A couple of Wednesdays ago, I was in the Bloor-Ossington area. I had parked in front of this Long & McQuade 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) read more

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Today, I created a rental account with a clerk who was perfectly helpful in getting me all the equipment I needed. The manager who approved my account application, however, left me feeling patronized. This manager asked me for the reason for my rental, where the equipment would be kept, and if I understood that my employer wont be responsible if anything goes wrong - all in what came off as a condescending tone. My partner, who has rented from this L&M on many occasions, told me that he's never been asked any of those questions any time he's been at that very same counter, even when renting far more expensive equipment than what I got today. My expectation was that, as the only other woman in the room, this manager would have offered me a bit of kindness as another woman in such a male dominated space. Instead, I was made to feel infantilized and out of place. read more

I called beforehand and let the person in the guitar dept know that I was coming down to put steel strings on a kid size guitar for my nephew that currently had nylon strings on it. The gentleman on the phone said "Sure, no problem we can do that". When I went down and tried explaining the situation to the person behind the counter, another lady working there steps up and just shortly states that you can't put nylon strings on a steel guitar or it will break. No alternatives given, no help. Even after stating I had called beforehand and was given the ok. This could have been handled better in person and over the phone. I'm a long time customer with an account here. The people behind the counter are usually more friendly and helpful. Major disappointment. read more

I went L&M Guitar section Sat May 3, 2025 to buy guitar strings. I also needed one guitar peg. The rep there told me they only sell GPegs in a pacakage of 6. I asked if I could speak to the Guitar technician who has a big box of used pegs. The last time I got one free. However, the rep told me they no longer allow that. I told the rep I could buy it. I reminded the rep I bought my Fender 12 string at their store and used them to set and tune my guitar. However, the rep did not budge and got me to speak to the manager who said the same thing and also said they have to order the peg online which could take a week or more. He also insisted I bring in my guitar which I would have to bring from downtown. I had video recorded my guitar and showed them what the guitar and peg looked liked. All this hassle for one peg. Usually the service at L & M has been good. I left the store a frustrated. I ended up going to Kensington Market and came accross a small independent guitar store. The rep there was quite helpful. He gave me a new peg which cost $5 and a set of guitar srings. I always avoided these small independent and local stores. But not no more. read more

the issue has been resolved ,thanks to Michael explaining why the delay with the distributor, although I would have preferred to know before I ordered but I guess not everybody was updated with the issues they are having . So problem solved showing they still care about their customers . read more

Condescending and arrogant, ive never rented before and the Bloor st store clerk was a total jerk and belittled me . guessing you have to be Drake to get any service I spend 4 grand with their competition who where friendly and helpful read more

I've been renting for years to throw basement parties from Long Mq Had a set of Behr headphones used once 1 side went dead due to a loose connection bottom line they were $300 and 1 year out of warranty but like new and the store repaired them under no charge for me I appreciate this and wanted to thank the staff at bloor street store and will certainly be upgrading to the basement and look to support this store vs ANY big box or costco stores out there! read more

I've known Long & McQuade since 1990, and they have always been my go-to for place musical instruments and sound equipment. Their rental department can cover an entire concert. Their guitar department is fantastic, with friendly staff and superb service. Once, I witnessed their staff change a set of guitar strings for a girl for just one dollar. What I love the most about Long & McQuade is their honesty. I prefer buying from Long & McQuade over Amazon. read more

