I could not know less about sound equipment. But one thing I now know for certain is that Long & McQuade are the best in the business. Came in with my resident DJ to grab sound equipment and everyone was super sweet, funny and got us in and out with everything we needed for much cheaper than expected. read more

Don't work here anymore. They pay nothing and ask everything with a POS system they say is best and yet we clearly all know there is better systems. There is a closed club of people that toe the line. If you want to be involved with this company, be a real estate agent, buy the land for them. Don't think selling/renting will pay you what they require of you. The one store made roughly 4M, and property increased 15M. I made 16.62/hr to be a financer, no commission, condescending management (likely power tripping because their salary ceiling is too low). I think this a classic example of expected a lot of horse power without due compence. Management was good and I'd been happy to continue. I was illegally under speculation. Otherwise was apologized to twice by accounts departments. read more

These guys are great at helping you with all your needs. They have great prices and excellent equipment

Required a small sound system for a wedding in Calgary. The Edmonton South store provided all the stock # I would require so i could order from Calgary. All items were available & the explained how the cable connected & how to get best sound quality. Everything worked great and when I returned the equipment it was checked in quickly and I was on my way. I do not rent very often but this would be my choice for future required equipment rentals Allen F read more

Brodie at the Chinook store was absolutely fantastic helping me with my latest guitar purchase Brodie took a guitar in trade that I had bought earlier this year that just didn't fit me ( my fault as I chose it ). He made it so easy and got me within $50 of what I might have been able to sell it for . This made it a simple decision . Everything he promised was done to the letter . He made this so easy and no stress . If you are looking for .guitar definitely recommend going to the Chinoo k L&M and ask for Brodie . Everyone else seemed very friendly and also helpful , it's a very nice atmosphere where you don't have to look like a Rockstar for them.to.talk to you read more

I e always been able to rely on L&M for good products at decent prices. I do have to be honest and note that this store does have a higher percentage of 'I'm a rockstar' attitude than most shops but, for the most part it's not that bad...it's kind of fun and as long as they can back it it it's not a big deal to me. It could be intimidating to newbies though. Great return policy, great product range, good sales staff. one of their guitar techs did a bit of damage finish on a guitar that was in for a pickup swap BUT the shop covered the repairs to the finish so I have to tip my hat to them on being stand up guys. I was and still am impressed with how well they handled that situation and I have been back for tech work since and will do so again. They also have the best amp tech in Calgary. Google doesn't allow for .5 so I'll write in a 4.5. read more

As a long time customer of L&M I have always enjoyed fair pricing and excellent service. Matt S at the Calgary Chinook location always provides me with knowledgeable advice and friendly, professional service including Best in Class guitar tech services by Jim M and Chris L. L&M is my favourite place for musical equipment. Also I'd like to give a shout out to Graham K in the NE location for helping me with a recent accessory purchase. Thank you L&M! ...Don M read more

Long & McQuade is the the kind of store where I need to bring the exact amount of cash I need for my purchase into the store with me and leave my credit card in the car! It's important for my happiness, but also deadly to my bank account. I dream of the days of locally owned mom & pop music stores, but Long & McQuade does a whole lot of things right that I would love to see a lot of them learn from. While it may be a result of the buying power they have by being country wide, they have a credit system structured to deal with musicians. It's probably no secret that a lot of musicians don't have the best credit and using numbers alone would be nothing short of a ship wreck to most credit companies. What Long & McQuade understands is just because you're some punk kid working a minimum wage job, you're a punk kid working a minimum wage job with a guitar addiction! You want it, need it, and will starve yourself before giving that guitar back. As long as you make your payments to Long & McQuade they will treat you like royalty and they don't give a damn about any other aspects of your life. The rental section is awesome! I'm been renting from here since my highschool days of throwing terrible punk rock concerts in community halls and they'd let me use a twenty dollar bill as a deposit. Now as a full-fledge member of the adult world (I'm still waiting for my membership card) I often rent PA systems and lighting for events. They always have what I need at a fair cost, and with theft insurance for around $4, it takes away a lot of the stress. This kind of stuff gets stolen from time to time. Someone once stole my 4x10 bass cab out of the back alley. What jerks! Had it been L & M's gear I wouldn't have had anything to worry about! Even though the sales guys aren't commission based, they still know their stuff and they're always around when you need them... mostly... I do like that you can get someone to help you our regardless of whether you're making a large or small purchase. I make many, many small purchases before I walk in and drop a fat wad of cash in exchange for a stack, but the service that I get when I'm just there to pick up a few odds and ends, some drum sticks and guitar strings, makes all the difference. read more

