I'm sort of shocked at how bad the reviews for this place are. I'm not saying those experiences aren't valid since they sound legitimate, but I've had good experiences so far at this location and have always had people who were willing to take time to patiently explain to me, a lay person, what I needed to know even when I'm doing things that don't generate a commission (like trying to set up something I ordered and paid for at a different store and had shipped here). I wish I made a note of who helped me so I could give them a shout out. My experience is with what I guess they call "Pro Audio & Recording" gear, maybe different departments are different or maybe I've just been lucky so far. read more

Be careful when you bring them something in for repair. I once bought a rare new Rickenbacker Dakota solidbody guitar from them and one pickup stopped working so I brought it in for repair. When I inquired about it they said they sent it back, never to be seen again. Rickenbacker replacement pickups can be ordered. Another time I bought a new Firebird and it had fret sprout and they said they would fix that. It seemed to take forever and when I finally got it there was a ding in the back that wasn't there before. I brought in a keyboard for repair and they lost the case for the soundboard that was installed in the keyboard. When you bring something in for repair, bring it in bare bones, no strap, strings accessories in the case or they might lose them. read more

I go to long and Mcquade a lot I love it but today I was playing a drumset on the stage and steve was kinda rude Id hate to say this but when I go there he says nothing to me not sure what I've done wrong sorry I love the store but like I said Ive done nothing wrong! read more

The product availability of this location of L&M is in my experience better than other locations, which is why I shop there as well as it's the music store chain to me. The in store financing options help, and their in store warranty is decent. However, the air of arrogance, contempt and negligence of certain L&M Vancouver management and staff towards certain customers that do not appear to be professional musicians is toxic and detestable and has been for at least 30 years. And sometimes the mindset and behaviours of bullying and toxic masculinity, from certain staff towards certain types of customers at this location has been abhorrent and harmful in my experiences over the last 3 decades of shopping there. And from my experiences, management and supervisors choose to ignore these facts. The management of L&M Vancouver ( currently Chad Roberts ) has regularly defended his employees instead of taking the experiences of the customers seriously and with an open mind with willingness to adapt and mature and grow. I was belittled, bullied, intimidated and harassed regularly by a long time employee by the name of Jeremy since 2007 at the Vancouver L&M location ( their location then was on Arbutus St. ) I was targeted by Jeremy because of my civil, polite and respectful nature. For at least 10 years, Jeremy decided that he was entitled to verbally abuse and belittle me every time I came in to do business at the store. When I complained to his supervisor, his supervisor just said " oh he's probably just having a bad day, don't worry about it. " but Jeremy would get into my personal space at the store and give me the belittling tough guy look that you would see at an MMA gym. The look on his face was saying to me " you are weak and polite and it bothers me, I want to hurt you really bad, I'm going to demolish you. ". And then eventually his colleague, an East Indian fellow, decided to team up with Jeremy, and the two of them walked behind me everywhere I went in the store and then when eye contact was made, they looked down at me like they wanted to hurt me, in a clear attempt to intimidate me and make me uncomfortable. Thankfully Jeremy decided that retail life was not for him, and he apparently quit, I don't know when. But then in 2020 when I was about to spend $3,000.00 at the store, a staff member gave me incorrect facts about a deal on a guitar amp over the phone. When I informed the store manager ( Chad Roberts ) about that, Chad became deeply frustrated and very uptight and offensive towards me. And he was actually in a frustrated rage because of my history of due and appropriate complaints about certain staff at this location of L&M. Chad Robert's lost his shit on me, especially when I confirmed with him that what his employee told me was not true. Chad said " Do you want my staff to see you and think hey that guys called me a liar??? Are you OK with coming into the store knowing that my staff doesn't like you??? We don't discipline or fire our staff easily, Rob. " And then he said " I could very easily ask you to not come back to the store you know! " And then he said very seriously with an angry tone of voice: " I want to get inside your head, Rob, but I can't! " GROSS! NO THANKS! So, those words coming from Chad Roberts, the store manager himself, clearly prove and validate the terrible downtown eastside or MMA gym tough guy attitude of belittling customers that do not " appear " to be professional musicians.. Chad has not had the courage to apologize to me and he won't because he cannot. Chad will never change himself or the attitude of discriminatory type mindset of him or the stores staff that cause these problems. But I will continue to expose them whenever they occur. If you are a new musician, or shopping for your family or friends, think twice before choosing to spend your money and time at this music store unless you enjoy being ignored and made to feel unseen or like a waste of time. Tom Lee is a good Canadian music store chain that does not allow their staff to treat customers that way. read more