I had to update my review after having an extremely positive experience here. Last year, I wrote a very angry review after I had brought in a piece of DJ equipment for servicing. However, I brought the same device in a few weeks ago. I was really stressed out as I was told that it could be up to 3 months if a new part was needed. I went ahead with the repair anyway because L&M is the only store reasonably near me that does this kind of service on PioneerDJ products. 3 hours later, I got an email saying the device was ready for pickup; and here I was getting ready to wait 3 months! When I went, to pick up my repair, I was really shocked at how much work they actually did in those 3 hours. They verified the issue, disassembled the equipment I brought in, replaced the loop in + loop out + reloop exit button, cleaned the unit, reassembled it and tested to make sure that it works. I want to thank Carlos and all the staff that worked on my case. I'm a really happy customer. I am giving 4 stars since. I did have a bad experience with the exact same item needing repair last year. In a nutshell, when I signed that piece of equipment in in 2020, I was given expectations by the staff which the store did not meet at all. That being said, the pleasantness of this most recent experience outweighs the bad one last year. Wish I could've given 4.5/5 stars. read more

Long & Mcquade as always professional level. From delightful conversation with Jesse, a quick trade in assessment and follow up purchase and aquisition of instrument from another province by Justin,a follow up and pickup with none other than Rob. Result ...Im am a proud owner of Gibson les paul special tribute vintage cherry hh (what a guitar!).L&G Bloor st They Rock...thanks gang. read more

Great customer service from Evan. sold a good speaker to my girlfriend and fixed her mandera.

Came into the Mississauga location looking for an electric guitar for our son. We have no knowledge about guitars or what to buy. James went over and above showing us all the various types of guitars that would be suitable for him. He spent lots of time explaining which guitars would be best and played them for us to hear the difference in sound and quality. James was super knowledgeable and made the whole experience such a pleasant one. We highly recommend this location and James for all your musical needs!! read more

came here for a guitar clinic and was absolutely blown away by the experience and the staff members of this location. everything was super organized, on time and the facilities were really clean. the performance was something that makes me want to come back and experience it with long and McQuade again. parking options is on the street and multiple municipal lots in the area. transit options are the ossington subway station (line #2) with some walking, and the busses 161 from the north, 94A from the south and east, and the 88 from north to south, all bus options include some walking to long and McQuade. very happy and no complaints. cant wait to come back! read more

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A couple days ago I take my $3000 guitar in for a setup and I'm pretty sure I just paid them $90 to oil the frets and change the strings. I asked them to clean it up and make it look pretty and the thing is still dirty as hell all over. I could have done the job they did in half and hour for the cost of a new set of strings. Brutal setup service. read more

I'm glad that this location still supplies D'Addario 13-62 gauge strings. No other L&M does anymore and it is the only set that is tight enough to stay on the fretboard when I play live, and I'm only tuned to B. The location is clean, the pedal displays are well lit, the prices are easy to find. And there's lots of help when you need it - you sense comradery among the staff working there. I like having a gander at the corkboard help-wanted board on the way into the guitar store - in a world of cyber-intoxication it's nice to see organic advertising. read more

Bought an instrument from Long and McQuade they are good quality and fun atmosphere if not at least in the photographs available. Neat store, good business. read more

Not sure how this place stays in business other than grade school band purchases. Big box store selection with similar customer service. Not a shop for music enthusiasts. Twenty staff members bustling around doing everything other than customer service... read more

This is a mega music store with something for everyone. The staff is exceptional. They have different departments catering to all genres of musicians including equipment rental for reasonable dollars that even include damage and theft or loss insurance. They have many options for different instruments and have studios that can be used to try out your choices. They have sales regularly to clear out stock so get on their list for that. The guitar department has some $6000 guitars up on the wall making it a fun place to ogle the goods, and if you damage your instrument they do repairs as well. Drop in thru the many different doors along Bloor St. the next time you're nearby. read more

Long & McQuade - Christmas! - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

