Outstanding staff and service for string players at all levels. The go-to place for supplies,…read moreinstruments, and advice, or just to make connections. David Doyle is a very highly skilled violinist and luthier, and his staff are all players with a full understanding of their instruments. The Sound Post is well known and beloved in the Ottawa music community. They treat their customers with friendliness and respect.

The Sound Post was recommended by my child's violin instructor because of his own experience as…read moreboth a teacher and professional. My child was just 4 at the time and they made sure that the violin was the right size and took all precautions during covid. Because of her age and the small size of the instrument (1/10) we went with renting - she is now 6 and isn't big enough to go up in size just yet. At another point we needed to get a new bow because of an unfortunate accident and they were so helpful. While their rental rate is a bit more than some of the other music stores, it is worth it knowing that our daughter will always have the right size as all staff are fully experienced with stringed instruments. They also have cellos, violas, and basses for rent and sale; offer restoration/repair; music stands; music books; and all the other accessories you might need. The nice thing is that they do have the very small sizes, including the 1/32, I believe. Her ensemble instructor has also recommended going to this place. I completely recommend going to The Sound Post, especially if just starting out.

I'm certainly not overly impressed. I brought my guitar here…read moreto get fixed and cleaned up. The specific problem is fairly minor, the bone doesn't fit properly in the bridge. (I'm not sure how this can be fixed exactly, but I know it's not right) As a result the bone sits at roughly a 70 degree angle (as opposed to 90 degrees). The sales person suggested a tune-up and they would look at the bone/bridge. And since the had to be taken off I had to buy new strings for them to put on. OK, no big deal. A week later, I go to pick it up. $45 for the tune up (not including $21 for the strings). I seriously have no idea what I paid $45 for because everything is exactly the same. They changed the strings. And from what I can tell that's the only thing they did. They didn't even clean the guitar. It's still full of dust. They didn't change the pins, they didn't wipe the damn thing down, they didn't adjust action (not that it needed it) and most importantly they didn't address the bone/bridge issue. I asked the sales person when picking it up (a different person this time) what was done, and he responded with two things. 1. "it's not actually a bone, it's plastic" (Umm yeah, I know, put that's the name of the part) 2. "I suggest you use an old credit card and cut a piece off to shim the bone". SO WHAT DID I PAY $45 FOR??? I know how to change strings, I could have done that myself, thanks. I know this isn't an expensive guitar but they kept saying things like "so you haven't played in a few years and your getting back into it?" Here's the deal. I have a $5,000 guitar at home. This inexpensive one is the 1st guitar I ever owned, and I want it fixed up so I can play it at my wedding (for nostalgia sake). Not that this should matter, someone with an expensive guitar and someone with a cheap guitar should get the exact same treatment and respect. Am I asking too much here? Just wipe down the guitar? Maybe give me a call and give me options for the issue I have before slapping on strings (that I paid extra for) and giving me a bill? I expected more. And I probably won't go back. There are other music stores in town that would likely appreciate my business (and my repeat business).

I had a problem with the Gibson G-45 studio guitar I had purchased in October. The Frets from the…read more12-15 were pretty much dead. I took into for warranty work and when I got it back it was playing better than the original set up. The tech, Kelvin Henderson, offered some great advice that I will heed. As far as the dead frets are concerned, after some tweaking and a bit of work Kelvin rectified the issue. Thank you Kelvin!

We recently purchased a used drum set. We figured it might be a good idea to have a professional…read morecome over and look at the set-up and tune our new toy. I looked up "drum set tuning" and I clicked on the first website that caught my eye. I was very lucky. Mike McNeil came over and tuned out set, answered all our questions, told us what we might need going forward and gave my daughter a drum lesson as well. He worked very hard. He stayed for over 3 hours tuning, fixing the heights and offering advice. We were very pleased and my daughter was very happy. He takes his job very seriously. I highly recommend this young musician who also has a music degree from my alma mater UofO.

