Sweetwater Gear Exchange Challenges Reverb For You Used Guitar

Sweetwater is going after Reverb for the online guitar marketplace! With Zero Fee's though October if you put your payment on a Sweetwater gift card. Will that be enough to tempt you to jump ship from Ebay or Reverb? Let us know in the comments if you have sold on the Gear Exchange. Was it a good experience?

[@stevensiegel1426]

I hope that Sweetwater takes off, besides having another option it would keep Reverb honest from constantly raising fees.

[@TechyTimM]

I listed four smaller items so far on SW's Gear Exchange to test it out. One sold within 30 minutes. The second sold in two days. I needed some technical help and SW responded right away and took care of me. I really like that you can see how long someone has been a SW customer so you know if they're legit - one of my items went to a musician who was playing a gig nearby that night, so I got to meet him and chat a bit. Cool. I'm always a little nervous selling stuff, but this seems to work well.

[@dannys8480]

I am NOT THE TYPE to buy things sight unseen, I bought my second guitar from SW and the experience was so great. I made other smaller purchases from them to kind of probe their process, and their customer service and proactive outreach is so awesome. Hell, they make me feel vastly more comfortable than my local GC. Currently, SW has my unwavering trust.

[@azt3ca]

sorry, but saying "reverb has an amazing support team" almost made me spit my coffee...

[@stratplayer2]

Keep it up guys, your content is always awesome!

[@tubularbill]

I bought an amp via the Sweetwater Gear Exchange recently and it was a great experience. Very professional. Good price. Big thumbs up!

[@brrblack497]

I only buy used gear from GC because I can get it from any shop in the country and if I don't like it, I can return it to my local GC at no cost. No local Sweetwater or I would.

[@kolchak3578]

Yep, this exactly. ☝️

[@mattsmitchger259]

Same. You can also get the pro coverage. Don't know if Sweetwater has that, but the ability to exchange locally is a huge plus.

[@trebleboost7]

I think they are fair with their purchasing offers of used gear as well. Yes, not as lucrative as selling outright but I am a busy guy and am willing to take the hit for convenience' sake.

[@ericsmith7287]

The Gear Exchange has some very nice stuff. Of course the whole operation is amazing. The pedal display is amazing now. The $90,000 piano was a bit shocking the last time I was there.

[@honkytonkinson9787]

I had no idea that Sweetwater had used gear! I usually stick with reverb and guitar center used; I keep my eye out for used gear at GC that is driving distance and have gotten a lot of good deals over the years!

[@CindyMattern]

My only used guitar I have actually ever bought was a 2001 Les Paul Gibson from you guys😊

[@gantronyc]

I love the gear exchange. It’s easy to sell on there. A few problems I currently see with it that I’m sure Sweetwater is working on. No mobile app, there are bugs in the search and seller pricing is really bad. Sellers are listing used gear at the price of new gear. If a product is currently available you can’t price a used one at the same price. It will scare customers away. Your shop would do great on gear exchange. You know pricing, availability and product knowledge.

[@mulemusic]

Thanks for this vid! I decided to try the Sweetwater used gear sail. Selling off an EPIPHONE JOE BONAMASSA Black Beauty to see if it will go. (Such a well made guitar, but a freaking BALL BAT neck, and the three pickups just throw me off after 50+ years of 2 pups. Played this poor wonderful guitar less than 5 hours and it needs to be in the hands of someone who will love it. - That's what it is all about!) I'll post my results!

[@wrobinson1702]

I was not familiar with Gear Exchange until now. They will certainly see an uptick in business as a result of this video. I'm going there now.

[@travisjgood02]

I live right down the road from the Sweetwater campus and I hit up there used section every weekend. I think they will do good.

[@alanpettibone]

I would definitely give the Sweetwater option a try, if for no other reason than to avoid the tax BS on Reverb. I hate that Reverb is working for the IRS. Oh… Go Big Blue!