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Hands down best place to get music gear In Calgary!!! L&M is a real Canadian institution if you dont already know that. three big advantages of going to L&M #1.non pushy salesmen #2 in house financing for any piece of gear you could want or need, makes it really easy to make purchases even when you don't have all the cash#3. Really good rental service. I have been a customer at all the big music stores in Calgary , and while all of them have their place and special items L&M really takes the prize as #1. As a working musician I can tell you that they have helped me get the things I need when I need them. I love L&M! read more

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As far as customer service goes, these guys might be the best in the biz. Friendly, knowledgeable, and you'll be sure all your items are tested and in working condition before you leave their front door. An entire DJ rig for a week was far less expensive than other rental companies I searched out, and for only $4, you can protect thousands of dollars worth of gear in case of theft. From top to bottom, they're pros. read more

LOUSY service if you can call it that. I stood at the till for close to ten minutes in front of 6 staff members staring at me. Then I picked up my cell phone and called the store and the directory said that everyone was busy. Really??? None of the 6 guys standing 15 feet away from me could pick up the phone? I looked at them waving my bank card and purchase and still nothing. I walked out. Been a customer since 1987, will never shop there again. Will buy online. Same price no salespeople who act like customers are beneath them. read more

I have been going to Long & McQuade's since the 1980s, when they had a shop on 17th Avenue. They are simply amazing. Always fair pricing and helpful staff. Now I have kids who play and I always find excellent merchandise their to keep them interested. If I could do stars, I would! read more

The products are great. But, the front door staff was on his phone texting. Had to wait for him to stop texting before asking a question.

it doesn't matter if you are buying a $5 item or spending thousands, their customer service is exemplary. I wish all stores in the city had customer service like this one! read more

Pretty wicked shop. I came in here on the hunt for some piano books and though they don't have as big of a selection of sheet music as other places, they had what I was looking for. I also browsed around a bit in the rest of the shop, I was impressed by the instrument rentals they offer (incuding rent to own). I think that's an awesome concept, since buying an instrument can be quite an investment. I have to agree with the other reviewers - the customer service in this place rocks. It's clear that the staff love working there! It really comes through when you look around and realize how many people are in theshop, this place was packed! read more

If you want to feel like someone actually cares about your business, just head over to Long & McQuade. Two weeks ago, I walked into Long & McQuade knowing what I was looking for but little to no clue what it was called. I need the ability to record my presentations, videos, reviews, etc... with... ...with my iPhone. I need a LAV mic. (those fancy shmancy mic's speakers and reporters use that no one sees Challenge, LAV mic's need to be powered and L&M had never heard of such a thing for the iPhone. I saw something on YouTube that led me to believe such technology existed. Dyonne (one the great staff) had a tremendous amount of patience with me. I was asking for some that at this point neither one of us thought existed. After about 20 min of searching the store and searching YouTube, we found the solution... a LAV mic DOES exist... it wasn't in stock but it was two weeks away if I wanted to order it. The price for this little gizmo is about $26.00. I ordered two. What really blew me away was Dyonne treated me like I just bought a $2500 dollar pice of audi equipment. First class service. A week and a half later the LAV mic's arrived and as promised, Dyonne emailed me and let me know. When I went in to pick it up, Dyonne wasn't there but Brent was. The consistent and professional standard of service established by Dyonne was delivered by Brent. I was so excited to try out my new toy that I opened up the package right away, not even thinking if I was holding up business. Like Dyonne, Brent was more than happy and patient... humouring me as I opened up my new piece of technology. I worked and we were both impressed! Long & McQuade - I only met two of your team and they were both first class. I'll be back for the next level of technology! Thanks! read more

I was so surprised that such a large national company would be interested in sponsoring sound for one of the events that I was arranging. And when speaking to Paul in marketing it was as if I was talking to a close friend. His customer skills are incredibly warm, he is a busy man but he does his best to keep me involved in the process of working with his head office. Long and McQuade has a great reputation musically and sound wise and of course they know their stuff, so I just want to put a personal yelp shout out to let people know about how generous they can be to support community organizations and their needs. read more

Been a Long & McQuade customer for almost 40 years. You can't beat the prices and inventory. Best music store in the city. Nuff said. read more

