Guitars for Vets, the national nonprofit that teaches guitar to Veterans living with PTSD and other service-related trauma, and Gear Exchange, Sweetwater’s marketplace for used gear are providing healing for Veterans.
Sweetwater news release:
Guitars for Vets and Sweetwater’s Gear Exchange Turn Donated Instruments into Healing for Veterans
Gear Exchange sales fund new guitars for Veterans in G4V’s 10-week programFort Wayne, Indiana (November 4, 2026) – A guitar gathering dust in someone’s closet could help a Veteran learn to play. That’s the idea behind a partnership between Guitars for Vets (G4V), the national nonprofit that teaches guitar to Veterans living with PTSD and other service-related trauma, and Gear Exchange, Sweetwater’s marketplace for used gear.
G4V sells donated instruments through its own Gear Exchange storefront, and each sale helps buy new guitars for Veterans who complete its free 10-week program. Gear Exchange is Sweetwater’s online marketplace where musicians buy and sell used gear.
People across the country give Guitars for Vets guitars, basses and other gear. The storefront puts that gear in front of Sweetwater’s customers, and what it earns goes back into the program. Since the online store opened in late 2025, Guitars for Vets has sold nearly 150 instruments through the Gear Exchange partnership. The funds raised have resulted in hundreds of guitars being gifted to veterans in the program.
Sweetwater is also recognizing the volunteer instructors behind those graduates. G4V instructors receive Sweetwater gift cards based on how many Veterans they guide through the program.
“Sweetwater isn’t just in the music business; they’re in the people business. Their generosity means so much more than putting an instrument in someone’s hands,” commented interim executive director for Guitars 4 Vets Nathan LeCompte. “From the Gear Exchange to supporting our volunteer instructors, they help us bring music and connection to more veterans every day. We’re deeply grateful to have a partner who cares not just about the music, but about the people behind it.”
Guitars 4 Vets began in 2007, when guitar teacher Patrick Nettesheim started giving lessons to Dan VanBuskirk, a Vietnam-era Marine. The two brought the lessons to the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee, and the program grew from there. Veterans who finish the 10-week course take home a new guitar and an accessory kit.
“We’re proud to partner with Guitars for Vets because their mission speaks to something we believe deeply at Sweetwater,” said Chrissy Pearl, director of integrated marketing with Gear Exchange. “Music has a way of reaching people when little else can. Our Veterans have given so much to this country and helping them pick up a guitar and learn to play feels like a small way for us and our customers to give something back.”
To shop the Guitars for Vets storefront, visit Sweetwater.com/used/storefront/gvets. To donate an
instrument or learn about the program, visit Guitars4vets.org.
About Sweetwater
The number one online retailer for music makers, Sweetwater is trusted and beloved by millions of musicians, audio engineers, teachers, band and orchestra directors, and podcasters who rely on the company to help advance their musical and creative journeys. From beginners to rock stars, music makers everywhere seek out Sweetwater’s industry-leading expertise, including in-depth product videos to inform their purchases and unrivaled post-care support. Headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and founded in 1979, Sweetwater Sound, LLC credits its four decades of growth to its 2,500 employees and its deep understanding of the profound connection that music makers have with their craft, their gear, and the creative process. Sweetwater is amplifying change through music and lifting up communities by creating, empowering, and caring about the music makers of tomorrow and today. For more information, visit Sweetwater.com.About Guitars for Vets
Guitars for Vets (G4V) is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with more than 150 chapters serving Veterans in all 50 states. Since 2007, G4V has developed and refined a 10-week guitar instruction program designed to support Veterans living with PTSD, trauma, and other challenges. With the help of more than 1,000 dedicated volunteers, G4V delivers free programming through VA facilities, Vet Centers, Veterans Service Organizations, and community-based locations including VFW posts, American Legion halls, and other local partner organizations.