Who are the TOP Online Shops? Looking to put together short list!(Help Appreciated)

T

timbalesman

New member
:listeningmusic:Good day Folks..:)

I have spent quite a long time putting together a short list of the very best in
ONLINE:- Home ~Recording & Studio ~Equipment~Shops? I think I already have a few top contenders including ZZOUNDS,MUSICIANS FRIEND,GUITAR CENTRE,THOMANN,GEAR FOR MUSIC Thes guys have superb web sites but do they have customer service,and expertise? I am new to all this..and it would really help me and no doubt others to hear just who are the best outlets!

many thanks in advance

Steve:thumbs up:
 
Hello epicbluestudios's
Good to hear from you,Nope sweetwater i also have but did not list in thread so am very pleased you rate it so highly.I have had my first contact with zzounds but they were not much help? is this normal..pity as there site rocks

reagrds Steve
 
Sweetwater is THE place for a lot of great high end gear you won't find at Zzounds, Guitar Center, Musicians' Friend, and most shops. They have knowledgeable staff that not only sell equipment but also USE it. That said, I sometimes order from American Music Supply (for those "consumer grade" things) because I get the best price, free shipping, and usually get next day delivery (they're only 100 miles from my home). And lately I've been ordering from B and H Photo in New York City ( B&H Photo Video Digital Cameras, Photography, Camcorders ) for the same reasons.
 
Good day RustyAxe,

very good to hear from you.Yes I like the look of Sweetwater but will have to find out how good shipping is to europe?funny you should mention B&H Photo because i purchased a pair of Beyer Dynamic Phones from them a few years back at the time they were not available in Europe,but i was silly really as shipping was costly and I had a big wad of money to pay in customs..so i will be more selective this time around and see how the costs work out,don`t mind paying if the gear is good

best wishes Steve:thumbs up:
 
Thomann would be closer to you.
It beats the prices of local music stores.
Their 30 Day Money Back Guarantee comes in handy.
Gives you an option to test the gear before you decide to keep it or not.
+ free shipping for goods worth over 200EUR.
Those are the savings you can spend on food and beer, in the worst case - extra cable :)
 
Hi TMS
Nice to hear from you,yep Thomman are currently top of my list,for the reasons you gave there web site is out of this world..massive selection...I was just trying to find out other folks experiences with the other top outlets..which sometime stock items only available through them.Then it is useful to know they are good at there job.

all the best Steve:thumbs up:
 
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Sweetwater, NovaMusik, Humbucker Music, 8th Street, Analogue Haven, and Full Compass are all US online retailers I have had good experiences with.

Don't forget Craigslist for used stuff!

Never been burned on Ebay either but haven't used it in years.
 
Sweetwater gets the top vote - great customer service, follow up.
American Musical, Chicago Music Exchange and Hello Music - not much experience with these 3 places, but I did win a stomp box from CME!
 
mjbphotos's & c7sus's

Really good to hear from you guys,I think it means a lot that folk share there online and non online shopping experiences Sweetwater seems a very good outfit,i have Thommann from Germany out front only because they have a superb web site with an amazing range of gear,and of course they are near neighbours of Norway,but should there be items not available in Europe and it`s worth it i will most certainly look at sweetwater and other US suppliers!I have short cutted American Musical they look to have a good site alsoI will add the following sites [NovaMusik, Humbucker Music, 8th Street, Analogue Haven, and Full Compass] to my list and have a good look

Really enjoyed this

Best Wishes Steve:thumbs up:
 
Can't say enough about Sweetwater. They shipped a guitar to family in South America, no problem. I don't think Europe would be a problem for them.

I also agree with the suggestion for B&H. I've bought from them several times, they have great prices and excellent customer service. Not sure how they are shipping to Europe.
 
Hi Chili,
Good to hear from you, Sweetwater seems to be well out in front,i will pay particular attention to their site.
I must agree B&H Photo new York were great to deal with when I purchased my phones a few years back but I was silly as shipping & customs charges made the Beyer`s very expensive,but that is no reflection on B&H

all the best Steve:thumbs up:
 
I did contact the Sweetwater's regard shipping to Europe.
Their price for GT-100 was much lower compare to other websites.

This is reply from them:
Thank you for contacting me regarding purchasing through Sweetwater. I do appreciate it! Before we proceed any further, I feel that there are some things that you should know concerning international orders. Please note the following:

• The gear we carry is meant for the United States marketplace. For all intents and purposes, the warranty is VOID outside of the United States. However, we do have our own in house service department that will gladly take care of warranty related repairs. Please note that YOU are responsible for shipping both ways, should you need a repair.

• You will not be eligible for technical support from the manufacturer, but we have a fantastic in-house support department that can assist you with any issues. You should come to us directly with any issues, and NOT your local distributor if one exists.

• There WILL likely be additional import taxes and/or duty fees. It is your responsibility to find out what these are ahead of time. Each country handles these differently, which is why we do not have a database of what those fees will be. Please find out how this will impact you ahead of time. And yes, you are responsible for all shipping costs, it is not free to ship outside of the US.

• While some of the electronic equipment we sell has switchable power supplies and can work on different voltage, most units can only accept US power, which is 110 volts. If your electricity is anything other than 110 volts, you will need the appropriate transformer to operate the equipment. If you fail to use the appropriate transformer and plug the unit into an AC outlet, it will most likely damage the equipment, and no warranty repair will be honored. If you have questions about a particular unit, please let me know.

Please reply to this email so that I know you have received it, read it, and understand it. We have many international customers in many countries, but I want to be forthright with information that you should know ahead of time. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to a response.

Danielle Cummings
Sweetwater Sales Engineer
Click to expand...
 
:listeningmusic:Hi TMS,

Many thanks for copying the info in to your reply it will be very useful to members thinking of importing from US in particular but the same basics apply from most countries!so check before you order.

That is very good advice from sweetwater,and something I am very aware of having purchased HI-Fi and other gear from US!I think Thomann of Germany for most things,and smaller items from Sweetwater is the way to go,the latter applies to all US stores.

Best Wishes Steve
 
Mercenary.com for quality gear. Always worth doing a price comparison as they often double the warranty.
 
:thumbs up: wheelema
Many thanks I will add them to my list I suspect they are a US company also? i wonder if there are any good european outlets besides THOMANN?

Regards Steve
 
Sweetwater and American Musical!

American Musical has excellent payment options and Sweetwater has exclusive gear and the BEST service around.

I haven't purchased from Musicians Friend since 2009.
 
 
a great company in Canada is Axe Music. ordered from zzounds once, didn't like how fed ex called me from the border saying they needed another $80 to continue shipping my guitar.
 
Thought not strictly a "music site," B&H Photovideo is, bar none, the best when it comes to ethical dealing, customer support, responsiveness, fairness, etc. I've been buying from them for decades and have never, not once, had anything but a great experience. If you're ever in NYC, it's fun to visit their brick-and-mortar store, which has acres of gear to drool over, really helpful and knowledgeable sales people, and an e-ticket amusement park ride that transports purchases from the sales counters to the check-out registers which is fun to watch.
 
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