Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

Experience the Sweetwater Difference


badbluesplayer

Recommended Posts

No phone calls?   We'll see how long it takes.  They're funny.  Even though it's been explained that I don't buy 'amplification or recording gear' or even guitars, only strings for my vintage (which they don't deal in) acoustics, I got my call when my so-called 6th sales engineer relocated.  The new engineer called and offered assistance with my 'gear'  in any way he could.  What a rough, often demeaning life it must be to be my personal salesman.  

I don't eat candy.

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I still use them for some things.

Since they were pretty much "bought out" buy a private equity firm in 2021, I tend to spread my business around a little more now to Mom and Pops.

I can't be bought off with trinkets and candy...

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

You always get candy from SW, is that your virgin order from them?

Nah.  Usually they don't send me any candy with anything under about $50.00.  I bought my eighth, or so, guitar from them a couple months ago, so maybe I'm on the special customer list for a few months.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The few Mom & Pops around here usually don’t have what I’m looking for..

I’ve bought from most of the online Stores over the past 20 years or longer.. Sweetwater always gives me the best Price & Customer Service.. I like see the Guitars I’m buying, the Serial numbers, the weight & be able to choose the one I want... Being a Big Store they usually get Preferred Shipments of Guitars.. I like buying brand new Guitars that haven’t been wall hangers that 100 guys have played.. no scratches, dings, dents & missing parts… If for some reason I don’t like it I can return or exchange it.. Which I’ve done a few times.. Never a hassle.. Always ended up with what I want... I’ve had the same Sales Engr for 15 years or so.. He’s too busy to  call me..  I text or call him when I want something.. It gets handled immediately & usually free 2 day shipping.. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/6/2022 at 7:08 AM, Murph said:

I still use them for some things.

Since they were pretty much "bought out" buy a private equity firm in 2021, I tend to spread my business around a little more now to Mom and Pops.

I can't be bought off with trinkets and candy...

Man, I can be bought ! ONLY if the Price is Right !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Found a high quality Yamaha sustain pedal for my Yamaha DX 100 on Sweetwater for around 26 bucks with free shipping. Decided to ask my "sales rep" if it would work exactly like the pedal that was an option for my synth back in 1989. The sweetwater "rep"  replies by email that it was, so I bought it.  It actually worked. A few weeks later I decided to buy a Behringer 600 watt KXD15 Ultratone key board amp from them because it was the best rated keyboard amp, with every option I needed. Got it no problem. A week or so later I reached out to my Sweetwater rep, and asked him a few very detailed questions about an 88 key MIDI capable "piano". It did not have a dedicated 1/4 line out port, but did have two line out RCA ports,  a USB MIDI out port, and a 1/4 "headphone" out port. I wanted to know which output port would be best to connect to my new Behringer KDX15, since I feared the headphone out 1/4" port may provide "hotter" than line level out signal when the keyboard volume was at full. Since the "piano" did not come with a stereo RCA to 1/4" stereo cable, which my Behringer amp supported, I simply wanted to know if I should buy said RCA to 1/4" cable, if this was a better way to connect the "piano" to my amp. I also wanted to know if said "piano" was capable of being a MIDI keyboard controller, (able to use the MIDI USB port to connect to a PC with the appropriate software that could "ignore" the "piano's" onboard voice/tone selection, and allow it to only play/produce the "voice/tone" that my MIDI software assigned to it.). I also asked about THD  (total harmonic distortion) associated with the "piano", not wanting to invest in a noisy instrument. I also wanted to be sure that my 1989, first generation MIDI synth would be compatible with a 2023 MIDI "piano", since I wanted both to be able to operate using the same software. As I am a guitar guy, and  just learning piano and MIDI, I thought it best to ask my Sweetwater salesperson, as I assumed he was a keyboard/MIDI/piano pro.. When he called be back, he seemed overwhelmed with my questions, and when pressed, he said he was NOT really a keyboard/synth/MIDI professional, but he said he did play "lots of instruments".???  Every question I emailed to him was relating to specs I was unable to find online, and since Sweetwater was selling the "piano" I thought met my needs, I just wanted clarification on it's capabilities from a "pro", like Sweetwater claims they assign you. A "deer in the headlights" best describes my "Sweetwater pro's" reaction to said queries, despite the exact same queries being sent by email to him a day before he called me. He obviously did NO research prior to calling me back, nor did he ever really provide specific detailed responses to my questions. He DID specifically ask if he could "place the order for said piano for me", as if his non committal, non specific responses to my technical concerns solidified my desire to purchase the item. A "music pro", by definition, needs to be extremely well versed in the minutia of the type of gear their client desires to purchase. If they are not, then their is no harm in transferring the client to another staff member who possesses said knowledge. Sad that my pathetically basic knowledge of MIDI keyboards and synths exceeds that of a paid "professional". (think used car salesman)    

