Sweetwater Sees Phenomenal Guitar Sales Growth

- Guitars a growing part of music technology retailer's success -

Fort Wayne, IN, August 1, 2007 - Sweetwater, the fifth-largest music instrument and pro audio retailer in the world, according to Music Trades magazine, has experienced phenomenal growth in sales of acoustic and electric guitars over the past few years, with 500% growth from 2003 to 2006, and annual growth in excess of 160% each of the last three years.

Such growth is all the more remarkable considering that Sweetwater is a mail order and Internet retail operation, with only a single retail store in its home town of Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Yet Sweetwater customers are hardly making an uninformed decision. At Sweetwater's website, the innovative Guitar Gallery (http://www.sweetwater.com/guitargallery/) provides photographs and detailed descriptions of each and every individual guitar on sale. More than 1,000 photographs are taken and posted at the Guitar Gallery each week.

Most guitars undergo a rigorous 55-point inspection performed by highly trained technicians before shipment. And shipping is free.

A key factor of success is Sweetwater's highly trained sales force. Vendors such as Gibson and Wechter regular visit Sweetwater to provide hands-on instruction on the unique aspects of their guitars. Armed with this training, Sweetwater Sales Engineers can ensure that each purchase is tailored to the customer's needs and desires.

Founder and President Chuck Surack said, "We began selling guitars because our customers asked us to. Some doubted that we could be successful because we couldn't provide physical contact with the instrument as part of the decision to buy. Our success is a testament to the trust our customers put in us."

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