I've been dealing with Long & McQuade for over 11 years, mainly with the Kingston, ON store, and…read morehave always been super impressed with their service and professionalism. Unfortunately, my recent experience at the Hunt Club Rd store in Ottawa was the complete opposite. I called ahead about selling a pair of Yorkville EXM Mobile Tower speakers -- only a year old and in great shape. The person on the phone said to bring them in so they could take a look. I drove an hour to get there, only to be ignored for several minutes when I arrived. When someone finally spoke to me, they didn't seem to know what I was talking about. (It's surprising, considering Yorkville is one of the main brands Long & McQuade carries.) After some confusion and checking the computer, I was told, "We already have five of those; we don't want them." That could have easily been said over the phone before I wasted a two-hour round trip. I later called the Hawkesbury store, and even they couldn't understand why the Ottawa location wouldn't take them -- especially since they could easily be used as rentals. If you value your time, avoid the Hunt Club Rd store. I've had nothing but great experiences elsewhere with Long & McQuade, but this location missed the mark completely.

I can't say enough about the wonderful customer service and help I had from Joseph (Joe) Fraser. I…read more originally made the mistake of ordering a Bassbreaker 15 head from Amazon, thinking it was the combo, and was helped by Joe to find a suitable speaker cabinet for it. When i got home, I wasn't able to get sound from the setup. Joe first tried helping me troubleshoot on the phone and when nothing helped he suggested I bring the combo in and we'd be sure to get it working. He was so warm and comforting at a time when I was feeling a bit overwhelmed tbh. Well, it turned out there was a problem with the Bassbreaker I ordered from Amazon so understandably, the best L and McQuade could do was send it in for a repair estimate to see if they could repair it and he suggested I also contact Amazon directly to see if they could offer a free repair just to cover all the bases. Joe was so kind and patient and suggested we look at other amp combos in the meantime. As fate would have it, they had just received a used combo amp and speaker that was a great deal and fit my needs perfectly. It was obvious Joe just wanted to be sure I was happy with no pressure. We ended up exchanging the original cabinet he sold me for the great combo setup. I am 75 and it is so much better for me to deal with the combo vs an amp and separate speaker. I have been playing with the used combo I settled on and it sounds amazing Making it even sweeter was that I was given a refund through the exchange. No upselling. It's caring people like Joe Fraser who just want a happy customer that ends up with the best option for their needs that will keep brick and mortar shops operating :). Thanks Joe from the bottom of my heart. A huge shout out to Terry Calder, the repair guy too, who keeps my prized acoustic well maintained each year. I wouldn't trust anyone else. Great team at Hunt Club. That obviously says something about management at this location too for hiring the right people. Thank you :). Myra Bourne Ottawa

We were pointed here by the Record Centre folk, for a record player repair…read more It's an old school store, nothing glamorous. Tiny and packed with various electronics in various states of repair, it's interesting to gaze around. A few things are for sale. The owner is genial. He'll chat if you like. He won't if you don't. Repair was done within the time he committed to. He knows what he's doing. Call ahead to get hours from a live person. The answering machine recording is not always accurate.

The only place in Ottawa that repairs Kitchen Aid mixers. Dropped out unit off, and he knew right…read moreaway what was needed. He said it would be ready in a week. Got a call 4 days later that it was ready. The service requested was delivered at a price that was better than expected.

Amazing store bought multiple peices from there - Sarah is amazing to work with and so is her…read moremother!

I brought in a watch that needed servicing, and left it at the store with an associate. 2 MONTHS…read morewent by and I didn't hear back from them on when the watch would be done. Despite calling about when it would be ready, I was given an answer of "another 3 weeks". When I called yet again and finally spoke with the owner, she let me know that the people who can service it will be by in about a month. WHY was this not mentioned before? Had I known it would take this long, I would have found another location to take it to. Very unprofessional and it shows that they try to take on too much & don't have the bandwidth for the jobs and repairs they do get. I do not recommend this jewellery store.

I have truely enjoyed my group guitar lessons with Rob! The class is paced just at my speed. I have…read morecome away with being able to know the core chords and even play some songs! Highly recommend for beginners!

Purchased an 8 class group introduction to guitar. I made 7 of 8 classes. Can safely say it was…read morethe best deal I have ever had. Great course...our Instructor Robert was a lot of fun. Highly recommend it!

I bought three birthday gifts across two of your stores this month. When looking for something…read moreextra special, Magpie always has something unique. I love your stores and the designers you represent and how you support local. Customer service is consistently great. Your window display in the Glebe right now is fabulous!

I get hives in a jewelry shop as most men usually do. To say that I'm intimidated in this…read moreenvironment would be putting it mildly. I cannot thank the Magpie staff enough for their unbelievable service, craftsmanship, attention to detail and most importantly, their ability to make this experience pleasurable. THANK YOU MAGPIE. Who knew going to a jewelry shop could be this enjoyable.