Never made it into the store - they moved, and the yelp page hasn't been updated. That's not a…read moreknock on the quality of the store, but more, they are no longer adjacent to the distillery district.

A couple of Wednesdays ago, I was in the Bloor-Ossington area. I had parked in front of this Long &…read moreMcQuade for a couple of hours. I like backstories. I saw a heritage sign on Long & McQuade's building. It used to be the Concord Tavern. This tavern was open from 1948 till 1983. Back in the day, it was the hip location for artists and music lovers. The Concord hosted a bunch of talented musicians, jam sessions, and cool performances. Ronnie Hawkins and his band, which was later shortened to The Band, performed up to seven days a week at the Concord during the 1960's. Eventually, The Band joined Bob Dylan as his backing band and later became stars themselves. Pretty cool! Jack Long, a member of the Jack Long Trio, was the founder of Long & McQuade Musical Instruments. To date, it is Canada's biggest music store. He started his business in a small Toronto house on Carlton Street in 1956 and expanded to more than 90 locations in all ten provinces. Through a bit of research, I found out that Long had passed on September 4, 2024 at the age of 95. He was a jazz lover. He played the trumpet. He was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2014. Drummer Jack McQuade of this trio, who left the business in 1965, passed away in the 1970's from cancer. I don't know who the third member of this trio was. When the Concord Tavern closed down in 1983, an Irish pub took over, but eventually closed down. Long & McQuade's moved into its current location in 1988. It's fitting that a music store gave this site a new musical life. It has a massive assortment of instruments, sheet music, accessories, and more. I looked through the window. I didn't go in because I'd be there for hours and would likely buy an instrument to attempt to play. I grew up with a lot of music. We had a local music store in the Beaches that is now gone for good. My parents got me a ukelele in grade 3. When I was in grade 9, they got me a clarinet and I played it all through high school. This massive music store is my kryptonite. From guitars, to trombones, the selection of musical instruments looked impressive. I saw a girl lugging her trumpet into the store. My guess was that she was there for lessons. I don't miss hours of practicing various musical instruments growing up and likely annoying everyone who lived in my apartment building. I'm sure that they are stronger for it... haha! This store does have a few parking spots, but they are limited. It's probably best to parking on the street and shell out of parking. Maybe when I strike it rich, you'll see me getting an electric guitar from this store. I imagine annoying my neighbours in Markham playing it. (376)

Steve's is packed to the gills with everything you need from beginner,, to if you playing the…read moreHorseshoe across the street. Great selection of guitars, keys, and heck drums are upstairs! I was super impressed with the Boutique guitar pedal selection. I was pretty tempted to try a few things out. I did sit and play an acoustic 12 string for a few minutes and enjoyed the hell out of that! Flying home back to Iowa would have been a little tougher carrying a new synth but I had options if I wanted too! Killer selection, killer folks working (asked if I need help, but didn't bug me) and great location! Hell of a store Steve!

Always loved shopping here. The inventory was great and the service from the staff even better…read more Going to miss it. Bought my Yamaha electric piano and my Keytar here!

Just love the store, great finds, reasonable prices, and wonderful people - a Jewel in Kensington!…read more Mike G.

Sure they're nice but they're terrible at fixing guitars. They were able to give my Ibanez a…read morestandard setup and replace one of the pickups no problem but when I brought my bass in, they did basically nothing to fix it. I asked them to see if they could fix the buzzing that was happening every time I played it and fix both of the knobs which would just spin around and do nothing. When I got it back the buzz was almost worse and one of the knobs completely just screwed off (wasn't doing that before) would not recommend this place if you're wanting more than just a set up. Waste of $120.

I have shopped at Kaos twice even though I live in East Toronto. The first time I went in it was…read morebecause they were carrying a Yamaha product that wasn't available anywhere else and I could "get it today" if I drove over there. So I did, and I got to chatting with the guys working there and they were really awesome. You know when you go into some music stores and everyone has that attitude like they're better than you or they don't want to waste their time serving customers - that doesn't exist here. The selection of in-stock guitars is not huge but they have some good products that aren't stocked in other stores, like the higher end Pacificas and some cool Godin stuff. I haven't gone in their acoustic room but it is properly closed off and humidified. There are two reasons I went here when I had to special order a guitar that isn't stocked anywhere, even though there are stores closer to me that are also licensed dealers. First, I liked them last time I shopped there, and second, the guitar I was buying had not-super-awesome online reviews about the factory setup and Kaos sells new guitars with a free setup per year. I mean, I can do my own setup but... I don't want to on something new. Most places will do a free setup when you buy it, but not once a year. They also double manufacturer's warranties for new items. If anything is lacking here it's because of the floor space - the shop is pretty small. They don't have very many pedals and I've never gone looking for drums but I haven't seen them in-my-face in the main showroom. I will shop here again if I need to special order something, because their customer service is great.

KAOS is excellent. Extremely knowledgeable staff and they will provide solid guidance. Talk to Lou…read moreor Jay.

