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10 Things You Didn’t Know About Sweetwater

Tuesday January 19, 2021. 06:00 PM , from Sweetwater inSync
If you’re here, then you know Sweetwater is an excellent place to shop for gear. You probably also know that we offer unmatched customer service with a personal touch unlike anyone else in the business. But did you know that Sweetwater started as a mobile recording studio, operating out of the back of a VW bus? Or that Sweetwater’s staff is primarily made up of musicians? Well, we’ve compiled a list of 10 Sweetwater facts to help you get to know us a little better!

1. Sweetwater started as a mobile recording studio in a Volkswagen Bus.

Sweetwater wasn’t always the country’s leading online retailer of musical equipment. In fact, when we started, we didn’t sell equipment at all. When founder and CEO, Chuck Surack, started Sweetwater back in 1979, the company consisted of Chuck, a four-track TEAC reel-to-reel recorder, and a handful of gear all packed into a VW Bus. Out of this studio on wheels, Chuck recorded local bands, public speakers, and commercial spots. A few years later, the studio moved indoors, and Chuck was able to expand its capabilities. It was this experience as a small studio owner that sparked Chuck’s interest in selling gear. He had difficulty finding a retailer that was knowledgeable, reliable, and affordable, who would continue to offer support after he made a purchase. As a studio owner, Chuck’s professional philosophy was to focus on the needs of his artist-clients, so they were free to express themselves creatively. Chuck carried that philosophy forward when Sweetwater transitioned into a music retailer. We’re a company for musicians and gear lovers by musicians and gear lovers who know what it’s like to follow a passion, even when that passion means working out of the back of a VW Bus.

2. Sweetwater is proudly headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

These days, it’s common for organizations to have offices or storefronts in multiple states or even countries, but at Sweetwater we do things a little differently. To promote deep connections between our staff and our community, the entire Sweetwater team works out of our single, large campus in Fort Wayne, Indiana. What do we love about Fort Wayne? Well, pretty much everything! With a population of around 265,000, Fort Wayne has big-city amenities with a decidedly small-town feel, including an active music and arts scene and thriving food culture with over 500 restaurants. And, Fort Wayne is incredibly family friendly with numerous parks, museums, and a celebrated children’s zoo.

The Sweetwater campus reflects our passion for the community. Not only is the Sweetwater Music Store open to the public — with its vast Guitar Gallery, drum room, and the largest on-site inventory of any music store in the country — but our customers and community members are welcome to come and enjoy the rest of our space, too. The Sweetwater campus includes a fantastic restaurant, a world-class coffee shop, a performance stage with free shows held weekly, an arcade and golf simulator, and an epic slide! The Sweetwater campus is a great place to spend time with friends and family while surrounded by the most amazing instruments and audio equipment in the world.

3. Sweetwater’s staff is primarily made up of musicians. 

The love for all things music runs deep at Sweetwater. Of our 1,500+ employees, over 80% are musicians — and that’s not just our Sales Engineers. That includes people from every department: distribution center, IT, marketing, administration, and more.

Listen in on the conversations taking place at our campus, and they’re about music and music gear, nine times out of ten. Like you, we’re excited to talk about the equipment on our wish lists, what our home studio setups are like, how we mic drums, which amps we prefer for playing out and which we prefer for recording, and what our favorite guitars are, among other topics. 

For a city of its size, Fort Wayne has a surprisingly large number of local bands, many of which are comprised of Sweetwater staff. Visit any music venue or church and, odds are, some folks from Sweetwater will be onstage. Sweetwater is a talent magnet and we attract amazing talent from all over the world — all here to serve you. 

4. Sweetwater’s Sales Engineers go through an intensive training program.

Why are Sweetwater Sales Engineers the best in the industry? In part, it’s because of Sweetwater’s unique, intensive training process. Before our Sales Engineers talk with their first customer, they undergo a 13-week training program dubbed “Sweetwater University.” 

A supercharged crash course in all things pro audio, Sweetwater University has a comprehensive curriculum that covers audio, mechanical, and electrical engineering; live sound and studio recording techniques; and hours and hours of in-depth exploration of a massive range of gear from guitar pedals to large-format recording consoles. 

And, after our Sales Engineers graduate and start working with customers, their education continues with numerous classes provided by product vendors and ongoing discussions of the latest products and technology. Our Sales Engineers attend meetings twice a week where they are informed about new products and trends.

Our Sales Engineers also have access to an extensive gear library, packed with pedals, preamps, microphones, instruments, and amps. That hands-on experience is invaluable and necessary so that we feel confident matching our customers with the gear that’ll take their creativity to the next level.

5. Sweetwater hosts GearFest each year — one of the largest pro audio industry events.

Since 2002, Sweetwater has hosted our annual GearFest, the nation’s top music gear festival. Music lovers from all over the world gather at our Fort Wayne campus for a two-day gear geek out. In 2019, roughly 17,000 gearheads were in attendance, alongside over 800 vendors demonstrating popular products and new releases. 

More than just a trade show, GearFest is filled with live performances and educational workshops from artists including Billy Sheehan, Steve Vai, and Rudy Sarzo, and engineers and producers such as Chris Lord-Alge, Jacquire King, Sylvia Massy, and Dave Pensado. At GearFest 2019, we recorded and livestreamed more than 28 hours of workshops and seminars, all of which are available here. 

If you haven’t attended GearFest before, it truly is an experience like no other with an energy and excitement all its own. And, did we mention it’s free? We’re amazingly proud of GearFest, and we encourage all of our customers to come out to meet us, to meet the artists and the vendors, and to enjoy an incredible event. 