TL;DR The repair technician Jake De Villiers tried to scam me and should be removed from L&M staff. Do not go to L&M for instrument repairs. I have only ever had wonderful experiences with most of the L&M staff, and this negative review is for one specific employee, Jake De Villiers. I visited L&M repairs to request information about getting my acoustic Taylor guitar repaired, as the neck was separating from the body due to the wood cracking. Jake was generally very condescending when he spoke to me and made fun of my lack of knowledge about guitar models. He made a few comments that made me feel very self-conscious about my intelligence and about how awkward I may have come across in my phone message. But I thought, "I don't need to love this guy as long as he can fix my guitar for me." He said, "This will come out to be around $250." Then he went into his office and came back with a receipt for me to take home, and told me he would call me in a week or two when the repair was finished. The receipt stated that the total would be $336 upon pickup, so I said, "I thought you said it was going to be $250." He said, "Oh, well the extra fees are for the consultation and because I will have to re-string the guitar." I was already irritated by him increasing the price without consulting me but I thought that, if I really didn't have a choice, I could pay $336. A few weeks later Jake left me a voicemail saying the guitar was ready, so I went in to pick it up. I arrived there and spoke with Colin who retrieved my guitar for me. He rung up my total and said, "It will be $475." I started to get very stressed out, but luckily I brought the old receipt from Jake that said the total would be $336. I told Colin that I can't afford to pay nearly $500 for this repair, and if I had known it was going to be this much I never would have agreed to it. I got really overwhelmed by this and began crying in the store, which was pretty embarrassing. Colin called Jake on the phone to ask him why he was charging me more than $100 over what he promised. He told me that Jake had added on an expense for "leveling the neck" and he could remove that expense, but that I would still have to pay for the new strings, which were an additional $23. This made my total a little over $360 after tax. I ended up paying the $360, though I wish I had stood up for myself more and fought for that extra $23. I was so overwhelmed and embarrassed by the end of this transaction that I just wanted to run out of the store as fast as possible. The experience was humiliating and very stressful. I am a 22 year old woman, and I am a full-time university student who struggles financially. Even when Jake originally told me my total was going to be $250, I was worried about being able to afford it. I really feel like Jake was trying to take advantage of me as someone who is young and kind, and who he clearly viewed as below him. I can't imagine how many other young people Jake has tried to take advantage of and steal money from. I wonder how many of his past clients were afraid to stand up for themselves and just complied, getting screwed out of hundreds of dollars. It is absolutely unacceptable for Jake to continue racking up the price without the customer's consent. It was especially unacceptable when he tried to increase the price the second time after we had both verbally agreed to a $336 total and he had printed out a receipt with this number. Thank god I had the receipt, because if I didn't have proof of a price we agreed upon, it probably would have been much easier for him to get away with it. Jake De Villiers should be removed from L&M staff. He does not treat customers with respect. I had a terrible experience and will never go back to L&M for an instrument repair. read more

Long & McQuade - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

You better know what you're looking for because you ain't gonna get no help from these guys, I'm a newbie, looking for an amp, I walked in there, with some information that I've learned from YouTube. They gave me an amp and a guitar and pretty much shut the door to the room. Anytime I had a question, the sales staff was so reluctant to help. They were not trying to sell this amp it seemed like. But I knew what I was after, so I bought the amp anyway, it was a hefty price so the sales staff cracked a smile, because I gave him a good sale that day. They do have a lot of gear, but don't expect any help from the staff. read more

I have been dealing with LM for over 10 years. I am a very small customer. Even so,they go out of their way to treat me like I'm important. Their attitude towards customers is the best of any retailer I've dealt with. Other stores could definitely learn from them. read more