Flew in from US and dropped by for some guitar rentals for my sister's wedding in Banff. It happened to be super swamped because the day after was Canada Day and the Stampede festival was also going on. The store was crazy busy! I asked Chris Fawcett for assistance and even though he was busy and seem like he was tied down with other task, he went his out of his way to grab all the equipment I needed. The dude was a stud! He definitely had to be a role model in the department. My experience and transaction was solid, efficient, and smooth because of Chris. Stay awesome! read more

Long overdue update. The last three dealings with Long and McQuade have been much better. They sponsored a Conservatory Canada workshop last summer. Excellent selection of books at the workshop and service. Very friendly service when I was shopping for a microphone sock. Ditto for when I was in last month to buy one music book (and walked out with a bunch of two-piano works). Ruth, one of the staffers, told me that L&M are moving to a bigger location. The print music area is going to triple (if memory serves correct). Curious to see what the new location will be like. read more

What can I really say? If you need equipment, this is it. A 30 return policy, great staff, good pricing & can get you whatever you really need. (Lost a selector switch Fender 1997, found it new, put it aside, even sold it to me when they had flooding troubles!) Bought 2 guitars here, plenty of microphones, effects & strings. Can praise high enough. read more

Very comprehensive selection in departments that cover all all areas of music: classical / wind, drums, guitars, amps, pro audio recording, literature, acoustic, and rentals. Friendly knowledgeable staff, who dont pressure because they are not commissioned. Often, it can be difficult to GET a sales associate to help you, but when they do its all good, except for the occasional dumb-ass who has a superiority complex because of their "wealth" of knowledge hahah.... this is rare though. Generally speaking, L&M has the BEST prices there are, go ahead shop around you wont find a better price. Pretty damn good purchasing policies, for example if you want to return something they will totally take it back but charge you "rent" for the time you had it in a lot of cases. L&M carries ALL the brands youre looking for. Super good selection, and free delivery to store from any other location in Canada. If youre willing to wait, theres no charge for ordering items not in stock from anything in their regular inventory of available items. Only "complaint" is that they're not open late enough on weekends. Super rad 12 month financing available, with no penalty if you pay it off early. All in all pretty good place for musicians indeed. read more

Long & McQuade is very up and down for me. Their service in the guitar and bass department is terrible, the older staff members make you feel like a lesser being for asking questions and are rarely around to give you any information anyways. When I went in to buy a bass it took 45 minutes of standing around before I was able to get the attention of an employee. I have had some issues with the financing department but honestly they are generally good, if I can't make a payment on time they have allowed for a grace period penalty free. Their special orders take a lot longer to arrive than promised which would be fine if they were honset with me, I hate being assured a month wait and having to wait four, with no phone call informing me of the delay. I would be giving this place 1 and a 1/2 stars if it wasn't for the drum room. The service there is great! The drum staff is approchable, friendly, patient and very informative. I'm always greeted and asked if I need assistance. Thanks to the drum department, I will recommend them to anyone in the market for percussion. read more

I just bought a PA system and mixer from these folks a few weeks back. I brought in a quote from AXE Music and they simply matched the price and found a better mixer for less money. They also tossed in some cabling. Super cool team there, and I learned they do not operate on commission. That's a good sign, as high pressure sales alway always are a result of commission. ERBODY GOTTA EAT I GUESS. Cheers L & M read more

Even if you don't play an instrument, you should go to L&M. It's a fun place to visit. Someone is always playing a guitar, beating the drums, or tickling the ivories. Fun experience. Plus, the staff is super knowledgeable and very helpful. This is one of my favourite stores. read more

My son volunteered to play bass for his school band, but we did not have one for him to practice with. I took a quick trip to L&M and the problem was solved. In under an hour, I was back out the door with a rental Squire bass, and Traynor amp. Thanks to Matt H! He made the process quick and painless. Long & Mcquade remains my first choice for instruments in Calgary. Now if they would just cut me a deal on that dobro ukulele... read more

L&M is truly a musicians music store. All other "music" stores in the city are just retail stores that sell musical instruments. L&M have great products, good prices, in house financing and more importantly the most friendly, knowledgeable "musicians" who help you get what works for you. Since I started dealing with them all other music stores in Calgary are pale in comparison and have not had to go anywhere else. read more

I was looking at piano study books here last Friday evening. The gentleman who helped me was wonderful! He assisted me, advised me and helped me search for things that might be of interest. He was informative, friendly, yet not intrusive. The store is well organized and pleasant to browse. Regardless of whether one is intending to make a purchase, it is worthwhile visiting if one has any interest in music! :-) One could easily spend hours just browsing... read more

Great place. I can't wait to come back soon and explore their selection of headphones and other musical instruments.