[@the92project]

Sweetwater also “works” for the IRS 😂

[@jaorte10]

A good friend of mine bought a 63 strat at a garage sale in 1972. His intention was to learn to play. He never did. The guitar sits in its original case in his closet. I'm the only person with visitation rights.lol. Because I occasionally put strings on it and make sure all is good with it. Btw. He knows what its worth. Especially since its been relatively unplayed for its age. There is some awesome vintage stuff still out there.

[@unclelefteye3166]

Not nearly enough miscellaneous ramblings this time…. ;) Love your show!

[@tacdoc8736]

I was looking for a specific used or demo model pedal that I found on SWGE cheaper than anywhere else. I suspect this was because of the lack or seller fees currently. It was a relatively hassle free experience, but is clearly not as well fleshed out as Reverb. They really need an app. The only real bump in the road was the seller clearly hadn’t sold online before and didn’t initially want to ship without something showing he had received payment… which leads me to believe SW has an opportunity to have transactions from customers who aren’t currently using Reverb, in addition to taking some of Reverb’s market shares. Reverb’s only current advantage is widespread exposure for a listing and the app. I would gladly sell on SW with no fees or the fee becoming SW credit.

[@babagadoush1]

Can y’all do a video on selling and buying on Reverb?

[@mattyounis5636]

I live 5 minutes from Sweetwater such a jem to have in your backyard

[@BParker55]

What a weird coincidence I'm posting a guitar on there today lol My salesman told me they do not allow guitar shops to sell there. Only individuals.

[@allenmitchell09]

My salesman at Sweetwater just recommended this to me recently

[@babagadoush1]

Can y’all do a home rig rundown?

[@randa4382]

@baxter have ya heard of the UK wildcats logo from the nineties with the phallic symbol hidden in the details of the wildcat's tongue... seems like the kind of rabbit hole youd think was interesting... all those blue sweatshirts made me think of it.

[@shepherd8203]

In Canada we don't have Sweetwater, but we have L&M. What I hate is that is the only store in my area for hours, all the Ma & Pop stores have close because of them. So my vote is let us have variety with just one store the prices will go up.

[@bryantwalley]

There are some former Reverb sellers going back to eBay. I have seen it a couple times recently.

[@paullanglois3768]

I’m one. Although I didn’t think I would, I’ve had much better luck selling gear on eBay.

[@Utubewrk123]

They’re both bad. And neither protects you and you’ll still owe 28% in 2023 in taxes plus it’s been taxed several times. Shady people and shady items.

[@bryantwalley]

@@Utubewrk123 government and taxes.

[@juniorg296]

Did y'all release this video in the past??? We've already gone over this, and they went to songwriting camp last weekend...

[@stevemartin5076]

I’ve used this service. Ok. If you do business at the actual store, they will give you a check for your gear or give you credits. And I asked the guys at the shop how it all worked. They said the store and the website are 2 different things but with the same name. The online part you can sell and buy stuff, but Sweetwater won’t buy it from you. Only at the store in ft Wayne you can do this. Hope this helps.

[@lyleanderson5407]

I miss walking into a local store where gear is everywhere with no organization and you can never find a salesman to help. I miss those days just searching for hours looking for that one item and haggling a fair price.

[@RandomTasck]

This is so sick! I was just ranting to my girlfriend about Reverb fees last night lmao. I’ll be kicking myself over the last few guitars I’ve sold for a while…..all the cash went to Sweetwater anyway…

[@gregoryfeo6837]

As a rule...If it's too good to be true... it's probably not.. but I hope this is the exception to the rule.. thanks JB!

[@0burrus]

Not a big box fan but this is a good idea I think

[@mitchmatthews6713]

Bowling Green! Home of Sam Bush and the Corvette Museum!

[@Dian2Gig]

Reverb is awesome. They back the buyer should anything happen during shipment. My daughter’s Martin was damaged because the seller didn’t double box. We received $100 to fix the crack.

[@onewiththings]

I post my stuff on every available site, including Facebook, Craigslist, Ebay, Reverb, and now, I'll post there too.