Thank you Michael M for the excllent customer service this morning regarding my trumpet. You explain evething so well. Pat C read more

awesome incredible service They were soooo accommodating and friendly thank you so much

Super rude staff, try to contact them multiple time via email no answer, decide to call instead and got someone extremely rude and really not helpful at all. Decided to called the Richmond instead and much much much better attitude with amazing customer service. This location should learn from Richmond read more

Been doing business with L&M since the 80's but hadn't done anything with them in a while so decided give them a shot and they failed miserably. It was a simple install of a pickup system in an acoustic guitar that sat with them for 2 weeks without a second of work being done on it before I decided to pull the plug and do it elsewhere. In the end I was told the dude who works in the repair shop was sick the whole time and not doing anything. Good to know. They are so big now and doing such high sales they don't need me and my measly $600 transaction. Also good to know. Try Tom Lee. read more

Really poor service. Went to Long & McQuade to look at ukuleles and the staff, although clearly not occupied, were oblivious to a customer being in the store. When I asked a staff member about ukulele's, in a very jaded and unenthusiastic way, he handed be "the ukulele" in store. I had already been online and noticed different models. I asked if there were other models, and he flatly said no. I have worked in service for decades. The service I received yesterday was horrible! Not even the slightest curiosity as to why I'm in the store. I am a learner, enthusiastic to buy my first instrument. The experience left me cold. I went to Tom Lee Music on Granville instead, where I was met by warmer staff who actually engaged in a proper conversion with me. My recommendation to Long & McQuade, is that you don't hire antisocial musicians who feel that retail is beneath them. read more

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. There are at least two older gents that work here who are gentile, kind, knowledgeable, and helpful. Thank you. The experience I've had with the under 40 staff calls for other adjectives. This is not about how old they are as my bias. I'm just looking for a way to flag the fact that some of them are great, and I hope they can guess who they are. Some rudeness, pointed reluctance to help, and derisive attitude when finding out I wasn't going to buy particular items from the other set of staff. My general experience of going there is browsing for a long time without anyone offering to help even though I'm trying to get their attention. I have to go and interrupt their society to get help. This has been consistent across the five or so times I've been there. Mostly, they're chattering and noodling on guitars behind the counter, and that's non-negotiable unless you bother them. read more

With the demise of Ward Music (*sniff*), Long & McQuade is the new juggernaut in town. Parking is available in the back, though there aren't quite enough spots for the size of the store. If you're a musician, the clouds will part and a rainbow will appear as you walk into the store. Try not to get blinded by the heavenly glow. The bottom floor is mostly guitars and related equipment (amps, cables etc), as well as percussion. Upstairs you will find pianos and all other classical instruments (strings, woodwinds, brass). I was only there for a few random bits, but the staff were quite knowledgeable. Prices are mostly quite reasonable too. read more

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What happened to this place? Bitter employees with commission incentives really changed the vibe, still decent prices and selection though. Good place to rent things and test out gear. read more

I paid and ordered a set of drums for about a month n a half now n haven't received any of it! It was for my daughter's birthday on June 3rd n it's July 20th that we haven't received anything!!!! You are a scam for my $1400 Please refund my money so I can still make it up for my daughter !!!! read more

Wow, what can I say?! This place is awesome! I had to rent some equipment and the guys in the rental department were very helpful and knowledgeable. They didn't look down on me when I didn't know everything about the equipment that I needed. Very reasonable rates to rent sound equipment for the weekend. read more

I've had nothing but positive interactions with this business. Keep up the good work!

The guitar repair department needs to give more attention to set-ups. This location is big and has a good selection but I have paid for two setups thus far that have been clearly rushed and not complete. Could use better service at the counter as they now only show proper customer attention when they know they can make a sale (commission policy). read more

Kind of a bummer that they don't work with/restring/repair autoharps even though the website lists them as an instrument they can repair. They did have a pre-assembled kit of strings for autoharp though which is very helpful and cuts down the time restringing takes now that you're doing it yourself at home. read more