While I've only had the occasion to purchase anything at Long and McQuade one time (and it was a gift card for someone else). As someone with a passing (if somewhat lazy) hobby of playing guitar, I do stop in occasionally to peek around and see what they've got. One thing I love is that the staff is super helpful about answering questions, with a relatively low-pressure attitude, especially if you make it clear that you're just looking around. Now, I make no promises for when you get to the further stages of purchasing as I'm sure these guys work on commission and as such they could get a little heavier handed with the sales pressure. But hopefully they stay their own chill, chipper selves throughout the process. The staff are also super knowledgeable about what they sell, and if they don't know an answer they will find a way to answer your question as quickly as possible, without bullshitting you about it. This may even extend to offering to call you back later or to give you a number and time to call when someone will be in who can let you know. They also seem to have a reasonable number of price points available on offer, and if you let them know what you're looking for I'm sure they can find something that works best for you, including payment arrangements/financing on larger priced items. I've also heard from people who are in bands that this is the place to go for equipment rentals, although from what I understand they aren't giving the stuff away. But I guess you pay a price for quality? read more

Long & McQuade - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Decided to write this review because of the great service I received from Rick at the store. I called in earlier to source a guitar pedal that I wanted and they didn't have it, but there was a used one in the back. Rick told me to come by the store but when I got there, it turns out they didn't have the pedal. However he was kind enough to order it from a nearby L&M and have it delivered to my house and cover the shipping costs ! Super happy that he offered a great solution for me and i'm looking forward to playing the pedal read more

Excellent service and warranty options. The spike lookin punk guy was super helpful. Recommended for investing in gear with good protection against well.. anything! Kudos read more

A Toronto institution for musicians., L and M has every kind of instrument known to people. I've dealt with the band section, the acoustic guitar rental and sound equipment rental as well. I have had no problems with the rental section or with service though the guitar repair people seemed a bit swamped. read more

I bought an out of stock item in the beginning of June. I was told by an employee that it would be back in stock and ship mid June. Today, August 7th, I was just told that it would be another full month. If the sales staff hadn't lied to me and been up front about the potential delays I wouldn't have placed the order. The delay went from 2 weeks to 4 months. Horrible customer service and experience. I would give 0 stars if possible. read more

Very impressed. Coming from LA, I was concerned I could not find guitar stores with a big selection after doing searches on Yelp. The photos on Yelp do not show the size of this place. It takes up a block and there are several major store size areas. One for electric guitar, another for acoustic, one for keyboards, one for drums, another for mics, brass, strings, a repair shop. I didn't even have time to see it all. It's huge and impressive. There's no Norm's Rare Guitars kinda place here or like the Guitar Center on Sunset with the big vintage area, but this place is great. People are super nice and helpful. Would definitely trust their impressive shop with any repairs. read more

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I want to rent sound equipment for Sept 1, but they tell me I can't pre-order more than 5 days in advance, and there is a special pre-order charge. hmm. why? Then I call the local L&M about buying a better case for my guitar, for air travel. The guy says "bring your guitar to the store, and we'll fit you up" So I go. They have none in stock. We surf around the website. We find one that seems it might work, and the guy says there's a non-refundable charge to have it delivered to the store to see if I like it. What? I have money. I want to buy /rent stuff. But L&M put up barriers. Weird. I've been dealing with L&M sporadically for years. Generally good. But something has changed. I'll shop elsewhere. read more

Prices for rentals are very reasonable and I think the store is great for music community but I had a really bad experience. I rented Zoom R24 and 3 SM58 mics with stand for a show I was filming at 10am and the location only opens at 9:30am. I got there early and waited out in front, door didn't open till 9:35 after I started knocking. It's not a big issue when when you are tight for a shoot like me, it was. There was a VERY long form to fill and I got my SM58 but 2 had the heads dented in pretty bad. I saw a video on it saying that it's the strongest mic ever and I thought they know what they are doing. I got to the shoot location on time and was setting up. We were having a lot of issues setting up and was running past our schedule start time so I called them for quick help setting up but Dane told me to download the manual. We didn't have time to search and read the manual. Finally one guy figured it, the issue now was that only one of the three mic was working. The two dented in were not. At this point we were 45 min behind schedule and we ended using another alternative to capture the audio. Was not a good experience at all. If you rent equipment make sure to test it during pick up to make sure it's working, don't get the SM58 mics if it looks damaged, and schedule time to learn to use. read more

