when mexican Fenders were that price? The good ol days. SW has always treated me great! They're def pros over there.

[@rickcarroll102]

You cannot beat Sweetwater. I live just a way down the road. I am always stopping there. Always welcomed and always great service. Everyone owes themselves a trip to Sweetwater.

[@DaveR_36]

I would rather do my own setup its a good way to get to know your new guitar

[@talrodriguez1206]

I have been purchasing from Sweetwater for many years - since 2007. Kevin has been my rep since the beginning. He keeps me up to date on stuff and helps me out when needed. Sweetwater is my "go to" store. I just ordered a Squier Vintage Modified '70s Stratocaster. I am having to wait 3 weeks on it. A loooong 3 weeks! LOL I just can't imagine any other store, especially an online store (though I have met Kevin at Sweetwater), treating their customers close to what Sweetwater does.

[@generatornoiseheavy_a6546]

Hey man, great videos. I was told by my Sweetwater sales engineer that they don't perform the 55 point inspection and the setup on guitars under $400.

[@kobiehuff8704]

Shoba John under 300

[@barrydutton9900]

Hi

[@andrewjackson829]

Shoba John over $1,000 too.

[@DavidM-zm5gz]

You can get a better deal on reverb if you know how to look

[@bubbaluvv]

Phillip McKnight i just purchased a Left Handed Squire Contemporary Tele from Sweetwater based on your review of them. They know their stuff. Thanks for the cool videos and reviews. You keep rockin, ill keep watchin

[@SombraPiloto]

I guess this would explain why Guitar Center guitars, or at least their Fenders, need so much work.

[@jgmopar]

The guys in my local GC are nice and for the most part pretty competent. I went on a trip to Las Vegas One dept. at there GC the guy gave me the cold shoulder because I wasn't buying something, sorry I didn't see anything I wanted to buy. I did buy a tshirt and he was really rude at checkout. He was a Dick

[@electricritual4197]

jgmopar Guitar Center is the biggest joke of all time! They just hire anyone they can. They have a high turn over rate. I could do an hour long video of all my GC experiences.

[@juanvaldez5422]

jgmopar they are mostly dicks, hard to believe they stay in business

[@jgmopar]

I do agree with you on the high turn over. But the GC near me has a few guys ( Three ) that have been there for over 8 years. GC for me is only to look for used gear. I don't think you can beat them for buying used gear. if you sell your gear to them you get screwed big time. I have a local independent store I buy from as far as new gear that I can afford to pay outright. If to expensive I go with Sweetwater and there 24 Month and 36 month No Interest stuff.

[@electricritual4197]

Herman Goldstein Not only that but when I was in a band. We would buy top of the line equipment record with it. Then take it back. Gotta to love that 30 days no questions asked! lol

[@louisaccardi6808]

I have bought a bunch of guitars and supplies through Sweetwater and I am glad I have. My wife is the one that orders for me online. She got me an awesome Godin jazz guitar that came completely set-up and in tune. They have always done a great job for us with guitars, drum set and music supplies etc.

[@TheInsanityofGab]

Alright kobie!

[@jakesmith4506]

i am so glad that you are continuing with your channel.

[@Roadking26]

I had to return 2 Hamer Vector V's to Sweetwater due to wood putty fills. It was a cherry burst, and the paint had pooled at the tips of the V on both. Both had scratches under the gloss finish. In the same place on both guitars. I assume it is something off on the CNC machine. These were B stock at best, and should have ben sent back to the factory, but Sweetwater put them back up for sale. They lost my respect, and future business. I let Ed my salesman know that, and why. I got no response, so their QA is not what some people think.

[@superman01232001]

it would be interesting to see more videos like these between just retailers, like guitar center vs sweetwater. just to see what you can expect for the same money etc.

[@nephilymbass1]

Unless it’s a brand they don’t carry I normally buy from Sweetwater

[@rb032682]

Phil, thanks for another great video. I've bought a Squire Bass VI and a Line 6 JTV 69 (Malaysia) from Sweetwater. They were both set up correctly and were playable out of the box. They were not only playable but also gig-ready out of the box. Of course, I always have to make adjustments for my playing style and personal preferences as well as my lack of proper technique. It is impressive that a relatively inexpensive guitar gets delivered in gig-ready condition.