My first time ever visiting this store, and the service was absolutely incredible! Went in to get my traveling guitar re-strung, and came out with my guitar cleaned, repaired and re-strung; plus given a carrying bag which I didn't have but was so happy to receive! Mike who helped today was incredibly helpful and had a wealth of knowledge in the music industry. I would highly recommend this location to anyone interested in getting into music and playing instruments. 100% satisfied! I will definitely come back to this location! read more

Biggest shop in town and just full of lazy people pretending to work but actively jsut looking for reasons to yak around and basically provide zero customer service. Case in point, don't bother carting instruments over for repairs because they are too incompetent to actually get any job done and will only look for reasons to turn it down. Avoid them like the plague read more

I called the Terminal Avenue location to inquire about a repair on my viola bow. They have an in-house luthier (which is rare) that they were able to transfer me to and he gave me a quote over the phone. When I went to drop off the bow the next day, the young man at the register handled my bow gently, documented what I wanted fixed, and called the luthier (who was in the back) to confirm the quote. Now I did try to negotiate a bit and the man did his due diligence and took my bow to the back to show the luthier and confirm the quote again. When he came back and broke down the components of the cost very patiently and said the quote was firm. No problem! I will pay for good work, but if I can get a deal, I sure will try. They finished the work 3 days faster than expected and sent me a text and an email when it was ready for pick up. The bow was returned to me in a neat plastic wrap and the work was impeccable. I would bring my viola here again for maintenance. read more

Probably the best store in Vancouver, specially for most general musical needs. I am far from this location but I always go to the store whenever I need to buy accessories or order anything. Very friendly and handy as well. Brian and James are two of the best guys you can ever deal with and you can ask for 20 guitars and they will set them up for you. They do price matching as well. All in all great store. read more

Phoned the Langley store to inquire about a giuitar that this store had as it was the only one in the country, lol. Steve said it was pristine as it was way up on a wall so no one could touch it. Emails me back saying it, in fact, is not pristine and has a number of dings and scratches because people want to play a $2500 guitar if they're interested in buying it but would knock off a few hundred dollars. I said it is badly marked up and want a larger discount. After that the guy wouldn't come to the phone, or was always busy when I called. Finally comes to the phone and says, what? Like I'm trying to steal something. He says he'll just put it up for rental for two years instead if I don't want it. I eventually buy the guitar but this guy won't talk to me or shake my hand when I offer it like I've dissed him. I'm not shown to a room to play the guitar and see if I like it but instead am led to the sales counter to pay for it. They can't find the case.....It takes a month to get a new case shipped in but it is also scuffed up. When I go to pick up the case the manager deals with me for some reason. He was a pro but his staff are just a bunch of wannabe musicians who are obviously not good enough to get a steady job playing so take out their frustration on their paying customers. I've been a customer since 1980 and have spent tens of thousands at this company all over the country but will never again step into this establishment. read more

Went to Long & McQuade last Saturday morning for a few items. The dudes in the drums section seemed like they didn't really want to be there.... But after that we moved to the guitar section to talk all things Fender, and we had the absolute pleasure of meeting Stephen Fisher. Stephen's knowledge is so vast, his enthusiasm infectious - he spent 45 minutes guiding us through countless variables until we were 100% picking the right Stratocaster. Stephen gets a TEN-star rating! read more

I am one of the select few who decided to learn how to play my first instrument at a later age - 29, and decided to learn how to play the saxophone. I rented the saxophone, and began taking lessons after talking to the receptionist, as she mentioned that I could use one of their many available rooms to practice between my lessons and sympathized with my situation (I live in an apartment so it would be impossible to practice at home). I did this for over 5 months with no problem - that is until they hired a new receptionist who wanted to charge me per 30 minutes of use. I had explained to him that I had used the room multiple times a week for the past months and said that he couldn't because he double checked with management. So I asked to speak to the manager. The manager, Heather, spoke with him for a good 15 minutes or so. Finally, I came back to her telling me they had no rooms available coming up (mind you I had been coming in during the afternoon 2-3 times a week most if not all were always empty) and that there was nothing she could do. I called her out on this but she wouldn't budge, and I began to come to the conclusion that I had just wasted hundreds if not thousands of dollars to now have to quit learning the saxophone. Months of practicing and learning only to have to quit because they wanted to charge a hefty amount to use a room for 30 minutes. There were rooms available - she was just trying to find a way for me to not use the rooms without charging me. She later back tracked and had then changed her answer to "I never said all of the rooms were unavailable" but that they will rarely be available, and only for people who book the rooms and pay. If you are thinking of taking lessons here - I would look elsewhere. Management does not care about individuals and their circumstances, and overall its left a really bad taste in my mouth. I even just invested in a new music book and reeds that are now useless. Paying hundreds of dollars a month was not enough for them - and had no problem with me deciding to quit my lessons and return my rented saxophone. I had some pleasant conversations with some of the employees in the store - but the manager didn't seem to care, and I guess it goes without saying - learning how to play an instrument at this centre is for the wealthy. read more

