Where to find the best music shops in North District? Top-17 options

Super helpful and knowledgeable staff

Best selection in town. Great staff and great prices. I have purchased and rented great equipment from here over the years. The lessons have very good rates as well and the instructors are top notch.

Just picking up a mic clip this time. I will be back…

Okay

Large selection, friendly staff.

Good selection of instruments, accessories and gear.

This has nothing to do with the staff at L&M but everything to do with choice. Their guitar selection has become lesser and lesser over the years, to the point where they barely keep any Ibanez in stock. I’ve also seen guitars in there that I wouldn’t buy due to not being properly set up or having some problems straight from the manufacturer. It would be refreshing to see some new competition in town.

Sales staff are never interested in helping. Went in to buy a Yorkville case for my Les Paul, after 30 minutes of walking around, looking at a few possibly used cases, and unable to find new cases, I walked out. Never did a staff member ask if I needed help or even acknowledge I was in the store.

Where’d all your staff go? I’ve been a long time customer of L&M here in the city and the last few times I’ve been in have been rather unsatisfactory. I spent roughly an hour in the store and to my surprise not a single staff member said a word to me, that is until the store was about to close, at which point I was rushed through the whole process of finding a product.

I used to love coming into this store and chatting with all the staff, but lately it feels like no one is here to properly help a customer.

All that being said, there’s still a great selection of products available in the store, and I love looking at everything you have available, but when you have great selection it’s appreciated when staff help a customer decide a fitting product based on their needs.

Thanks, I hope this store will return to the way I used to know and love.

Stephen Fischer was especially helpful when we were buying a ukulele. He proactively identified a defect with the unit we were about to purchase and had it replaced for us. Awesome job man!

About five or more times in a row that I have been to this location and I have received unexpected, great service. Thank you!

Great service and support with a tech issue with a new item. Special thanks to Tim. Glad I purchased locally instead of online.

Generally, it is a nice spot for instruments purchasing. Lots of stuff and books for people who love music to rent or buy in.
I had a really bad experience couple years ago. I was seeing the flute and try to blow it loud without touch the spot, they forced me to buy it even I have not tried yet.
And my little body has put another one into his mouth, but did not play. And he did not request to pay the one he held into his mouth.
I don’t like this spot from my initial experience. It looks they get fresh coworkers

99.9% it’s amazing. Beyond amazing. Sometimes attitude of very very few staff can be misconstrued. It’s the attitude I some how have a hard time getting over. I can never tell if I was the one who ruined their day or a customer prior. But it is still a great store! Full of knowledgeable staff who are more “people friendly” you’ll know the ones.

I found the music score my daughter wanted here!$9.87

Unless you’re a man, you won’t get service. There was only one time I went in and was actually helped, but that guy unfortunately wasn’t in today. Whoever is helping in guitars needs to step up their service and not be sexist. If you want to go to a L&M, drive out to the north end. It may be a longer drive but you’ll at least get some service.

The worst customer service….spent 777 dollars on a guitar amp and couldn’t even get a free set strings.. ‘here’s 3 picks’. This is the worst Long & McQuades in Canada. I’ve been in the Kitchen Ontario, Hamilton Ontario, and also Saskatoon 43st Long & McQuade which I strongly suggest you bring your business to. At least the gentleman behind the counter at the 43st location put more effort in to try to keep my business.

Disappointing service. Stopped in to discuss a $3000 purchase of Strike Pro Kit 11-Piece Professional Electronic Drum Kit with Mesh Heads, a used bass and used classical guitar. Considering I was planning on spending almost $4000 I found the sales persons to be apathetic, smug and condescending. I asked about possible upcoming sales and they acted like I was ignorant. They claimed they didn’t know anything about the sales or what goes on sale. Well, I purchased the drum kit and both guitars online through Amazon. I must say very disappointing as I am usually very deliberate about shopping at my local “stores with doors”. I guess they didn’t need my $3700 worth of business.

This guys are great! Always a pleasure to deal with them.

Great service. Great range of instruments.

A huge thanks and shoutout to Mark Preece for an excellent customer service. Bought a Toby V Deluxe Bass from online store and wow, the item was shipped so fast to Edmonton! No damage, it was shipped to withstand any form of beatings. All I did was tune the guitar as the setup is also perfect. Love the service more than the item. Thanks again Mark!

Purchase one Yamaha Guitar. Good staff and everything displayed nicely.

