I bought myself a cool vintage off brand MIJ P-bass for $120 and took it apart to clean it up,…read morerestring it and make it playable. I was close but it seemed like the truss rod was stuck, or the bullet stripped. I looked online for shops that I could bring it to and get it fixed. A quick email to Trevor made me feel that he was the right guy. He asked the right questions, didn't pressure me and didn't come across like a music store snob. fast forward a month or so and I arrive, bass in hand and he gets to work on it. Does the whole setup. Filing, tuning etc and then he discovers that there's no sound ( I don't have an amp). He opens it up and sure enough a wire is just hanging there. Quick fix, plug it in and it's alive! He continues to check everything and at the same time telling my why he's doing it etc. In the end, he let me know that yes, the bullet is stripped, but, there was also issues with the nut, which he fixed and after redoing the set up again, the bass was sounding amazing! Trevor is a super cool, laid back guy who really cares about what he does for a living. We talked about guitars in general, as being a newbie I tend to like to ask lots of questions. He was amazing to deal with and will be bringing him my guitar(s) for anything I need done. A real pleasure!

a friend told me about this guy doing guitar work On Carlaw Ave. I took my acoustic in and asked…read morefor a tune up. I thought my guitar sounded nice when I dropped it off. after Trevor worked in the guitar I was amazed how much better the guitar sounded when I got it home. Trevor walked me through the repairs. most importantly, the guitar sounds so much better and I am playing more. plus Trevor was really easy to work with.

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.

The output jack on my Cordoba C7-CE had become loose and could only be tightened again by removal…read moreof the strings and getting inside the sound box. The guitar is equipped with a Fishman pre-amp system and I did not want to risk damaging the wire connections of this rather expensive system to the jack. Ash completed the delicate job entirely to my satisfaction for a ridiculously low charge. My guitar sounds as good as ever with the now secure jack and I am consequently extremely pleased. This gentleman prioritizes service over profit making and he has my highest recommendation. I certainly will use only his services for my guitars in the future. Thank you very much, Ash! it was a singular pleasure doing business with you.

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!

Personally I think this is one of the best first time experience of me entering a music store.. I…read morewas nervous and shy, I didnt know how to approach someone, I was just standing there for minutes looking at the guitars on the wall, suddenly a staff told me if I needed anything hes there, so yeah I had no choice so I approached him and asked if I can try out some electric guitar! I wont forget him haha he was so kind and polite, even gave me a free pick, honestly if i have thoughts on going to music shops id pick this shop everyday.. I recommend people to go here.

I had to do some repair to one of my guitars. The work was done in the time he specified and the…read morecost was amazingly reasonable. He takes the challenge to do what seems like hopeless cases in terms of repairs and does a fantastic job. I think that he moved his business to Brampton, somewhere on Queen and Kennedy Str. Would like to contact him so if anyone can update me, that would be most welcomed. Emanuel M. Etobicoke, Ontario.

My new Gibson J 45 slid down the wall and fell on it's fretboard. Like most good Gibson's, the…read moreheadstock snapped right off, resulting in a jagged break (look this up - a far too common occurance). I thought the guitar was now firewood, but discussed the possibility of repair with Gibson in the US, a well known guitar shop in the east end and Gibson's distributor in Canada. I was referred to Brian Mascarin by a sales associate at Long & Mcquade. We spoke on the phone & his pricing was fair so we agreed to proceed. The repair took longer than he had originally promised, partly because he decided that the although the break glued up nicely, he felt that the joint should be glass reinforced to be on the safe side. I am a guitar player of 54 years, a hobbyist woodworker and have done some guitar repair and refinishing myself. I was amazed at the finished result - there's no way to tell that the headstock was repaired, no evidence that the joint was glass reinforced, re-finishing has no lumps, bumps, mismatched colour - nothing! The guitar looks as if it just came out of the box at the guitar store, and it plays exactly as it did before the accident. Brians' work was perfect - his pricing was fair (less than I would have spent with the "big name" repair shop) and no surprises. I would hire him again for the same job, and will use him for all my guitar repair needs, except those I can do myself - A+ Brian, and thanks.

Great service, met a nice long haired man that was very helpful. The atmosphere is really cool -…read moremusicians playing music

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 sold a uke. Excellent service I have always found the service very professional and personal the…read morestaff is quite knowledgeable and mos helpful.

I had some hairline cracks between the bridge pins of my acoustic guitar and I was somewhat…read moreconflicted on whom to have it repaired. I do recall seeing someone bring their Gibson Les Paul with a snapped headstock, there for repair years ago. While this may be a known weakness of the Gibson neck, these guys do expert work and have a great reputation. The Luther was Anne. First of all, I was elated that they are inclusive. Not only was she totally up front about the repair, but she did an amazing job, such that it looks like it never happened. Fair prices. Realistic estimates for both cost and time to repair. Highly recommend.

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)

Today, I created a rental account with a clerk who was perfectly helpful in getting me all the…read moreequipment 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.

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.

Starting in 2013 my son has taken music lessons at the Elite Music Academy. I have found them to be…read morevery professional about musical instruction, lesson scheduling, organizing recitals and also their fee structure and billing. Elite teachers are all very qualified to teach music and are very good at working with children. I recommend Elite Academy highly for any family looking for great musical instruction.

Dealing with Elite Music Academy has been a disappointment to put it mildly. I took my son for a…read moretrial lesson as I had read glowing reviews of this school over the internet. The administration is completely unprofessional as I was booked in the wrong time slot multiple times over email and finally when we showed for the lesson, I had to email to query on the whereabouts of the teacher- who had no idea that my son was scheduled for a lesson. I had to wait an additional hour with my son for a free time slot. If you value your time, I suggest that you look elsewhere. If you are sent to their woodbine location, N.B that there is no 'front desk' to welcome you or to provide you additional information. You are greeted to an open space with a few chairs on the left of the room. I was not even sure if I was at the right place. Also, our 1/2 hour trial lesson was only twenty minutes. Since this experience, I will inform prospective lesson seekers that there are other schools that offer FREE trial lessons. This was definitely not worth the $20. I will add that I was offered three free lessons to make up for this experience. This may sound generous; however I do value my time and I would have considered the offer if there was an alternative teacher so that both teacher and student could get off on the right start. They did not have any alternative teacher. It is also my understanding that my experience is not unique but one that is characteristic of this organization- while waiting, I had the opportunity to speak with other parents who told me that the administration is disorganized, but they return because they are happy with the teachers.