About Us
THE HISTORY
Jack Long was a professional trumpet player who, in 1956, thought that maybe he could sell instruments to some of his friends in the musical community. He set up a small store on Carlton Street in Toronto on the second floor of an old house and became a dealer for King Band Instruments. The floor was divided up into music studios so Jack was also able to teach trumpet lessons on the side. About 6 months later, Jack rented out a room to a local drummer named Jack McQuade which he used for drum lessons.
In 1957, the Jacks decided to open up a small retail store on Yonge Street and named it Long & McQuade Musical Instruments. Many existing customer service policies sprang from these early days. The rental program began when the partners decided to start charging their friends for all the instruments they were “borrowing”. The financing program began when a customer asked if he could purchase a drum set but not pay for it all at once. Jack & Jack continued as partners until 1965 when Jack McQuade decided to pursue drumming full time and sold his portion of the company to Jack Long.
Long & McQuade began expanding in 1968 and hasn’t stopped since. Currently there are over 90 Long & McQuade stores across Canada as well as an online store that opened in 2008. The company employs over 1,600 musicians and contracts around 1,000 music teachers across Canada. To this day, the entire company is still 100% owned by the Long family.
THE LOCATIONS
Store Locations
Long & McQuade is the largest chain of musical instrument retailers in Canada, with over 90 locations from British Columbia to Newfoundland. This means that if you're a touring musician, you'll have the benefit of dealing with a familiar store with consistent sales, supplies and service, no matter where your homebase is. To find out more about our locations or find the closest store to you, click here.
Music Lesson Centres
Many of our locations now offer music lessons in piano, guitar, bass, drums, woodwinds, strings and voice. Our Music Lesson Centres feature comfortable studios, qualified instructors and affordable lessons for all ages, levels and styles.To find out more about our lessons or find the closest lesson centre to you, click here.
THE SELECTION
Selection Of Musical Instruments & Equipments
Long & McQuade is famous for our variety and range of musical instruments and professional audio products. Whether you're looking for a flugelhorn or the latest Special Edition Gibson guitar, you'll find it with us. You can enjoy the convenience of seeing and comparing various options all under one roof and can often walk away with your product of choice.To view all our departments, click here.
Used Instruments Bought and Sold
Have you outgrown your student-model flute? Are you looking to upgrade your guitar gear? Bring in your used instrument and we may put the value toward your next purchase, or we buy it from you outright. Through our rentals, trades and purchases from customers, we have a wide selection of "previously enjoyed" products at great prices and with 90 day warranties. To find the best deals on products from all of our stores check out our Deal Centre.
Rentals
Long & McQuade is the place to rent, whether it's for a day, a week, a month or more. Think of us for parties, weddings, sporting events or weekend gigs. Renting is a great option if you only need the product for a short time or you'd like to try out an instrument before buying it. We also have special rental and rent-to-own programs for schools - ask our staff for details! To learn more about our rental program, click here.
Canada's Largest Print Music Retailer
Between our Print Music Divisions at our Vancouver and Toronto locations and print departments all across the chain, we are able to meet your sheet music needs - from anywhere in the country! To see our selection of print music, click here.
THE SERVICE
Repairs and Service
Our service departments have some of the most qualified electronics and instrument technicians out there. You'll appreciate the convenience of needing only one place for all of your sales and repair needs. To learn more, click here.
In-Store Financing
Long & McQuade's in-store account services department and flexible, competitive financing options, ensure that you can walk out the door with the instrument of your choice in hand. To learn more, click here.
The Long & McQuade Performance Warranty
Long & McQuade provides our customers with a FREE one-year Performance Warranty on most of our products. This policy provides our customers additional warranty coverage within the first year that they will not usually get from a limited manufacturer's warranty. For further information on the warranty, click here .
Non-Commissioned Salespeople
No hard selling here. At Long & McQuade, you can be confident in knowing that you are getting unbiased, expert advice that is truly best for your needs, not the needs of the salesperson.
Support Staff
Need professional help? Our trained staff can answer the simplest to the most difficult of your questions - what strings does your guitar need, to what software will allow you to record an album at home. After all, we're here to help.
Customer Service Standards for Customers with Disabilities
Documents required by the Ontario Customer Service Standards for accessibility are available, please click here for email contact or by contacting Chris Russell at 905-837-9785 x250. Our multi-year policy for Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act 2005 can be found here.
