Sweetwater guitar customers? Opinions?

I've never used them but from everything I've heard (here and elsewhere) you don't have anything to worry about aside from the whole not being able to physically try out the guit before buying (I've only bought one guit without playing it first off ebay but that turned out rather well thankfully).
 
If something is screwed up send the bugger back. They do not seem like the type of company that would just say "too bad, so sad" if they screwed up or something got broken in the mail. Their business model depends on not screwing up orders or creating bad impressions.
 
Also if you are really concerned just pay with a credit card that offers insurance for such purchases (if you have one... but most cards do these days I think). That way if they do try to bone you for whatever reason you can just make a claim with the CC company. Not sure if they accept Paypal but PP also has buyer protection of course.
 
Out of all the online companies out there SW seems pretty solid. Kind of like Amazon for musicians.
 
That said sometimes things go sideways (especially with something as easily messed up as a guitar). Due to the volume of business they do and the randomness of conssumers (especially online consumers) there is bound to be bad feedback. As a former ebay hound (seller) I don't outright dismiss negative online feedback but I try to take it in context. If HALF the people are ticked... that ain't good. If it's just a small number of complaints or the feedback seems weird (a LOT of people are stupid and/or just like to b*tch and/or are trying get something for free/less) then I'll weigh the risk vs reward. Like in a case such as yours where you have no other options (exclusively Alvarez? Gross, dude!) or in my situation being broke and needing something super specific.
 
When I bought my 90's era Yamaha Pacifica (they are better than the modern ones IMO and this bugger had been modded with an extra $300 worth of electronics AND cost the same as the crappier unmodded new Pacificas) I was definitely nervous but dog mnad it's a great ax. Easily worth twice or thrice what I paid for it and once I did my usual freaky OCD cleaning and setup on it it was in better condition that I thought it would be... especially consider I bought it from a gigging musician in swampy arse Florida.
 
Cheers.
 
*edited because I forgot that the pups and push pot system was actually about $300 worth of kit... not $150. I paid $300 for the entire axe which is the new retail price for the new models. The one I got used to sell for $400-500 back in the day unmodded.

I've ordered acoustic, electric, and bass guitars from them. Arrived in great shape. Set up nicely. No complaints. I ordered a compressor a few years ago that arrived with one channel not working. Called them up, they emailed me a shipping label, and shipped me a new one before I even sent the old one out. Excellent customer service. I would order another guitar from them again without hesitation.

Return policy isn't the best.  If you return said guitar the cost of shipping (BOTH ways) is coming out of your refund and shipping guitars isn't exactly cheap.  
 
They would only refund the full amount if it is damaged.  So if the guitar isn't quite right, that isn't good enough.  
 
The complete satisfaction guarantee isn't what it seems.  I'd consider other options.  
 
What kind of price level are you looking at?  

Thanks for the replies so far, all....it looks, as with anything, it's a mixed bag....  It's funny....reading forums based on that topic...there's a certain group with an almost cult-like love for the place, and then on the other side are the folks who find them...well...nearly cult-like  ;-)
 
Price level...well....it's gone up since I started looking....truth is, I shouldn't be buying a guitar right now...but....sometimes that stuff happens...
 
I want to get the best I can for the least amount of cash.....but, the last time I bought an acoustic was about 25 years ago (and if I had it to do over, I'd have chosen something else)....
 
I'd say the absolute top-end maximum I could swing would be in the $1500 range.  (And although that's more than I want to spend, I also figure I only buy an acoustic guitar about every 25 years ;-)  so I should splurge a bit).  I just wish I could play all the models I'm thinking about rather than watching loads of youtube videos with bad microphones and equipment.  (Of course, I could always go with an Alvarez.)
 
And Beepster....I wanted to tell you that a post you made...maybe a year or two ago (in response to someone else's question) REALLY helped me out  (regarding your recording/mixing setup)....So, I thank you for that.