[@jaybe813]

I tried this a few times and every time I listed something, I got spam emails and/or texts from people, and after I told my sales engineer about it, I removed my items from there and never went back. I may try again, but not before I reach out to my sales engineer again to see if the spam situation has been dealt with.

[@glencooper1091]

Talkng about stories, in the eighties I bought a DOD board loaded and a modded 1969 SJ JR, problem is that I chose the pedal board over a mint early TV yellow telecaster because the tele was not hair band rock and roll style, coupled with my sheer stupidity.

[@vintagevinylvets1187]

I’ve learned to trust Sweetwater over the years and no matter what, my rep STILL follows up on me. #trust

[@benlogan430]

Sounds like a good way to trade up?

[@msspi764]

Only in Kentucky can you buy your Ford F150 in UK Blue.

[@jeffreypatch2607]

What if they could warehouse your gear, put it through their inspection, take photos and then took care of shipping/returns etc…??

[@synonyx]

They did just get that new warehouse outside of Phoenix......

[@WalkenDead]

The thing about all the online selling now is the IRS cap on the $600 mark. For guys like me who sell every now and then, I hold back because screw the IRS. Most guitars I have sold I break even on, but these things have been passed around for a while and I don't have receipts

[@babagadoush1]

I feel like y’all could do some great interviews with artists and folks in the industry. Can y’all try that out?

[@ifly65]

48MO no fees sale in the 'you choose your actual guitar' section and three days later I have a Faded Whale Blue with a screaming 10 top. Sweetwater rules.

[@dennisrohm6372]

They also have a glut of gear at the their retail location.

[@TheGeniuschrist]

Sippin' my coffee in Fountain Square

[@trebleboost7]

Hey what happened to 'Harmony Central' LOL?

[@concernedcitizen939]

I’m from BG: Home of the Corvette, Sam Bush, Cage the Elephant, Fruit of the Loom, and the Hilltoppers … and many other great things.

[@PatriotGuitars]

I've got a couple guitars for sale on Gear Exchange right now, and I found the process to be roughly the same as Reverb. It seems like Sweetwater's "used condition" rating system is a little less detailed than Reverb's. The issue with eBay is you don't really know what you're getting unless the seller took a lot of detailed pics, or you ask a bunch of questions. They're not geared toward selling instruments. Also, if someone does try to rip you off, you have to deal with eBay or PayPal and that can be incredibly frustrating. I sold an Epiphone Les Paul on eBay a few years ago and the buyer returned it claiming the electronics didn't work. When I got the guitar back, I discovered he had stolen parts off of the guitar. Unfortunately, eBay decides in the buyers' favor more often than not.

[@MatthewBaron]

Judging by his impression, it sounds to me like Baxter married Gomer Pyle.

[@johnwashburn3793]

I figure that she must be beautiful, who doesn't love a southern belle?

[@RobYoungband]

Bummer is that it's only available for US customers. Long time Reverb seller/life long guitar nerd.

[@artprince9163]

I’m from Bowling Green and my mom grew up near Lexington, KY so be careful now!

[@nalukeko]

Needs the 'Saved Search' and 'Feed' feature, and a few more than 467 guitar listings... 🙄61 Gibsons, 150 Fenders, and 44 PRS...

[@jeremiahallender1919]

Why not !🎸🤘🤓😎

[@Barry101er]

I only sell non-guitar stuff on eBay; but their customer service is really good if some goes pear shaped with a buyer, imho

[@120chester]

I’ve always thought Guitar Center should turn the Musicians Friend website into a Reverb competitor. Use the main GC site for traditional retail and MF for used gear as well as a public marketplace.

[@Utubewrk123]

@GK KG yep.

[@NoCoverCharge]

I don’t know I was a used guitar….I feel like one some days

[@michaeljoyce3286]

Dude I’m done with reverb mom so tired of more fees more little games they play I’m excited to see what Sweetwater has to offer

[@tomdyll2728]

Sweetwater needs a dedicated and functional gear exchange app for mobile devices or it will continue to fail.