6. Sweetwater has a top-tier recording studio on our campus.

As mentioned, Sweetwater’s roots go back to Chuck Surack’s mobile recording studio, and we continue that tradition with Sweetwater Studios, a world-class recording facility located on our campus. 

The ethos of Sweetwater Studios is to help artists bring their sound and vision to reality with the support of our awesome team of engineers, producers, and session musicians. Designed by the world-renowned Russ Berger Design Group, Sweetwater Studios comprises three separate studios.  

Studio A is our largest recording space and is ideal for tracking full bands. In its control room, you’ll find a stunning array of high-end preamps and processors plus a custom hybrid Neve/Avid S6 console. Studio A also ties into our 250-seat Performance Theatre for recording choirs, bands, and other large ensembles. 

Studio B provides a more intimate recording experience and is typically used for overdubs, editing, and mixing, but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t track an entire record in it. A hybrid studio, the heart of Studio B is its Solid State Logic AWS 948 Delta analog recording console; it also houses an incredible collection of outboard processors to craft the perfect tones for any project. 

Finally, Studio C is our mixing and mastering suite. Equipped with mastering gear from Dangerous Music and other top-shelf processors, Studio C is where our clients can put the final sheen on their records. 

7. Sweetwater runs a music academy and two youth music programs.

Sweetwater is dedicated to fostering musical talent at all ages and levels. That’s why we started the Sweetwater Academy of Music & Technology, where students are matched with an instructor from our team of music professionals, including vocalists, guitarists, bassists, pianists, and string and wind instrumentalists, representing every genre.

We also offer personal instruction in recording, mixing, DJing, and live sound. No matter if you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned player who wants to brush up on technique, the Sweetwater Academy (located on our campus) is sure to have an instructor who’s right for you.

During the summer, we hold Sweetwater Rock Camp, a weeklong, totally immersive musical experience for young musicians aged 12 to 18. At Rock Camp, students hone their performance skills, learn songwriting and arrangement, and, most importantly, meet and form a band with other young musicians. Rock Camp culminates in a professional recording session at Sweetwater Studios and a live performance in Sweetwater’s Performance Theatre. 

Also, at Sweetwater, we know how beneficial early exposure to music is to the development of young minds. Our Tiny Musicians program is for little guys and gals ages three and under (and their parents, of course!) and includes musical games, singing, and rhythmic activities in a group setting. Not only is the Tiny Musicians program good for a child’s mind, but it’s also an excellent way for them to interact with other kiddos and build a strong bond with their parents.

8. Sweetwater has a fantastic 55-point Inspection process for guitars.

At Sweetwater, we do things a little differently. A perfect example of that difference is the rigorous 55-point Inspection of all our guitars priced at $299 or above. Everyone who has bought a new guitar knows that sometimes they don’t arrive from the factory in the best condition. Well, at Sweetwater, we make sure that every guitar is in pristine condition before we sell it. After 24 hours of climate acclimation, we check your guitar’s finish, hardware, electronics, and playability, and we test all the notes on the fretboard. If, and only if, it passes our high standards of inspection, then we polish the instrument, tune it to pitch, and repack it in fresh material, double boxed to guarantee it doesn’t get damaged in transport. It’s a level of service you won’t find anywhere else.  

Why do we go to these extremes? Well, because we’re musicians too, and that’s how we would like our instruments to be treated. We know the magical feeling of opening up a box and pulling out a new guitar or bass, and we want to make sure nothing gets in the way of you enjoying that moment.

9. Sweetwater has a full-service Guitar Workshop for repairs, restorations, and upgrades.

So, not only do we make sure your guitar is great the first time you play, but also, we’re here to make sure it continues playing great for a lifetime of music making. The Sweetwater Guitar Workshop’s team of expert luthiers can perform everything from basic setups to complete rebuilds. Need your pickups and electronics replaced? No problem. Have a crack in your guitar’s body or a broken headstock? We’ve got you covered. Does your guitar need fretwork? Don’t fret (had to do it)! We’ll take care of it. Our luthiers are so respected, artists such as Dweezil Zappa and Robb Flynn have trusted us to repair their prized instruments — and we can do the same for you! 

Something we’re very excited to offer our customers is our Plek Pro Setup. Using the German-built Plek machine, we can fine-tune your neck and frets for a truly sublime playing experience. How does it work? Essentially, the Plek machine uses advanced technology to scan and evaluate your fretboard to compare it to optimum values. Then, it precisely cuts and smooths your frets and nut to achieve those values, giving you the best playability with the minimum string height, all without a hint of fret buzz or funky intonation. Pleking is frequently reserved for the highest-end, custom-built guitars. But, with our Plek Pro Setup, we can bring an old guitar back to life or take a new guitar to the next level.

10. Sweetwater’s website is a substantial pro audio knowledge base.

With over 50,000 products (and more coming online daily), Sweetwater.com is an excellent resource for exploring every imaginable type of studio gear and musical instrument. However, Sweetwater.com is also a music technology knowledge base with a gigantic repository of information, tips, tricks, and techniques. Our online magazine, inSync, is loaded with incredible content from interviews with artists and industry experts to long-form tutorials and gear shootouts. InSync covers every aspect of music making with information relevant to both beginner and expert musicians and engineers. It also includes an enormous glossary of over 5,000 music and audio technology terms for a quick, go-to resource when you’re researching your craft. And, it is updated almost daily for the freshest info. We suggest bookmarking it or setting it as your home page!

Are you interested in more Sweetwater insights? Take this online tour, or better yet, come visit our campus in Fort Wayne, Indiana, anytime for a tour. We’d love to show you around! Or join us for GearFest 2020 on June 26 and 27. Give us a call at (800) 222-4700 to learn more.  
The post 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Sweetwater appeared first on inSync.
https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-sweetwater/
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