Right on, Ozz. Glad some of my frantic old obsessive ramblings helped. I did a lot of research to get the most per dollar based on what I could conceive myself needing to do production-wise in the medium/long term and really, aside from the usual annoyances and glitches that comes with all this that I just work around, I have not been disappointed. When I was a young stage stomper in the late 90's and early aughts I would have eaten my own poop to have my own demo studio. Back then the bare minimum would have been about $10,000. I dropped MAYBE about 2 grand all in all and can do things I never thought even possible.
 
In that spirit... based on your stated budget and the fact you are looking to purchase an acoustic for long time guit luvin' I would say put some of that aside for gas/rides and get yourself to various pawn shops/used musical instrument stores and play/handle/find a used acoustic that is just right for you. You can get some amazing "previously loved" guits that way for far less than $1500.
 
Acoustic guitars, IMO, are indeed something that should be played before committing (even more so than electrics). There is too much tonal texture and feel involved with an acoustic instrument that even with the same model instrument I wouldn't trust it sight unseen.
 
I'll also say some of the most characteristic acoustics I've played were offbrand oddball thingies.
 
My current acoustic is something called an "Aspen" (never heard of them before or after) given to me by an ex girlfriend who just had it laying around and never learned to play it. I did literally hundreds of performances with that thing and insane hours of home practicing and kernoodling (it's the guit I tested all my modal theory crap out on originally). It unfortunately needs to be refretted and it's not a beefy sounding guit but it has great mid and high range and cuts very well.
 
I lovingly refer to it as the Ass Pin.
 
;-)

Leadfoot
BTW, I have an Alvarez classical that I used in college 30 years ago, and I LOVE it.

Now that sounds about right... but I know not from nylon stringed guits and when/if I ever do get one I'll probably wuss out from confusion and just get a Yamaha.
 
They seem to do the trick and are cheap, plentiful and cost effective... although I'm certain there are far better classical brands that specialize/cater to that style. I honestly would have no idea where to begin.
 
Heck... I don't think I've ever even strung up a classical.
 
Welp, now that fact is annoying me.
 
lulz... "El Capitaine Guitarmouth" doesn't know how to properly string a nylon guit.
 
EVERYBODY POINT AND LAUGH!!!
 
Please enjoy this smiley of great shame...
 
:-)

@Beeps
There are definitely better out there. Mine cost $400 back in '88, so it wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst either. It's cedar top helps produce a beautiful warm tone, and it plays like a dream. The funny thing is that the cedar smells just as strong as when it was new. I love that smell. Does that make me weird?

Beepster
...well until I idiotically pawned the thing and forgot it in hock.
 
One of my dumber moves in life.

I can relate. I lost an olympic white/rosewood fretboard Fender strat with the large headstock, and an '85 Marshall JCM800 head. Evil pawn shops....

It's too bad you're not looking for a MIM Fender Stratocaster HSS, red and black, almost new, hardly played at all.
We could make a deal.
Good luck!

OP here...."The OP lives in NY, I can't imagine there are not a few stores for one of the most populated places in the US.".....well...a lot of people make the mistake of assuming if you say you live in NY, that it means you've got an apartment in the middle of Manhattan.  ;-)
 
I'm WAAAAAAYY Upstate and out in the middle of nowhere.......NYC is a good 6-6.5 hours from me....Most every city you can think of is a good 3 hours or more from me.  So...when I said my town has ONE music store, I'm not kidding....There's another store I recently drove (that's actually further in the sticks than I am) to that was about a 2 hour trip......they carried a couple of other brands....but because we're in a "low end" area, a lot of these mom and pop stores carry low end instruments.
 
So...the GOOD side of the coin is that the internet has everything I could ever want in a guitar.....
The BAD side of the coin is that I have to cross my fingers and hope they send me a "good one".  (or that the return policy is a good one, if they don't)  ;-)
 
I briefly lived near NYC, many years ago....and you really COULD try a gazillion guitars!  Good times.....