[@garrysimmons111]

I buy lots of stuff from Sweeetwater but the Gear Exchange has been off my radar. I should give it a shot the next time I want to sell off old gear to buy new gear.

[@WayneMemphisMojo]

Just be aware, Memphis has a lot of blue sweatshirts too

[@musicmnw1982]

Speaking of Reverb helping you out, what ever happened with your missing Taylor Custom Shop?

[@atheist-karate-guy]

Only available in the US, sucks when I’m a Canadian.

[@tonepilot]

Reverb has a much better interface and ability to apply useful filters. I also detest shopping sites that force you to keep hitting a next page button to get the next batch of items. Maybe Sweetwater will change this over time. Right now, it’s not as easy to use.

[@pierheadjump]

⚓️ Thanks Casino 😎 Goodwill has an online retail… the odd something shows up at times. Saw a nice LP JR once. 🥸

[@despinosa7061]

Where is the Gear Exchange? It looks like it’s not part of the app.

[@synonyx]

They could easily do it.... but their gear exchange website needs some serious polishing and needs a mobile app. If they offered the gift card option forever, I'm sure it would be a huge hit.

[@jtbandy1]

Never heard of this until today… in theory it’s a great idea, because if I sell a guitar I’m probably going to reinvest that money into more gear. Hopefully it works out. I may post a guitar today if anybody in interested in a 2008 epiphone LP Custom

[@Utubewrk123]

I’m leaving reverb. They didn’t protect me several times. Yet I protect my buyers as a hobbyist seller. The one rip off was a utuber who I think intimidated them. And their fees are awful. It’s too risky with shipping. Going local. Good luck reverb and utuber. You know who u are. He’s from another country. Thx reverb for the aggravation and watch out for Amazon. Got the wrong brand and used item in the mail. Sticking with reputable sellers and being very very careful re buying and selling. Don’t forget reverb, eBay, Facebook marketplace will charge you at the end of the yr 28% if you sold over $600. Even us hobbyists. Unless you can prove you didn’t make a profit and of course we all save receipts from 20 years ago.

[@marcaddona2771]

Reverb Sucks. That 600 dollars is real. Sold a 500-Series unit and immediately get the IRS form that I Had to fill out. I sold the unit for 500 dollar's and they said when I reach 600 dollars, they will send it to the IRS.

[@mars6433]

Here, "r". You dropped this.

[@musicmnw1982]

Anyone that ever watched SNL in the 80's or 90's knows who G.E. Smith is.

[@duffy315]

If doing the transaction through Sweetwater as a seller and it is greater than $600, will that be subject to a 1099? If not, I wonder how long until the IRS gets involved.

[@marcaddona2771]

I sold a Phoenix audio 500-Series EQ for $500 on Reverb and immediately got a form I had to fill out for the IRS. They said , when you hit $600, they will send it to the IRS. It is for real.

[@paulantoni1046]

"too many blue sweatshirts...." LOL

[@hackmeister]

Sweetwater doesn't have hundreds of stores across the country. Also guitar center is very easy going if you don't like it once you get it in your hands. They will take it back without question. I've bought 8 used guitars from Guitar Center and kept 7 of them. All great buys. Only buy items listed as very good or excellent and you should be good to go.

[@trebleboost7]

i have been successful with this approach by calling the actual store and getting an honest opinion from the department. Sometimes the descriptions are not accurate and it can filter that out too. I've gotten some great stuff and my local store has some great people to work with.

[@redroverthefngamecat]

I will only use Reverb for used gear (and some new). On Reverb I purchased a new guitar from a reseller that was using another sellers advertising verbage and videos. They were not revealing that they were not the actual seller that was in the marketing material. Part of the deal was that the proclaimed seller does an inspection on the guitar and does any fret leveling, setup, etc before shipping it to me. When I recieved the guitar it was fretting out in several places. I tried to return the guitar. That is when I discovered the guitar was sold to me by a liar and a cheat. Harsh words but true. He was not returning my messages. After doing all I could I contacted Reverbs legal team and they tracked this guy down and made him accept the return and refund my money. Reverb will always have my business for used gear. Sweetwater is fantastic and they have always taken care of me on new gear. I will always use them for that. They are great. They really have their act together.