[@pvbaelen]

I bought an American Special Strat from Sweetwater in 2013 and it was in horrible shape. I posted a critical review of their 55 point inspection on their website but they removed it. The problem ultimately was Fender quality control but if there was a legitimate 55 point inspection, they missed glaring issues with the guitar. I think I said something like, "what do you check in your 55 point inspection? Strings - check, tuners - check, neck - check." The guitar had black oxidation spots all over the frets, the nut had plastic shavings on the slot edges, the fret job was so bad you couldn't bend without fretting out or play without buzzing, one of the tone pots was loose, the string tree was crooked, etc. It sounds like they took the criticism to heart which I hope is the case. I liked the sound of the guitar and feel of the neck but having to do the work required just to make it playable was unacceptable for an $800 guitar.

[@marcstanford5857]

pvbaelen yep have had the same issue.

[@Condor512]

I've been buying all my guitars (and accessories: Cases, Cords, Stands) from Sweetwater for a few years now. Never one problem / issue with any of them. My first guitar from Sweetwater was a Fender Jaguar, then a Squire Classic Vibe 50's Strat, then a made in Mexico Fender Strat with Flyod Rose Tremolo, then a ESP LTD 256-FM (it's a Les Paul style), and my last purchase was a made in America Fender American Special Strat. In between getting the Squire & Flyod Rose Strats I got a Fender Mustang III Amp from Sweetwater. YES the 55 Point Inspection is one of the main reasons I shop here is the photos of the exact Guitar you buy is the shipping. Some items come the NEXT DAY, the longest time was two days from purchase. NO company comes close to everything Sweetwater does at no added cost.

[@xXEmbracetheMetalXx]

Although I do hear great things about sweetwater, is it possible that they knew who was ordering the guitar, so they put one of their best employees on the job for this particular guitar? Haha Either way, great video, Phil! We love you, guy!!!

[@wyatt.traxler]

xXEmbrace the MetalXx All of the guitars that come through the Guitar Gallery are all treated equally. We have no idea who the guitar is going to when it gets into our hands.

[@matthewf1979]

Those Classic Vibes are amazing. The new Fender Classic 50's and 60's Strats are great too.

[@onixtheone]

Sweetwater please send me candy that’s actually good thanks

[@TexanUSMC8089]

Bit o Honey! How do you beat that. LOL

[@anejo333]

This is a stellar idea of a video Phil. I really enjoyed the information. It is really time some of these companies are held accountable for the service they provide good or bad

[@Fourrings80]

The only thing I don't like about sweet water is how you order one thing from them and then they send you all these mail catalogues and call you a bunch of times. Overbearing man.

[@VisualMaelStrom]

Seekeroftruth I work nights so I had to put my foot down with my engineer and tell him to stop calling me. I appreciate what they're doing, but at the same time as a consumer I know when I need something. I don't need them to ask me if I need anything.

[@waynewildman2304]

@K Manitou He means his "sales engineer". That's what their title is at Sweetwater. My experience was always that my sales engineer was calling to genuinely get to know what was going on with my music and make sure all was well. He wouldn't even try to sell me anything but purely ask me about my music and my life. I think we all have such a bad taste with telemarketers that the automatic response is to deflect calls but I can say it's been far from similar to telemarketing and more like a call with a distant friend.

[@Tennis214]

K Manitou it’s what their title is. If you go onto the website you’ll see that

[@FastSloW-qt8xf]

I love my 60s classic vibe strat too. The neck is alittle sticky at times but I've learned to deal with it

[@thomasacomb5167]

I bought a guitar from Sweetwater, and the pickups were not centered with a major difference in volume on the low e. And A strings . 52 point. My ass.

[@hillbill3502]

6:00 My Jackson Js32 Dinky has a little fly conserved under the clear cote next to the neck Pickup. It is almost cooler than without :)

[@bobbybishop1801]

I had 2 bad experiences so i stopped doing business with them, a loose screw from the saddle and a broken headstock so i can't say a whole lot for the 55 point inspection!

[@rabbidstech7677]

I doubt they sent you a broken headstock from their workshop. Must have been an issue with the shipping company. I guess it really comes down to how their customer support handled the issue.

[@MiguelGonzalez-ck9xy]

Had issues with my jaguar saddle I'm trying to return it but haven't gotten any call back unfortunately 😔

[@dburton7929]

Same here friend. The 55 point inspection is a marketing scam. I bought a PRS Custom 24, the intonation was so far out that it was totally unplayable. The retention nut that was suppose to secure the cable jack I was missing. I called them and all the did was make excuses. I took my new guitar to my luthier for repairs and forwarded the receipt to Sweetwater and asked them to send me a check for the repairs, they ignored me until my lawyer sent them a letter....... NEVER do business with these crooks. Liars and thieves.