Sweetwater is top notch. I recently bought a half dozen packages of guitar strings and some high dollar picks; then got a personal follow up phone call a week later asking if I had received my order and was my experience satisfactory. I was very amazed over such a small purchase that they followed up just as if I had bought a 3K guitar.

Ozz
Well....I put my order in today for a new acoustic with Sweetwater and my "Personal Sales Engineer".
 
And now.....
 
I wait.......
 
and worry.......
 
Sigh.....

10 to 1 you're really happy when it shows up!

TheMaartian
If I'm going to buy a guitar/bass online, it will be from Sweetwater if they sell the brand/model I want.
 
When shopping online, each guitar/bass from $299 upward is individually inspected, set up, photographed and weighed. You can see each unit they have in stock by serial number and order that specific serial number. I've bought several guitars and basses from them and have zero complaints.
 
Waiting for the annual guitar/bass sale (September?). I want one of the new Ibanez BTB845V high-C 5-string basses. Bad G.A.S. this time.
 
In comparison, I've bought 2 G&L guitars from Musician's Friend. Really happy with one; not so much with the other. You get whatever they send you.

I'm guessing by now that the OP has received his guitar and is happy.  Overall I think Sweetwater is (are) amazing people, but several years ago I ordered a John Lennon Casino copy from them (somewhere around $2,000).  The setup was abysmal, a tuner was lose and there was a rattle whenever you hit a chord.  At the time of the order Sweetwater claimed EVERY guitar they shipped was inspected/setup/played etc.  While I lay the problems with that guitar at Epiphone's feet, I doubt it even got a visual inspection from Sweetwater. 

I agree with Jim and had the same observations. I have even returned a guitar I didn't like and they only asked I pay for shipping. You may find a better deal somewhere if you look long enough but you won't go wrong by using Sweetwater.

I'm guessing by now that the OP has received his guitar and is happy.  Overall I think Sweetwater is (are) amazing people, but several years ago I ordered a John Lennon Casino copy from them (somewhere around $2,000).  The setup was abysmal, a tuner was lose and there was a rattle whenever you hit a chord.  At the time of the order Sweetwater claimed EVERY guitar they shipped was inspected/setup/played etc.  While I lay the problems with that guitar at Epiphone's feet, I doubt it even got a visual inspection from Sweetwater. 




Nope....haven't gotten it yet...but it DID ship out today, and they say I should have it sometime on Thursday.....so, I'm excited and apprehensive at the same time..lol
 
The one I got was the last one they had....and there was one thing in the pictures I'm a little concerned about (just an aesthetic thing...but....hey, I'm shallow, what can I say?)
 
Hopefully, it won't be as visible in person....if it is.....I'll give it a few days to see if I can live with it, or if I'm going to have to pony up some return cash... (actually, it'd just be exchange cash....I'd either wait til they get more in....or, more likely, because I'm an idiot, I'd trade UP...lol
 
But...looking forward to it....my lone acoustic broke a couple years ago (but..the way time passes for me, I could be way off on that)....and I wasn't that happy with that particular guitar anyway...bought it when I was young and didn't know much better (loved it when I bought it, but the honeymoon was relatively short).
 
I also question this "55 point inspection"....because they don't really tell you what it is....I even asked my sales guy...and he kind of ....vaguely mentioned a couple things....but....personally, I think it's an exaggeration.
 
I'm also not so sure my guy is too knowledgeable about acoustic guitars....though, it seems if Sweetwater REALLY wanted to have awesome customer service, that if a person emails a question regarding acoustic guitars....they send him to someone who might specialize in that kind of instrument, instead of whoever is next up in the queue.
 
But....he seemed like an alright guy (we'll see how he is if there's a problem or I want to return/exchange it)...and when I asked what he could do on the price....I have to admit, I think he did pretty well.
 
I won't be sleeping much the next couple nights....lol