Always a pleasure. Great staff. Always pleasant and helpful. Usually very good selection

I have delt with this location for a few years now customer service is OK depending on who your dealing with a some of the sails team almost seem like that culdent be bothered or Its an inconvenience to explain some of the products

This week I attended Long & McQuade to buy a piano book for my daughter. For reasons unbeknownst to me, my debit card has been saved into the L&M system but with someone else’s name connected to it.

I was not notified of this mistake while I paid, nor in the moments after I paid when I remained in the store browsing at a few more books. Instead, what followed was absolute buffoonery at best, and discrimination at worst.

For the sake of my story, I’ll  call the Sales Associate, Paul Blart. Paul contacted the person who’s name was attached to my debit card and asked her if her card had been stolen. She said no. Paul stated that a woman had been in the store, who potentially had access to this person’s debit card. She said everything looked fine with her bank account. Here is where my story should end. However, this clown goes on to send a PHOTO OF MYSELF AND MY 3 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER from their security camera, asking if this person knows who I am. Luckily, this person did know me, and she notified me of the situation immediately.

I wasted no time to call and talk to Paul Blart, who was snarky, defensive and dismissive of my concerns with him accusing me of debit theft but most importantly sending photos of myself AND MY SMALL CHILD to random people.  Mr Blart told me that he was PrOtEcTiNg me. Accountability can be hard for some people, I guess.

There is so so so much wrong with my experience. I don’t want to call this something that it’s not, but I can certainly tell you what it feels like.

I returned the book to the store, and will find other music stores to support from here on out.

Note: I have edited the post to remove names.

Been in there 3 times.. only one bad time cause the guy made me feel stupid when im just starting playing guitar but the other 2 times awesome service and help

Discrimination at it’s finest

The staff were very nice and knowledgeable. They were also quick checking people out.

Enjoyed my visit here… Was allowed to play before I bought a guitar, and was even showed a quick lesson…

Good place for music instruments and you can also rent them

Quick-service would rent from here again.

Selection is not as expansive as other stores, however they make up for it tenfold in their customer service. Every time you walk in, someone is quick coming out of the back to assist you with anything you need. Any time I walk out I feel satisfied they’ve done everything in their power to make certain I have what I came for. If they don’t have an item I’m looking for, they at least have the courtesy to check their other locations and offer to have it sent in. Great staff

After a miscommunication and a unhappy customer. They were quick at fixing it and refunding and pleasant to deal with.

Horrible experience thus far. Spent $11,000+ on a Yamaha digital grand piano in January 2020 (Regina store). Had issues with dead keys right from the start. Left messages for piano sales to call me…two weeks went by waiting for them to return my calls but they never did. Had to track the sales person down myself. She was very evasive about what my options were. Now waiting for their third party service technician to call. Will never buy another instrument from St. John’s.

Been taking my flute here for maintenance for 9 years. For the last two, it comes back to me with loose screws and poor cleaning. Will not ever consider taking it back to be looked at; I feel they just throw it in cleaning solution for a few minutes then charge me for a full tune up.

Always amazing service the staff is so friendly and the guitar teacher is a great guy

Amazing deal, I love these guys. Awesome sellers that I highly recommend to others. Mosaic treated me right and I appreciate it. ♥

The Staff at Mosaic is very helpful. Regardless of making any purchases or not, they are friendly courteous and kind. The atmosphere in the store is inviting and feels like “home.” I would recommend Mosaic to anyone who may be shopping for any musical necessities. If you are in need of lessons, an instrument, or advice – this is the place to be. Only GREAT experiences have been had at Mosaic!

I had the pleasure of discovering the hidden gem that is the music store in our small town. It’s a true haven for music enthusiasts. The store boasts a remarkable selection of instruments, offering a wealth of options for every taste. The friendly and knowledgeable staff add a personal touch to the experience, making it the go-to destination for music lovers in our community.

Hours posted online are wrong

Staff knowledgeable

A shipment of mine was delivered here, and they entered my inventory in their system & began selling my merchandise.

Tried to call them and discuss the situation, no call back.

#1 it’s illegal to open packages that don’t have your name & address on it.

Deleting any bad rating gets you a 5 star, good thinking

Garth and crew are fantastic. Need something they will find it. Good gear, good prices.

Owner is very friendly, carries some nice products. Will deffinately visit again!

Brought my 12 string in with a back bow, and they fixed it up on the spot no charge. Super good guys in here, very helpful and knowledgeable. Highly recommend.

Variety and decent pricing

Lots of options for guitars and equipment, lacking in the drums department

Friendly staff with great knowledge of their products and services.

Thanks for the sign that shows how you’re a bunch of ignorant people. Made my decision very easy to go with literally anyone else. Wish I could give zero stars.

