Long & McQuade

Guitar porn!
If you have a fetish for six-​stringed instruments (or four, or twelve) you’ll enjoy perusing this store. The employees are pleasant and friendly and don’t follow you around like crazed stalkers as can happen in music stores. (That sort of practise has always baffled me — how can you shoplift a guitar or drum kit? There’s no trench-​coat big enough.) They asked if I needed a hand but when I told them I was only there for voyeuristic purposes, they were cool with that. They stock all the predictable brands that you would expect to see at competitive prices.
Actually I was there to pick up tickets for the Steve Vai Alien Guitar Secrets Master Class coming up. The transaction went smoothly although they tried to up-​sell me some 9-​volt batteries for some reason. They said something about how smoke detector batteries should be replaced as part of a Victoria Day long weekend safety check. (I thought it was strange too.)
When I first walked in here I thought I was in the wrong store. The employees are all decked out in dress pants and collared shirts — not the usual attire for a music store. It’s definitely not the old school type of guitar shop where the sales associates look like gas station attendants and are all snobs who think they’re god’s gift to music. (God, I miss those days.)
This store has changed names and locations over the past few years so some of the older reviews below may not be applicable anymore. In a past life, this store was a Mother’s Music,
As mentioned, I did not buy a guitar. To me, going into a music store is like going to a strip club… or a zoo — I’m only there to look. If I want something to love, touch, and squeeze, I’ll place a personal ad.
Have a rockin’ day.

I play my guitar daily as part of my job. So when it needed repair, I hoped to find somebody who would give it the TLC it needed and provide me with quick service, since being without my guitar would compromise the service I provide. I was delighted to find Long & McQuade, close to my Oliver neighbourhood and just blocks from my work.
When I took the guitar in, the technician informed me that it was a very easy repair. I asked him how long he expected it to take, and he said he’d have it in a week at the latest. He also informed me that he would be going in for surgery in two weeks, and so the repair would certainly be done by then. The repair for my instrument was minor and wouldn’t take long, but there were other repairs ahead in the queue.
Well, the week came and went, and I heard no word from L&M. The day of the technician’s scheduled surgery came and went, and still no word from L&M. I called the following day to inquire about my guitar. I was told that the guitar had not been repaired and would not be «for a while» since the technician was out on medical leave. I was told that I could come in to pick it up. When I asked why I wasn’t notified sooner (or at all, since I only learned of this on my own initiative), the staff member told me that the technician had to have emergency surgery. I asked if it was the same scheduled surgery that the technician had told me about, or had something else come up. The staff member was surprised to be caught in a lie, but informed me that it was, indeed, the same surgery. The staff member then informed me that this was not his responsibility, and that I would need to speak with a manager. Unfortunately, no manger was available at that time, but I asked when one would be available and informed the staff member that I would be in at that time to pick up my guitar.
When I arrived, I got my guitar back, and it obviously had not been touched. The person working at the counter informed me that it was the next in the queue to be repaired, but «unfortunately, the technician had a medical emergency.» I informed the worker that I knew the technician had scheduled the surgery and that it wasn’t an emergency and they could stop the charade. I then asked to speak to a manager, and the worker would not get a manager for me, telling me that there was «nothing a manager could do» because «the guy had an emergency.»
I am not upset that the technician had surgery. I am not even upset that he didn’t get to my repair before he went on medical leave. I realize that it’s likely he had hoped to get more done before his leave, and it just didn’t get done. These things happen. I understand. What I am upset about is the lack of customer service. I was never notified that the repair wasn’t going to be done «for a while», and when I questioned this I was lied to and my complaint was not even given any credence.
So, I will be taking my business elsewhere. I don’t care that they are in my neighbourhood. They have lost not only this repair job but any future visits for strings (for my guitar or ukelele) or for drums (my son is obsessed and we had thought to buy him some there). And they lost the sale of the new Taylor guitar I had my eye on that I asked my sweetie to get me for my birthday next week. A new guitar to allow me to keep one at work and still have one for home and play.
I am not sure where I will go now. But I have no doubt there are guitar stores in Edmonton who would like to sell me a new Taylor and would be willing to fix my old guitar, too. In the meantime, I’ll make due with the piano at work. And hopefully those listening won’t mind too much.
***UPDATE*** I took my guitar to another shop in town. They fixed it in less than 24 hours. And they charged me less than half of what I was quoted at L&M. I came back on here to lower my review to 1-​star, but saw I had already given it the lowest possible rating. Don’t use these guys. They really are not professional.

I never visited this store before it was Long and McQuade. I’ve only been to L&Ms more northern location and found it to be quite cramped and hard to browse. Not the case with this downtown store.
Came in on boxing day and was the first person there. Was helped by an associate who went out of his way to print off an online coupon for me. He quickly gathered everything I needed and setting up an account was quick and painless.
Had a small issue with the guitar I bought, but it’s my fault for not testing it. I was able to exchange it with absolutely no hassle save the return trip.
The store appears to be partially under construction upstairs but the ground floor alone is huge. Large in-​stock selection. I also appreciate the real-​time inventory on the web site.

A rather decent shop for music. They tend to have anything that you need when you enter the shop, and if they don’t they’ll order the stock and if you want they’ll ship it to your residence. the service is far above average, they’re all willing to help if they can and will find someone if they cannot.

Mother’s music is a great store. It’s not as good as AXE but it is pretty close. It is packed with wall to wall instruments and accessories.
The staff is really helpful. They know there stuff and try and get you the best bang for your buck. I mostly enjoyed just browsing and messing around with some of the instruments but if you are actively looking for a new guitar or drum or some other instrument you will be satisfied here.
The prices are the same as most music places but the selections better.

Whether you are seriously looking for a new drum or guitar, or you just want to browse, Mother’s Music is a fun shop to visit. There’s a huge selection of drums upstairs and helpful sales people who know their stuff. I like the hand percussion room at the top of the stairs, which is full of lots of cool instruments from different parts of the world. The prices at most music stores are the same. While you can’t usually bargain them down, if you’re buying a whole set you might be able to get them throw in something. My boyfriend bought his whole drum set at Mother’s and they gave him a drum stool. He goes back there regularly when he’s looking for additions for his set. I’ve gone in looking for a gift for him, and they were helpful selecting something that would work with his set.

Mother’s Music is a musician’s paradise. The first level of the store is filled with stringed instrumentals of every kind imaginable, particularly guitars and basses. The selection of acoustic and electric models is huge, and there is a separate room for higher-​end instruments. The staff is extremely helpful and will aid you in making a choice that is right for you and your budget. I can also find a variety of accessories for my guitars, like capos, strings, picks, patch cords, and cases.
The second level of Mother’s Music is drums, drums, drums! From traditional kits to ethnic percussion, there is a variety of brands and prices. If you need skins, practise pads, sticks, or any other kind of drum accessory, this is the place to be. I fought the urge to purchase some congas, which I recently played at a jam session.
Music fans will also find a variety of songbooks, instructional videos, and music memorabilia like hats and t-​shirts. This store is huge and makes use of just about every square inch of space.