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Through the ages, stringed instruments have developed into a wide variety of unique families. Find out the distinctive characteristics of some of the post popular instruments today!
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Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Accordion (But Were Afraid to Ask)
Of all the instruments, the accordion is undoubtedly one of the weirdest and most wonderful. Played badly, it can be irrepressibly irritating; played well, it can be enchanting. Keep reading to find out how the accordion came to be, how to acquire one, and how to make it sing!
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The Undisputed Champion: The Ukulele
Once looked upon as a bit of a novelty, the ukulele has been riding a wave of popularity for nearly a decade. In this blog, we will discuss why that might be, and we’ll also discuss some basics to help you choose wisely when it comes time for you to don the tights and enter the ring.
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Guitar Picks: A Plethora of Plectrum Possibilities
People often ask us what picks are best for a beginner, what pick is good for country music, or what is the BEST pick. Picks come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colours and materials. This article will enlighten and educate you on the humble plectrum and how it can be the most important part of your tone.
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Tip Toe Through the Tulips: A Ukulele Primer by Ian James
The popularity of musical genres, and the instruments needed to perform them, tends to go in waves. But if there is one wave of popularity that musicians have been riding for the last 5 years and more, it’s the one coming out of Hawaii.
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Long & McQuade
Performance Assurance
Buying a new instrument is an exciting event and we want to ensure that every instrument we sell comes exactly how the manufacturer intended it to be. That is why Long & McQuade performs a quality control check for every stringed, brass, and woodwind instrument over $99 ordered online at Long-McQuade.com.
Our team of experienced staff will unbox your instrument and perform a detailed inspection to ensure it leaves our warehouse looking and playing great with our QC card signed and dated for your peace of mind.
We work hard to source the best instruments from around the world from the finest brands. It is important to us that you are completely satisfied with your new instrument purchase from day one onwards.
Stringed Instrument Performance Assurance Checklist
Unlike our free set-up, which is included within the first year of purchase, this process is done to have the instrument set to the factory specs rather than to each player's feel or preferences.
We look after the following:
- Inspect finish and hardware.
- Check electronics to make sure everything is in working order. Check batteries on active pickups.
- Inspect strings.
- Inspect frets and fretboard.
- Check truss rod. Adjust for bow and relief.
- Tune instrument to manufacturer’s specified tuning.
- Check/set action height.
- Stretch strings and re-tune instrument and ensure machine heads are working well.
- Check for fret buzz by playing every note.
- Check/set intonation.
- Check/set pickup height.
- Cleaning and professional repacking.
Band and Orchestral Performance Assurance Checklist
We look after the following:
- Proper lubrication of valves and keys.
- Inspect pads.
- Proper fit of tuning slides.
- Proper fit of tenon joints.
- Lubricating corks for ease of set up.
- Inspecting the case.
- Safe removal of any shipping corks.
- Ensuring all accessories function properly.
- Inspecting bow hair and test tension.
- Ensuring soundpost and bridge are set correctly.
- Testing tuning pegs.
- Tuning strings to correct pitch.
- Cleaning and professionally repacking.