  • Confused 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Sheepdog1969 said:

.......appropriate software that could "ignore" the "piano's" onboard voice/tone selection, and allow it to only play/produce the "voice/tone" that my MIDI software assigned to it.).

This should be on your DX100; if you turn LOCAL off it mutes the direct signal to the tone banks.  Don't forget to turn it back on before you store the keyboard for a long time.

You should also be able to select which MIDI channel the keyboard outputs on, though it's usually easier to change channels in the recording pgm.  And of course which MIDI channel(s) the DX100 receives back.  I can't remember offhand which the command is to make them trigger separately and not everything all at once on all channels.  Global?   It's ages since I've thought about this.  I used to like MIDI and still do; I had  a JL Cooper SMPTE generator/converter and their 8x8 MIDI patchbay which was the absolute bees knees back then.  I striped track 8 of the TEAC 38 with SMPTE and then I had 7 tracks of analog and all the MIDI tracks I needed.  

I have examples.....[wink]

 

Edited by jdgm
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, jdgm said:

This should be on your DX100; if you turn LOCAL off it mutes the direct signal to the tone banks.  Don't forget to turn it back on before you store the keyboard for a long time.

You should also be able to select which MIDI channel the keyboard outputs on, though it's usually easier to change channels in the recording pgm.  And of course which MIDI channel(s) the DX100 receives back.  I can't remember offhand which the command is to make them trigger separately and not everything all at once on all channels.  Global?   It's ages since I've thought about this.  I used to like MIDI and still do; I had  JL Cooper SMPTE generator/converter and MIDI patchbay which was the absolute bees knees back then.  I striped track 8 of the TEAC 38 with SMPTE and then I had 7 tracks of analog and all the MIDI tracks I needed. 

I actually am trying to find out how to "strip" the voices from my Alesis Concert 88 key and not from my DX 100. (the DX 100 came with very detailed instructions/user manual regarding MIDI operation, but the Alesis instructions only detail how to assign the MIDI track, (it has only 1 MIDI track output, per the specs, but I may need to use the MIDI software to try to "strip" the onboard Alesis "voice". The Sweetwater rep claimed that my Alesis Concert 88 could also function as a MIDI controller keyboard when connected to a PC with proper MIDI software.) As I just got it a day ago, I have not spent the time reviewing how it functions when connected to said software.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/6/2022 at 8:08 AM, Murph said:

I still use them for some things.

Since they were pretty much "bought out" buy a private equity firm in 2021, I tend to spread my business around a little more now to Mom and Pops.

I can't be bought off with trinkets and candy...

Look at it this way Murph

When you drop $2k on a Marshall head, and 6 weeks later it goes Kahput,  your mom and pop stores are gonna feel bad, but they are not going to replace it.

I guarantee you that, because I've been there with both the Mom And Pop and Sweetwater.

When my JVM head started making gnarly noises after almost 2 months of delivery, Sweetwater sent me another one.. overnight.

With the local store, when this similarly happened with another amp purchase done locally, previous to me using Sweetwater, they happily sent it to Warranty Repair for me.   Where it got promptly got LOST in White Plains New York at the Marshall US Warranty center.  I then waited 8 months for another amp.   I was gigging heavy at the time.  I was not a happy boy. 

Say what you will for keeping it local, but they can't match this kind of customer support.

 

Edited by kidblast
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...