The traffic and their parking lot was packed, but I was lucky enough to get the very first spot because a gentleman and scholar was just leaving and gave a hand wave to congratulate my luck. I was looking to buy a classical guitar and entered the first building by mistake. I walked in with 4 reps briefly looking at me and then going back to what they're doing with no greeting whatsoever. I walked farther into the store, awkwardly, and after a quick look around, I realized I was obviously in the wrong department. As I was about to walk out of the store, one of the reps was about to walk past me when I stopped him to ask where they sold guitars. He reluctantly answered that they were next door. I don't know why all of these people are salty as fuck, but can they learn some basic customer service skills? If you're that miserable, don't come into work at all. In fact, quit your jobs and find another calling, preferably one that doesn't deal with other people. I may have missed a sign when walking in, but it literally takes a rep 5 seconds to redirect potential customers to the proper place. If you can't do that without obviously looking annoyed, then maybe you shouldn't be there. I go next door and up the stairs to find the guitar department. The place was fairly small and a bit awkward to get around in, even with only about 10 customers doing some browsing. There were about 4 reps, all of them helping other customers. I got hold of the older guy and he seemed like a genuinely good dude. He got the guitar I needed from the stock room, tested it and found that one of the strings was a bit twangy and went back to get another one, which he tested and tuned for me. Now this was a decent experience, though, I question whether or not it's standard to not give the box with the guitar (if there is one), because it seemed that would've been the case had I not asked for it to be packed again. I'm assuming that they might not have accepted a return without the box. I'm not really sure, since I took the initiative and asked for it before the final sale. *Shrug. I didn't stay long enough to figure out just what the other building was (you know, the one with the big fucking logo on it), but maybe you should invest in a more visible sign on the front that states what you're dealing, be it rentals or electronic equipment. And even if a customer innocently misses the thing, it doesn't require brain surgery to give a brief and pleasant redirection. Otherwise, it just makes people wonder just what the hell is wrong with you, whether you care or not. Your head office might, but this isn't worth my time to escalate. Their prices are pretty jacked, but they have the setup for people to browse for a wide range of things. Do your Google-Fu before hand to find the best deals. Before long, stores like this become 'the man', and the ignorant will keep lining their pockets without them improving their services. Everyone can do better with more effort. read more

I've been a customer of L&M for about 15 years, having bought items from various departments. It's basically the other go to place for musical instruments and DJ gear in Toronto. The store is big and the staff is friendly and knowledgeable. They excel in band department (woodwinds, brass and similar), keyboards and guitars. A little less so in drums and bass guitar. They often have blow out sales where you can pick up new and used gear for a significant discount. Just recently I picked up an effects pedal at $100 off. They also have a really good rental and finance center which I've partaken in a few times. The only reason I give them 4 instead of 5 stars is that I had an issue with their guitar repair department where I had brought a bass guitar that I bought from Steve's that needed a neck correction/set up. I went to L&M first because they are much closer to where I live. Long story short they had told me my bass was toast and I needed to replace it if it was still under warranty. I was told the neck was cracked at some area and wasn't capable of a proper truss rod adjustment. So I took it to Steve's and they were able to get the bass sorted and working no problem. They said they couldn't find no evidence of a cracked neck and that apparently L&M "do not like working on guitars bought at Steve's." Well from going from a guitar that was headed to the garbage bin to something fully working like new with the proper adjustments I sided with Steve's on the whole issue. At any rate, aside from that one experience, everything I've done with L&M has been positive and I recommend them as a musical instrument store. read more