Out of the all chances I've given this Long & McQuade location, all I got was service from lazy and condescending employees. here are two of my experiences: A few years ago, I was looking to purchase a ukulele. As any beginner does, I had many questions to ask before deciding on the instrument to purchase. The guy answered my questions less than minimally and shook me off. When I was making a final decision, he even admitted at one point, "of course we would say we just wan't you to buy it". Granted, the store was 45 mins until closing so they wanted to keep the service brief, that is the only way I can justify the experience. The next day, I visited a Tom Lee location and gladly purchased my sweet concert uke there. Recently, I was looking in the store again, this time, for a guitar. I already had some experience this time and had done research and had a good general idea of what i wanted. Even so, I expect to be able to talk to a knowledgable salesperson before making a big purchase. In short, a female staff member was extremely condescending towards me and bored. She suggested for me to, "go home and do some more research first," as if answering my few questions was taking up too much of her time. Poor customer service aside, they have a great selection of instruments and supplies. I wouldn't recommend L&MQ unless you already know what you need. read more

Worst Salesman attitude ever!!!! We were at the shop at PIX yesterday to buy the DGX660(*before entering the shop, based on some researched, our decision was already set on this model). First, the salesman started by saying to us that the above model does not have any stand, we were there telling him, no, based on existing reviews and the product manual it's supposed to be there. In an arrogant manner the salesman dragged the box of the displayed DGX660 in front us, open the box and tell us to see by ourselves. We did it(his job) we dig into the box found the stand!(not surprising at all for us). Another surprise, the only one left was the displayed. we told him this one is an open box/demo. The salesman replied:"it had never left the shop so it is still considered as NEW*", Seriously?! WHAT AN ATTITUDE!!! Conclusion: we went back in the car, ordered everything on Amazon.... read more

Just had a six string acoustic set up completed. Top shelf ! Friendly approachable staff answered all of my tiresome rookie questions respectfully. I appreciate that. Thanks read more

They knowingly sell Ukulele's that cannot be tuned. They don't have slightly weak intonation: they are a full half-note out of tune by about the third or fourth fret. And then: if you try to review the instrument on their website, the review never comes up. I tried to leave a review here weeks ago: https://www.long-mcquade.com/products/22772/#Reviews-tab Denver Ukulele's are fraudulent. Go elsewhere and find Mahalo or another brand that actually works. Shame on Long & McQuade. read more

If it wasn't highly inappropriate, I would go in here and jump hug all the staff. Enthusiastically. Maybe bring beer, so we could sit around, have a pint and talk about how awesome they are. It's been a year since my last review, and the rental crew here has saved my butt so many times i've lost count. They are always insanely cheerful, endlessly patient and don't make me feel like a total doodle when I have no idea what i'm talking about. This past week, I threw a giant flash mob and ventured in here not once, but FOUR times in two days needing various bits and bobs, and the whole shebang cost me less than $100. They saved the equipment overnight when I miscalculated driving times & didn't make it back from dinner in time to pick up and took my word for it when I said I left a mic stand I paid for at their shop (which I did, for the record). Hand them capes folks, because they remain and forever shall be my event Superheroes. Thanks for being aces gents! Until the next disaster! read more

The toys r us of the music world.. Lots of selection, esp guitars at centre. Rentals in the back. read more