I came here recently to get my bow rehaired. I arrived around 10am on a Tuesday and the store was…read morebusy. Based on my interaction with the staff on a different day, Tuesday morning is the busiest. I mentioned that I needed my bow rehaired, so they called David down to consult. David asked if I was going anywhere soon with the bow, I assume to ensure that it's adjusted for both climates. He then asked when I needed it back. I didn't need it back for a week, but he said it would be ready in a few days. Amazing! David does the bow rehair in-house. The other luthiers that I visited in the past outsource the bow rehair and it takes a week at best to get it back. I received a call from David on Thursday asking if there was anything else that needed to be done on the bow. I mentioned that the stick has a bit of rosin dust on it and he said he usually cleans it and that the bow should be ready on Friday. I dropped by on Friday and it was ready. The bow was rehaired and the stick was clean. Bow rehairs cost $77 + tax and I thought the price was well worth the service. I also browsed through their selection of violin cases since I'm in the market. Their sales staff was very friendly and knowledgeable of the various options. I appreciated that they asked about my budget first. Unfortunately, I didn't find one that had all of the features that I was looking for in a violin case. But I appreciated that they helped out this indecisive shopper even when they were busy.

When I inherited a collection of stringed instruments I invited about 1/2 dozen experts to see the…read morecollection intending to sell all. The owner of the Sound Post came to my home to see the collection. I made a nice lamb dinner for him as I did for all the others. He was interested in some of the instruments and offered to ship containers (without my requesting them) so he could better study them. When I saw that his estimates were consistently lower than other dealers, I sold the instruments elsewhere. There was one antique Czech cello ( a Lantner) he had not seen. I inquired whether or not to ship it to him. He wanted to see it, and I shipped it off in one of the containers he had sent. Cost of shipping was not discussed. Ultimately, he was not interested in the Lantner cello and refused to return it until I paid him over $225 for shipping costs. He even threatened to charge storage fees for the instrument if I did not pay. I sent a check for the requested amount. When the cello arrived, it had been stripped off all unattached parts ( foot, bridge, strings, pegs, etc.). When I got in touch to ask for the parts, he said he would look for them. Several emails later he mentioned seeing a bag of parts in the storage room but was uncertain that they were mine. Ultimately, he has not responded to my emails and I still do not have the parts of the cello originally shipped. As to the collection, all the other antique instruments were sold to reputable dealers and musicians for higher prices than had been offered by the Sound Post. This was by far the most unpleasant experience I have ever had in dealing with a business.

I ordered a duet collection from Remenyi six months ago, which turned out to be out of print…read more Remenyi continually informed me when it was expected to arrive. I was so grateful not to be forgotten and delighted when it finally arrived. Merrilee Brand

Oh, Remenyi. How you were so good to mi! How impressed I…read morewas to comm via text (thanks again, Katie & team!) on my sitch of a score I wrongly purchased online. Then you offer to hand-deliver the correct Bach by an amiable staffer at my home, as Mike (ty!) would be nearby. Whuuut? So pleased and grateful for excellent, tech-fuelled AND human experience. Allegro to the double line. Bravi! Rick

Great repair shop. I've had all my basses set up here for years. They always sound killer. Zak is…read morevery cool and will get the job done right and quickly.

This has been my go to spot for Guitar and Amp repair. I've brought guitars and basses here to be…read moreset up and have had bass heads repaired here with new caps and switches. Zak (guitar tech) is always extremely nice and willing to help each time I've been in. The only issue I've had here is my gear might get put on the backburner, but that's only because this place gets really busy. I would suggest calling ahead to make sure they can fix your guitar or amp issues.

I have been using Paul Hahn ever since I moved to Toronto 12 years ago. Excellent service…read moremaintaining my piano. They have great technicians and they are very professional. Pricing for moving and tuning are very reasonable for such high quality work. I am glad to give them a positive review. Rest assured they are the best in the biz! Ron Sheldrick Toronto

we bought a used vintage piano here. We were told certain parts had to be restored, but I don't see…read moreany odd seams. It might as well be considered new. Piano is in good condition and makes beautiful sounds as it was originally intended. Tuning and a number of adjustment services are provided, and they can even come at night. The piano is handled by professionals who understand these instruments and know how to get beautiful sounds out of them.

Update: Brought in another (recently-bought brand new) guitar for a customised set up, and this guy…read morewas able to exemplary deliver as what was being requested of him. :) Thank you! ***** I just picked up the guitar that I brought in for set up and repair. Very satisfied with the outcome. Besides fixing the issue, I never received a guitar as clean, shiny and nicelconditioned ever until now. As soon as I held the guitar, I noticed his diligence and attention to detail in handling the same. Moreover, Ash is very accommodating, personable and honest. He has been patient with all of my questions and requests. Finally, his rates are reasonable -- and maybe the lowest in the GTA area, if not in the whole of Ontario or Canada. Highly recommended!

He doesn't overcharge. His work is clean and done right. He charged me cost for the new strings. He…read moreput in some sweet new pickups into my guitar. He cleaned up my neck and polished my frets at no extra charge. I paid him more than he asked me for because I had no idea he cared so much about every job he gets. Canadian independent. Toronto local. Can't get much better than that! I recommend Ash to anyone that likes doing honest business without a crazy markup for profit.