When people talk about Toronto, and how our city distinguishes itself from other major metropolitan cities, the standard replies pop up: diversity, cultural events, types of restaurants and foods, cleanliness, health care, we're not American etc. etc. etc... You know what REALLY separates us from the the rest of the world though?... Long & McQuade!! Aside from being a music store that sells fantastic equipment (and has an awesome staff who are all super knowledgeable), L&M is also a music equipment RENTAL company. You can rent anything from DJ equipment, to guitars and keyboards, amplifiers, big party speakers, microphones and stands, random cables that only sound guys with long ponytails know about, they have EVERYTHING. It really is an incredible service, and it's frickin CHEAP!! I would have to argue that Long & McQuade is one of the reasons that we actually get to experience so many types of music in Toronto. They are true enablers. PS - You can't rent music equipment ANYWHERE in New York (no shots) :P read more

Let's face it....I'm a band geek, always have been and always will be. Nothing can compare to the excitement one gets when walking into a music store to find drum kit, after drum kit, sitting, willing, ready to be played. I come from a long family line of musician so when my brothers came to visit last week (both drummers as well) it's no wonder we found our selves wandering the vast expanse that has come to be "Long & McQuade". Naturally we all headed straight to the basement percussion section like a hungry pack of wolves racing to a poor unsuspecting rabbit. (All tripping over one another in hopes of getting to the iron cobra first and annoying all around us with a nonstop musical array of double bass). Within 5 minutes we were greeted by a dreamy drum stick wielding employee who let us test drive everything we could possibly get our grubby fingers on. The extent of inventory they carry is borderline ridiculous...anything in the music world you can dream of you can find here. After a good 3 hours of playing around we all decided on our purchases and headed to check out, where our new drum stick wielding friend (and his ears) were probably only too happy to serve us. A good $1500 later we were headed out the door. Lucky for us they have a private parking lot on the east side of the building, making it only too easy for us to load our gear and get home and start annoying our mother. Long & McQuade is by far the best music store in Toronto. It is massive, with an unbelievable amount of inventory. The staff are all great and understand a musicians need to "bang on the drums all day". The prices are fair and it is conveniently located and accessible by both TTC and car. It is always my go to place for any percussion needs and I look forward to it staying that way in the years to come. read more

This is specifically directed at the assholes in the guitar repair section of the store. I called L&M and inquired about an acoustic that needed some work. L&M "Absolutely we can repair it, just bring it in to the store so the guitar techs can have a look at it" I bring the guitar in the next day. Guitar Repair Guy " Did you buy this from our store"? Me " No" Guitar Repair Guy " We can't do anything for you, we only service instruments bought at our store" in the most you should know better don't wasted my fucking time you moron tone of voice. Unbelievable.... read more

I love this music store! I personally purchased a violin for myself, and accompanied my brother when he bought his first guitar (an acoustic Epiphone). I recommended this place to family and friends who have all bought their instruments at this location. The staff are extremely knowledgeable and friendly, especially the gentleman who works with violins. They also help you stay within budget. He spent over an hour with me explaining everything from the craftsmanship, to tuning, to proper storage. I'm glad that he was also honest about the violin being a more difficult instrument, and he filled me in about the option of renting. In the end I decided to go through with a purchase. This music store is organized, very welcoming, and the instruments are all taken great care of. The reason for the loss of one star, is because it can take a while to get help. It's not a huge problem, because investing in any instrument requires a lot of time, and I understand that every customer needs the time to get all their questions answered. read more

Knowing little about musical instruments beyond my 8th grade band days, I went to L & M in search of a guitar. I came out with an extensive array of information about many makes, models, and histories. I had a very knowledgeable and friendly salesman who even serenaded me a few times and let me try out a couple of the acoustic guitars. (Not that I had any idea what I was doing but it was fun nonetheless!) Long and McQuade has long been a supply shop for musicians. They contain every instrument imaginable to human. Long and McQuade is also the place to go for tune ups, quick fixes and instrumental advice. And if you know nothing, like me, you'll come out with a solid base of info and a great guitar! The prices can range from moderately inexpensive to extremely pricey and this all depends on what you are looking for. Either way, the staff is very smart and honest in their opinions. read more