Well priced

This is my favorite spot in the city for reasonably priced vinyl with a great selection. They can almost always order something that they don’t have in stock. They also have a great inventory of smoking wares at a great price. The staff is great as well!

Great Selection- huge. Accurate Pricing and Fair. Staff are knowledgeable and friendly- they can help you find what you need or order it in. Lots of product going through the place— so you will always see fresh finds and product.

Always find new records there.

Cool store, lots of good vinyl at a decent price

great, friendly staff. a cool place to browse through! however, a bit of a limited selection, but they do allow you to order the cds you want.

Good selection of records

Did not have any thing in stock

The staff was snobby that day but stores got lots!

Not impressed. Sure, lots of records. But when a customer comes in asking for something specific and the guy at the counter can’t be bothered to help you. I won’t be back.

excellent service and very reasonable price

Friendly, professional service.

I love B Sharp Music. They are my go to for guitars, pedals and accessories.

Small shop, so not a lot on the floor, but they’re very knowledgeable and very good for getting stuff ordered in. Talk to Craig. He’s excellent.

Great little local shop. A nice alternative to L&M

B Sharp has very friendly and helpful staff. They carry an assortment of instruments, amps, speakers and musical attire. What you need they have! If you dont see it just ask they will find it for you.

Dirty atmosphere, scattered and incomplete selection. Staff ignored questions and opted instead to tell me about their personal experiences in the music industry and spent a fair amount of time trash talking other music stores in the city, as well as threatening that the product I was after (which was recommended to me by an industry professional) was a bad product (it has served me well so far,) I believe though that this was to help push an alternative sales agenda as the solution the salesperson came up with for me (which would have worked well I must admit) was $500 more than the $200 budget I was upfront with him in declaring.

When I turned down his solution he began to berate me as an artist, claiming that I would not be able to accomplish much unless I spent at LEAST as much as he was trying to sell me.

Will never return.

Great staff, helpful people. Big shout-out to these guys for lending instruments for MJ Sidewalk Days performers!

Knowledgeable staff and friendly service. Very good prices! Highly recommend this store.

Always there to help you, really great people.

Friendly service had the guitar came in to pickup. Saw some other instruments they may be in to purchase in New year sometime

This place is good for music instruments.. they are friendly.. there are lot of various guitars

They go all out to give you the service and satisfaction that you want and need. A great place with good people..

Dislike

My husband and 2 adult sons were in the store on Saturday September 15th from about 4:30-4:50. They were interested in buying a bass guitar. No one spoke to them the entire time that they were in the store. There was a person behind the counter. They left without any interaction from the staff. This was disappointing because we were hoping to support a local business. Oh well, off to Long and McQuade.

amazing experience. the kind man who helped me was very nice, and even explained some stuff to my grandma who was with me (she doesnt understand plugs lol)

ended up with opalite tunnels and wooden plugs, which are gorgeous. He was also very kind to explain how the acrylic and glass were different to my gran (glass breaks acrylic is tougher)

Love this shop! will def visit in both regina and moosejaw, whenever i get another 70$ to spend lol!

Records and flags

Great selection of vinyl and CD.. friendly and helpful staff! Loved it

Everything was good, small selection, prices were high for mostly used.

Went in looking for a Tshirt as a gift. The band I wanted was available, and many options to choose from.

Great vintage record store. Customer service was exceptional as they looked through our stack of albums that we sold them

Kennedy is great to deal with and offers lots of helpful insights to all music questions. Also the online store is super easy to navigate.

Lots of hand drum styles available, as well as various types of lessons.

Excellent drums and good price!

Shopping here was such a pleasure- the owner Joanne was so helpful, friendly, and personable. She has a great selection and the best prices. It was nice not to shop at a generic sterile chain music store. This place is authentic. I love my Remo drum.

Normally I’m not the biggest fan of going to Best Buy. However today was different. I went in knew exactly what I wanted and just didn’t know where to look. I met a guy in the apple area named Hussain he knew exactly where I needed to go. Took me right to the product and was very relaxed and helpful not pushy at all.

Very appreciate Hussain! Thanks!

Every associate at this location that I spoke with was very friendly and knowledgeable. This was specifically true about the online vs in-store interactions and product catalog.

Brennan (Brendon) also went above and beyond to pull up my previous warranties to let me know how much time I had left with my products.

Great store with great employees.

Always helping and great pieces

Going into the store, most times there will be someone that will ask you if you need help, though its a bit creepy when you get stalked by some of the employees for them to ask if you need help. They are willing to help and explain things, but they absolutely don’t know how to answer a phone. If you want to get any customer service, its best to just go there, trying to phone them is a waste of time.