I guess I'm biased as my husband works here, but it has a good 'homey' feel. I know the quality and ethic of the work there is high.

Great place for instrument rentals. I had to rent a keyboard for my son's piano lessons and they made sure they had someone available to help me out. They explain the process and make it easy to pay up front on a monthly or weekly or daily basis. The cost of the rental can be high and I would recommend only renting for a few months to get a feel for it and just purchase for the long haul. Friendly service for sure! I was very impressed overall. read more

My favorite music store.. they have good deals.. knowledgeable staff and they have lots of music stuff.. it's always my first music stop whether I'm working in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton or Langley. read more

You may or may not get the best service (it's a big, busy store), but there are a number of knowledgeable and helpful people working there. I've purchased a few guitars, an amp, a bass, 2 drum sets and lots of P.A. equipment there, and I've always shopped around beforehand, but their prices are pretty much the best in the city for larger items. Maybe not so much for strings and books and picks, etc. Recently, a friend of mine was ready to buy an amp at Guitarworks - I told him to hold off until I checked L&M. I saved him $60! read more

I avoided Long&Mcquade for a long time because years back I had some bad experiences with very pushy salesmen. Lately I've been giving them another shot for my music supplies and rentals. Every time I visit the staff have been really great and I never have to wait to get help when I need it. Renting instruments here is affordable and super easy. The selection is fantastic last week I bought my self a new Taylor ce 114 and the buying experience was awesome. read more

It's rare these days when I get treated so great as a customer so I had to share. Denise at this location couldn't have been any better. There was a slight mis understanding and he handled it like a pro. Got me what I needed promptly without hesitation. Can't thank him enough! read more

Had a terrific gig last night and wanted to say THANK YOU Long & McQuade Calgary for two big things: 1. FIRST RATE instruction on lead guitar by Morgan Turk over the past year. He really helped me zone in on what I needed to do and kept me motivated! I am nowhere near his level, but I got to where I needed to be within a year to pull of a very respectable performance--- and I'm thrilled!! 2. Your RENTAL dept. When I had issues with my own guitar, I came in and rented an electric guitar+pedal setup a couple days ago. Chris in your rental department took the time to teach me how to use it (spent a good half hour- I am not tech inclined)...which totally saved my butt on my gig last night, since it was my first one doing electric lead guitar. THANK YOU for being there for musicians, you guys rock!! read more

Non-commissioned sales staff who are actively involved in the local music scene and know what their talking about. Best music store in Canada. Rhona-Mae A is out to lunch in her review. The staff and management will do what it takes to make you happy. read more

I hate going to this place but they are the only store for stuff sometimes.... That said they can be complete idiots. I know they don't work on commission and most times this is a good thing but sometimes it means that their customer service sucks. I have a friend who was buying a guitar and the salesperson said he wouldn't sell her the guitar she wanted because she "wasn't good enough to buy a guitar like that". I don't know but that's the kind of person I want working for my shop. She bought it somewhere else. read more

I have been frequenting L&M forever and will continue to do so as there are few better stores with as much stock and services. However, i have to say that the "Grand Opening" of the NW Calgary store was a complete sham and anything but grand. except for a draw that I am (and pretty much everyone else is) very unlikely to win, and a few items marked down 30% that no-one really wants anyway, there was nothing out of the everyday ordinary trip to the music store. I bought some strings and some picks and a glass slide, all at full price, and drove back home wondering if i could invoice L&M for the gas i burned. Really a poor effort - felt sort of like everyone in the store was expecting everyone else to put on the specials and in the end nobody did. The odd part was that they didn't even seem embarrassed. Why they even bothered is beyond me. I guess it must have come down from head office or something. Oh well. I won't stop being a customer but I doubt that I will continue to recommend them over any competitor, as I have done in the past. read more

First rate experience. The people at L&M were extremely helpful and knowledgeable. I had a bit of difficulty getting a perfectly clean sound out of some recording eq that i bought and Paul did a great job of quickly trouble-shooting and solving my problem. I love the new NW store. read more