This is my favourite music store in Toronto. The customer service is consistently great. I don't know if it is because the staff wear ties, but I have always had professional service there. I have had frustrating experiences at other music stores, because I am young and female, (maybe I don't look like I have money to spend?) so now I only go to Long & McQuade because of the consistently good customer service. read more

Great for beginners. Huge selection across all the different departments. Lots of guitars to try out and they had no problem letting me test out different pedal combinations/amps etc. Keyboard department on the other hand were very dismissive and acted very rudely when I asked a few questions. Really gave me a terrible impression. Otherwise, good system for renting and rent to own. If you're on a budget this is the pace to go. read more

The L&M on Bloor is great. The staff is non-commission and they understand that not everyone is in there to buy. They don't crawl all over you or hound you. Their rentals department is amazing. The selection in the guitars section could be a little better, but overall it's pretty good. The rental selection for keyboards is great. They didn't have the Roland I wanted in but the Yamaha they recommended is amazing. The biggest knock I have against them is that they have very little used gear. This is hard to hold against them though as they have a great selection of new instruments and there is only so much space on the floor and the walls. If you're looking for a huge store with an excellent selection and very knowledgeable staff, don't hesitate to check out L&M on Bloor. P.S., they're a distributor for Gibson, so as a result they tend to have the best prices and the best pieces. read more

I came here looking for computer speakers (or studio monitors) for my computer off the recommendation of a friendly guy at the Apple Store. I thought Long & McQuade was only for people who make music but they have stuff for people who like to enjoy music too! They have a whole room dedicated to monitors, which are essentially high quality speakers you can hook up to laptops and mp3 players. Everything they had had great sound quality and I was only looking at entry level ones! The guy helping me was really patient, letting me listen to the different monitors all I wanted. Bring your own tunes, plug and play and then try to decide which of the many monitors you want to buy! Everyone there seems to enjoy their job which makes me feel good about shopping at a place. I ended up getting Fostex PM0.4n at $199 for the pair, which is $20 cheaper than at Moog. It also sounded better at L&M than at Moog. They also have the Rokit5 if you want those, also $20 cheaper than at Best Buy. Those were my second choice, only because they were too much for my small apartment. When I upgrade my apartment I'll upgrade my speakers to those! A 1-year warranty is included with purchase. You can get an additional year (totalling 2 years) for an extra $10 (possibly more, if what you're buying is really expensive). They keep your info on file so no worries if you lose your receipt. Awesome place if you're looking to upgrade your computer speakers! read more

Been shopping here for years. Music store staff are hit and miss no matter what store you are in, but on this place is much better than average. I often compare buying from an online retailer vs. buying at a store, and the prices here are very competitive. Although I do most of my shopping online, for music gear, I get it here. They can also order in almost anything, again at very competitive prices. They are obviously smart about how to compete against online retailers. Good selection of guitar parts for customizers. I am a pick nerd, I'll take off one star for not having a diverse selection of picks. The repair shop guys are very helpful, and also sell bits and pieces (and give advice) for DIY guitar modification/repair. read more

5 star rentals! Some may be bitter that they don't take reservations, but I've never been unable to rent any of the turntables, cdjs, mixers, lighting, or sound equipment needed to throw a jam, so the first come first serve aspect has worked out flawlessly thus far and I won't hate on it. And while their one night rental rates are fair, I especially can appreciate the week long rentals and discounted rate over more time. As for the retail side of this place, I've experienced both really helpful salespeople that were able to give good insight, and some that are pretty much just there to process the sale and not good for much independent though. One thing that is worth mentioning that makes this place awesome is that they will price match any other retailers that have the product in stock, even up to 30 days after purchase, so do your research online first and come in to buy with great success and moderate savings. All in all, big love to Long and McQuade for sorting me out over the years. read more

Visiting my mom who's recovering from surgery in Toronto during pandemic. Got a super deal on an acoustic guitar rental, I was really bored, being able to rent a guitar at a fantastic rate was a life saver. read more