Take the Sweetwater Distribution Center tour
Here’s a fun fact: when you purchase from Sweetwater, your Gibson guitar goes through a 55-point inspection. But did you know that you can also have your new guitar modded and even get old guitars repaired and restored?
In the latest video on the Gibson Gear Guide, join Dinesh Lekhraj as he tours the Sweetwater Distribution Center (affectionately known as the Sweetwater Factory) in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and gets a deep dive into the care and attention that Sweetwater Sound gives to every Gibson guitar before it’s shipped to your door.
All Gibson guitars are subjected to rigorous QC and warranted to be free from defects in materials and workmanship before they leave our Nashville and Bozeman craftories. When they arrive at Sweetwater’s massive Distribution Center—capable of holding over 30,000 guitars!—every Gibson guitar is checked over again, set up, and repacked before it gets to you.
Special guest, Lily (the Gibson Brands liaison at Sweetwater), plays a pivotal role in this process and the rigorous 55-point inspection every Gibson guitar undergoes. This includes checking serial numbers, neck relief, playability, electronics, cosmetics, tuning, polishing, and ensuring your guitar is packed perfectly. You’ll also see how each Gibson guitar is photographed from many angles without enhancements, so you can be sure that the guitar you see on the Sweetwater website is the same instrument that turns up on your doorstep.
One of the standout features of Sweetwater’s process is their guitar setup and modification station, which allows you to make almost any changes you want to your guitar. Sweetwater offers customization options to all Gibson guitars so you can request setups, string changes—even advanced modifications such as nut and pickup installations if you want to change the sound or feel of your guitar.
In addition, even though every Gibson is PLEK’d before it leaves the factory, Sweetwater also has a PLEK station, so you can have your guitar fine-tuned even further based on personal preferences when it comes to playability and feel. It’s safe to say your guitar is in safe hands with Sweetwater!
Shop Gibson at Sweetwater to experience next-level customer service first-hand.