Really impressed with Rezza. He was very knowledgeable and didn’t just push high ticket items, but gave options based on budget and value for dollar.

Staff are really attentive, almost too attentive

Not much stuff in stock

Employee whose name was Hilgrid , was very rude to me and would not answer the questions that I had without attitude and didn’t give clear answers. She even kept raising her voice and talking over me when I was trying to talk. Overall very very rude and poor customer service. I was very unsatisfied

Shitty service call to talk to a certain department and get put on hold then hung up on worst service ever

If you want to record audio, whether it’s full band music production, small-scale singer songwriter, or even non-musical audio recording, then check this place out. Beautiful room and acoustics, great gear and an awesome and thorough man behind the board in owner & operator Chris.

Well worth the ~45 minute drive out of Saskatoon to get in the zone for your recording project, and a real comfy place to settle in and get creative.

It’s always a pleasure to work with Chris at ToneShift, a great dude. He’s a fantastic sound engineer, is quite adaptive to all sorts of circumstances, and is also very musically talented. I’ve worked with him on a number of different tracks in different genres, and I highly recommend him to anyone looking for a top notch recording experience!

Christian is not only a wonderful human being, but also a true master at what he does….I have been recently working on my first EP out at the sound castle and it truly is a magical place. Christian has a way of pulling performances out of you that you didn’t even know were there, all the while providing great direction and expertise.
His musicianship is outstanding and he has not only the chops but the passion to provide you with some real tasty treats on whatever kind of genre you are recording with him.
It’s always a great pilgrimage to the magic castle on the hill and I can’t wait to go back!

Rented instrument. Easy and had the instrument available on the spot. Very helpful

I have rented audio equipment here a few times. The last couple I have been helped by Sean who makes things easy everytime. Everyone here is personable, friendly, and the customer service is always great.

Their staff are very hard working, knowledgeable and most importantly friendly. This is by far my favourite place to hunt for deals. And is the best music store around.

My go-to local music store. They usually have what I am looking for.

Was in the store on Friday – not one staff member approached me. I finally found what I was looking for (wireless guitar transmitter set – Xvive) then approached the counter where 3-4 people stood, one discussing needing a lunch. I questioned the ‘newness’ of the item I stumbled upon, as it was in a random area, and not with any other similar item. I was assured it was new, and not tampered with and felt dismissed. I also commented on that it was inconvenient that one couldn’t renew performance warranties online, while renewing in store, and felt that I just wan’t listened to.
When I got the item home, I found that the usb charger’s twist tie was not on the cable, but loose and was under one of the transmitters in the box. So yes, this was tampered with, or used in some way.
Getting disappointed with the service in L&M in store. There are online places to make purchases, and I like to support actual stores, however, I haven’t felt like a valued customer of late. This isn’t the first time of feeling dismissed and ignored in store.

UPDATE: Today the manager called me, and offered to replace my unit with a brand new one. He also apologized for the service received and stated that this wasn’t the standard they wish to be known for.

I’ve updated my score from a 2 to a 4, just for this effort to make good of my bad experience. Thank you for this effort.

Excellent service. I do not know much about music. I went looking for my husband’s father day present and they helped me to get it.
Hope he likes it.

i have come here twice now and staff did not look up or acknowledge customers at all, seemed annoyed when i asked questions

It’s a fine place to buy a guitar. The staff members I dealt with when purchasing the guitar were patient and very helpful. If I were rating the purchasing experience, then I would definitely rate it higher. My complaints are with the workshop/repair department. The clerk who checked it in seemed to not be listening when I told him what I wanted done. Understandably, the shop didn’t get it right in that case. I then spoke directly to the person that worked on the guitar, and he too didn’t seem interested in listening, so when I rebooked it, again it wasn’t up to my specifications. He did do a fine job, but not what I asked for. Take your instruments to places that aren’t in a rush to get you in and out, would be my advice.

If you know your way around guitars and instruments, you should be fine, but don’t expect any help or even a “hello” from the staff here. Three separate occasions I went into this location looking to spend cash on a new Bass guitar. The second time, not only did no one acknowledge my girlfriend and I, but when I asked if they had a specific model (I couldn’t see it on the wall), the fellow standing behind the computer in the bass guitar are acted fairly indignantly that I pulled him away from whatever he was looking at. The third time I asked for assistance fetching a bass off the top rack – I’m a short guy, and I have terrible luck dropping expensive things I don’t own – you’d think I had asked to borrow $1000 or something. After begrudgingly finding a stool, he said, “There, now you can get them yourself.” That was the last time I shopped with L&M, and last time I ever will.