Why would you buy your guitar anywhere else?
Sweetwater makes sure that shopping for a guitar or bass on our site is as exciting and reassuring as it is in person. That's why we go to great lengths to carefully inspect, play test, individually photograph, and weigh every stringed instrument we sell priced at $399 and above. In fact, we put trained eyes and hands on hundreds of guitars and basses every day, because we want each one to arrive just as you had imagined, leaving you totally satisfied with your new instrument. We do this simply because it's the right thing to do.
Sweetwater's 55-point Inspection
Taking the guesswork out of buying your next guitar online.
Our detailed 55-point Inspection ensures that each instrument valued $399 and above is shipped in factory-fresh condition and ready to play. Plus, our professional technicians, inspectors, and luthiers are trained in factory specifications and tolerances and steeped in years of customer feedback.
You can count on the fact that they have looked at every aspect of that guitar or bass, from the input jack to the headstock, the same way you would in a store. And each instrument ships with its own individually signed certificate of inspection, giving it our personal seal of approval that the instrument meets or exceeds factory standards.
The 55-point Inspection* Checklist:
Handling
- 24-hour climate acclimation & professional handling
- Inspect case/gig bag interior & exterior
- Verify contents & accessories
Cosmetic and Construction Inspection
- Inspect & polish body
- Fingerboard surface
- Neck & neck joint
- Strings
- Plastic parts
- Hardware
- Inlays
- Binding
- Nut
- Headstock
Hardware Check
- Motion/vibration test
- Bridge
- Tuning machines
- Strap buttons
- Truss rod cover
- Pickguard
- Output jack
- Switches
- Potentiometers
- Pickup screws & rings
- Neck joint screws/bolts
- String trees
- Battery compartment
- Locking nut
Electronics Testing
- Output jack & plug fit
- Pickup switching
- Potentiometers
- Pickup splitting/tapping
- Onboard tuner & battery
- Electric pickups
- Acoustic pickups
- Onboard preamp
- Onboard effects
- 13-pin pickup
Playability Check
- Check tuning machines & tune to pitch
- Stretch strings & tune to pitch
- String & saddle position
- Neck relief
- Frets
- Action height
- Intonation
- Pickup height
- Tremolo system
- Play test all notes on the fretboard
- Play test a variety of half- & whole-step bends
- Play test a variety of chords & styles
Tune and Polish
- Tune to pitch
- Polish instrument
Packing
- Inspect/refresh packing material, as needed
- Professional repack
- Store in climate-controlled warehouse
- Double-box for shipping
* Applies to guitars valued $399 and above only.
Is the 55-point Inspection the same as a "setup"?
Our 55-point Inspection is different than a setup, because our inspection ensures that the instrument meets manufacturer tolerances, whereas a setup tailors the guitar to a player's specific preferences. A setup typically involves our world-class Guitar Workshop installing your preferred strings, adjusting to a requested action height, and even installing new pickups or other parts. If you would like your instrument set up before it ships, simply tell your Sales Engineer. They'll be happy to oblige.