[@jeremiahallen5095]

sweetwater is the only place i shop for gear. great video Phillip.

[@MoneyCrespin]

So, not to get political at all!! But what do you think Fender and these other guitar manufacturers will still have factories and the whole bit with the Presidents new stance on wanting more "American Made" products, and keeping factories in the U.S. ? what are your thoughts?

[@montys8th]

MoneyCrespin it's all talk. If all those manufacturing jobs returned to the US you'd have a situation where the cost of manufactured products would sky rocket. Do you honestly think the shareholders would wear the cost of US wages. No way mate, that is a cost worn by the consumer. If you want massive inflation and recession go for it, but let's not forget that it was conservatives that pushed for globalisation to begin with. You can't have you cake and eat it too.

[@MoneyCrespin]

I was just kind of curious, Cause I know that would totally change the "playing field" for manufacturers. And us the consumer.

[@severalpaperclips]

The math is simple: American consumers cannot afford American labor.

[@manickreations]

i know i cant, thank God for making things in china or i couldnt play any guitars at all

[@rb032682]

@MoneyC - Apolitically, in the grand, bigly picture of world economy and industry, musical and audio gear is like a gnat compared to machines that form cans and build roads, etc. I would gladly pay, and have paid, more $ for USA, or even American, -made music/audio products. I won't over-pay.

[@707king]

Sweetwater sent me my Strat case and the customer service was absolutely outstanding. I highly suggest anyone needing anything that they offer, go through them. Seriously. You won't regret it.

[@guitardudeguy3139]

It really is hit and miss with Fender ..I really, really want a pro Jaguar...Have been unable to find one that I would buy. The QC for the pro series is horrendous. Strats seem to be really nice..but as for Jags...from razor sharp frets , high frets ,bad electronics, to back bowed necks..I haven't found one that I can even play..I be went through 7 different models including the Johnny Marr..I finally gave up...I can't pay over 1500.00 dollars for poor craftsmanship..And I love Fenders! Very frustrating..I can only go to Guitar Center in my area..and there are 2..I'm afraid to buy direct..If GC can't get a good one...I doubt I could get one by ordering.

[@dbredred1]

Have you tried looking for a kurt cobain jag? They feel amazing and they're easily findable

[@guitardudeguy3139]

I had my heart set on the new pro series Jaguar with the new pup design and new circuitry..Never really liked the Cobain..Plus I want a maple neck /surf green..Out of now ..8 different models not one is remotely playable..All need extensive neck work and proper set up. There was one that was near set up nice but the frets were so razor sharp, I nearly cut myself..The Johnny Marr one I tried was back bowed so bad , it needed a neck replacement..And it's still for sale..For 1700.00!..I'm waiting..They ordered one special for me ... Headstock was split..Right out of the box..I pretty much gave up after that.

[@guitardudeguy3139]

Now , I just bought a Boss Katana 100..Which is awesome..I can't find a foot controller for it..Unless I want to pay 70.00 over retail. Sweetwater, and others sell them for 99.00 free ship.. They're saying ya can't get any til April 20th..And those are back ordered..So I have to wait...Again.Unless I pay 169.00 on eBay..And then they don't even give ya the cord that goes with it..For a pro musician who gigs every week, it's getting pretty frustrating to get the gear you want lately..Lol. I'm just having a bad luck streak that's all...Or am I?

[@dbredred1]

Wow. Try emailing fender?

[@guitardudeguy3139]

After the last one...I'm just no longer interested..If they can't make a playable Jaguar for 1400.00 bucks my money is going elsewhere..if I can't find one out of 8 tries..its just not worth it..Someone "on the inside" at GC told me that GC is the problem and they are doing it on purpose to get uneducated people to pay for set ups and neck work..I may believe some of it, but I do my own set ups and if its at a point where I can't set up a guitar without breaking out a fret file..I don't want it..Why should I have to do anything other than a truss rod adjustment or intonation? Especially if I'm spending over a thousand bucks. Its not worth it... it just really put a bad taste in my mouth after 8 tries at 2 different stores. I'm over it...they failed me..I've already wasted too much time and gas.