Review of acoustic guitar/ukulele/mandolins section: A regrettable example of too-cool-for-school customer disservice. The young, blonde, female staff member in acoustic guitar that I needed help from seemed annoyed by my request to make a special order. Needed to follow up several times to get any information on the order, and found that my item was delayed 5 days because it was placed incorrectly and then the wrong item arrived. Seemed non-effected by the mistake. Level of CS dropped from previous years of being a customer there. Sad. Will not return. read more

This is my favourite music shop in Vancouver and Lower Mainland. So clean, big and extensive selection! Also it's just good place to chill and browse through all things musical! Large guitar selection, both acoustic (upstairs) and electric (downstairs), they also have drums, pianos and tons of band instruments. To top it off you have all the AVs and music you could ask for. Any price range, any make or model they have or can get for you. Also have used options which are dirt cheap (but might not be functional). People here are exceptional, they let you try products, help you find whatever it is that you need and will go the extra mile. Everyone is extremely approachable and helpful so don't be afraid to ask! read more

Located right off the Main st skytrain station and Terminal ave, the Long and Mcquade building is a giant warehouse of musical tools and talents. Their staff are highly educated about music creation and production, and versed in even the most diverse of instruments or recording situations. And the deals on some of their products are amazing! They've helped me out with advice on how to kill sound in a tiny basement rehearsal space, how to choose a good microphone, what makes a good pair of sticks, and what to use to keep your guitar in tune. Their staff are all really in to gear and have the imagination to make any situation work out how you want it to, and don't even insist you buy everything in their store - there's a reason that musicians are stereotypically broke, and it's not this place! I wish they had better specials like Tom Lee, but generally I will choose L&M despite Tom Lee's longer hours. Afterall, if not for the staff, every music store is pretty much the same! read more

Long and Mcquade is arguably the second biggest musical store in town. They have a large selection of all instruments and a very approachable team of staff members who seem more like traveling musicians that all just happened to be in the same store at the same time. This is a fun place just to visit on it's own. The fun part of Long and Mcquade is that that storefront is really colorful and energetic. You won't get bogged down by price tags and fancy musical instruments like what you might face when walking into a Tom Lee; and that's what makes everything great about this place. Flashy colors, warm lighting, friendly faces walking around just playing instruments as they please. This is what a music store is supposed to look like. To be fair, I'm not much of a musician, nor am I musically talented in anyway. I was simply there to pick up a couple guitar picks since I'm trying to self learn, but this place helped me find everything I need to motivate myself to continue practicing. Props. read more

Great location! Large, new, loads of staff offering help. Very relaxed environment, no worries if you want to plug in and play for a half an hour here. I usually go to the north van location, but this one is tempting to be my go to spot. read more

I firmly believe that most Canadian indie music gets made thanks largely to L&M. They have a super flexible rental policy and a super flexible return policy, not to mention super easy financing. It's super. You can rent an amp you need for a tour in one city and drop it in another city at the end of the tour. How awesome is that? Or you can buy a wicked mic, record all your vocals, and return it one month later for a full refund (Not that I've done that, with my high level of ethics and all, but I've heard...). Point is, you can get great gear and not break the bank, which, especially in Canada is priceless for rock n rollas. There's really not a better choice in Vancouver for all things musical. They've got everything you need in one giant spot (unless of course you are looking for vintage gear, then you'll likely have to look elsewhere. Try NJAMS). Staff is knowledgable and way less flaky than you would expect for a warehouse full of musicians. There is a mild scent of pretension and elitism in the air, but it's pretty minor overall and way less than other shops in town like Tom Lee and some other indies. What this means is you can ask a stupid question like, "What is an oscillator?" and maybe even make a reference to Bryan Adams without getting tarred, feathered and mocked into the street. read more

My friend and I were there on River Rd. in T'Kemlups before Christmas. They said they'd have the guitars in long before Christmas (1-3 days) they said at most. The order was actually already late. Regardless, I went AFTER Christmas and grabbed the gifts. I was there in November originally...... I just went back yesterday to not write the company off because the Coquihalla got wiped out causing delivery problems at the worst time of year. I get it. But, I went back and bought a guitar and accessoruse yesterday at an $833.00 bill and the sales rep WOULD NOT throw in a $5.00 bunch of picks......I took my sale, and will never return. read more