[@rumbletruck1]

The little Mrs. asked me… 1) what is the song tattooed on Jonathan’s arm? and 2) “Do you secretly buy gear from the Sweetwater site?!” (Reverb has my wallet) 😂😂

[@georgeberger9546]

“…too many blue sweatshirts, it’s unnatural make it stop…” says Baxter, sitting in the heart of Tobacco Road where *the color blue* is enough to get you kilt…. ;-) (As a Kentucky native, I get it. I thought the irony was pretty hilarious though.)

[@justinguitarcia]

Latest controversy on tgp is the 200$ 1958 les paul jr - yall should do an episode on it. Its become a big ethics debate there. Is the guitar stollen? Is the seller too old for proper judgement etc etc

[@scottbrower9052]

Competition is good for the consumer.

[@chrisc8073]

i will use any service other than EBAY.

[@Taurencowpew]

Does Sweetwater service Australia? No? Challenge fail.

[@TheFeelButton]

Sweetwater could easily drown reverb if they open the spigot! Cheers Casino!!

[@microdot4374]

Guys, do you Mean ''Swapping''???..........🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸For a 🎸..........✌🏼✌🏼☮☮✍🏼

[@WarmandHardy]

Reverb has always been a mystery box to me. When I buy something from there, I keep in mind that the seller and I are both getting fucked on one piece of gear. If you have a good relationship with Sweetwater, they’ll cut the fees on overhead and shipping and be your best friend but I’d be interested to see how they handle exchanges outside of their showroom in Fort Wayne.

[@markloveridge3345]

Yes you said the catchphrase ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@barbdwyer7001]

I'll go with "Gear Works" any day... Ebay has become way too "Draconian" and expensive (and snobbish) lately. Craigs List... no way!

[@TribalGuitars]

Is "crackpot" a compliment? 🤔 😆 Crackerjack. Pardon my pedanticism. 🙂

[@happygolukky]

Biggest piece is not having to get a 1099 and claim your sales on taxes for anything over $600 - huge deal if you just plan to buy more stuff

[@Funkybassuk]

Until Sweetwater goes fully international it won’t have the same spread as Reverb - but if it guts Reverb’s American market, then Reverb might start to dwindle globally anyway.

[@DavidHBurkart]

Baxter: "Reverb has Crackpots at trying to help" Wait... what??? 8^D

[@gtr1952]

The last time I looked at it you had to be logged in to even see it, and everybody didn't know about it! Its sad that changed. Having an account and logged in to even see it might help the fight against scammers?? It seems like everything on Reverb is ~30% over street value! All that has made me use Craigs List, face to face locally. Things just seem out of control. Sad... --gary

[@bryantwalley]

Even our local craigslist is out of control.

[@guitarz]

once they get an app it will take off

[@cparker921]

Don't get mad at Lexington for liking UK as much as you like Fender. ;)

[@Smart-Alex]

Sweetwater used gear marketplace is the only place I’ve been scammed. Just be careful.

[@CasinoGuitars]

Sweetwater might need to learn the ropes on how to deal with scammers

[@Smart-Alex]

@@CasinoGuitars Yeah, it’s just an open marketplace with no way to remedy a situation if something happens.

[@dcamp671]

“They’re selling this thing to buy something on Sweetwater”. Ok bub, where’s the camera hidden?

[@babagadoush1]

Yeah Rhett Schulls channel also has a scammer on his comments

[@brentparks3669]

Don’t they all? There’s always a scammer on every site these days.

[@nathanwainwright0]

If Reverb keeps going more corporate, there’s market share to be taken.

[@ericwarrington6650]

Sweetwater has kept the used exchange on the downlow because obviously they'd rather sell new gear...🤔

[@rodgerflood7190]

The Tax Exchange

[@captainhotbunz659]

Your*😄

[@andytylerbell]

No price guide, no product pages to list under for comparison, no chance.