[@Steve.Cutler]

The classic series is the best that Squire makes. One of the best for the money.

[@Socializedbyantisocials]

55 point my ass

[@joelborden3242]

Is that painful?

[@SharkRecordFilms]

56 if you just relax

[@thomaslabelle6581]

Nope...they actually do..and you can find videos of exactly what they do.

[@kewldude72]

I have bought quite a bit of items from Sweetwater over the years and have always had good experience with items I purchased!

[@Guitaural.]

Biggest problem I see with both guitars is this: 1) They're made in a Communist country, which I won't intentionally support 2) They're made in a country that has routinely dumped into our market and sucked American jobs Both are deal breakers for me...love ya Phil but no more Chinese guitars : )

[@bobisadrummer]

Why are you mad at the country? Did they decide to send those jobs there?

[@Guitaural.]

Naw...not mad. Just don't want to support Communists if there's a choice.

[@OldSethOnetooth]

"why buy junk..." In the video he favourably compares the Pro Tones (Edit, Custom Vibes) to "any strat on my wall". I'm yet to see a bad review of them anywhere , do you know something the rest of the professional guitar reviewing world doesn't?

[@Guitaural.]

I can't speak for motokev...for myself though, I prefer to buy products made in the US, Canada, UK, EU...allies and places that don't actively and artificially devalue their currency in an effort to run manufacturing in the countries above out of business. Obviously you're all free to buy from whomever you please, and if China is big on your list then go for it. They're big on my list to try to stay away from...

[@raindogred]

Guitars are the perfect product to see the difference. The guy who made the vid, said these guitars are as good as any US made, but a fraction of the cost. Your going to be paying 5-6 times for made in the USA for little or no noticeable difference in quality, because of the cost of living and wages in the US.As it stands you will also be paying +%20-30 for imports due to border tax. Your screwed either way under Trump.

[@blakepatsy3787]

I purchased a Gibson ES 335 from sweet water and the setup/check was by movie as well, it was in tune and set up great, no complaints

[@grantbastin7516]

I worked sales at Sweetwater for about 2 years! An incredible place to work and best music store around, hands down.

[@alexanderwebb3032]

Thanks, I've always wondered about Sweetwater's 55 point inspection. The only thing I've noticed about them is that they don't do too many sales like a lot of the other big box places. I imagine the inspection tightens their profit margin.

[@DoctorQ9]

I have purchased five guitars from Sweetwater and each one came in excellent shape. My latest purchase (a Gretsch G5220) I paid Sweetwater to perform the setup and it arrived supremely playable right out of the box! I have yet to see any other major retailer come close to Sweetwater's level of customer service.

[@thrasherx9319]

Great approach. Very entertaining and informative. Thanks.

[@superninjatoaster]

Glad to see this video, was thinking of purchasing my first bass from Sweetwater for my birthday, was thinking of getting a Players series P Bass.

[@RobinOsborne2312]

I'd always thought that you should ship guitars in an "detuned" state to avoid possible damage to the neck but after you explained that the Fender Direct settings were out of whack when tuned to pitch, it makes sense to tune them prior to shipping. Thanks for the great content and info.

[@macbruce7562]

I ordered a charvel dk24 that came from sweetwater with pretty bad qc. The nut was over-filed and blown out which killed any sustain, the frets were also covered in glue, glue was also on the fret ends, fret work from the manufacture wasn’t what I thought it’d be for 1k. Sweetwater made it easy to return and I’ll buy another one later this month to try again.

[@TexanUSMC8089]

I bought a couple of guitars from sweetwater. I ordered a Martin and they emailed me and asked me how I liked it set up before it shipped. It came with the package from a new set of Martin strings and it was intonated and in tune. My G&L came the same way. They do a great job there. If you can't walk into a store and buy locally, I highly recommend Sweetwater.

[@RexN59]

Always had great experiences with Sweetwater purchases. They even call on occasion, just to check up on how satisfied I was after I had played it for a while. Highly recommended.

[@nytephntom]

Bought a pink mini-Strat ($99) for my daughter for Christmas this year. Came perfectly set up, in tune. I actually sat and played it a while. Honestly I wasn't expecting it to be set up at all for that price. Dealt with Sweetwater for many years now and their service can't be beat. On the rare occasions that something is not up to standard, they have bent over backwards to make it right. Shout out to my sales guy, Chris Leonard. The only downside is that my kids now think every package we get (from anywhere) should have candy in it, lol.