LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED
Long & McQuade Limited is Canada's largest musical instrument retailer, operating 100+ stores nationwide. Founded in 1956 and family-owned, the company sells instruments, pro audio equipment, and print music, and offers rentals, lessons, repairs, and financing to musicians, students, and educational institutions across all 10 Canadian provinces.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1956
- HeadquartersPickering, Canada
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED does
Long & McQuade Limited is Canada's largest musical instrument retailer, operating over 100 retail locations across all 10 Canadian provinces from Victoria, British Columbia to St. John's, Newfoundland. Founded in 1956 and headquartered in Pickering, Ontario, the company remains family-owned under the Long family, with Steve Long serving as President and Jeff Long as Vice President of Sales and Marketing. The company sells a comprehensive range of products across guitars, pro audio and recording, music software, keyboards, drums, band and orchestral instruments, print music, and branded clothing/giftware, alongside complementary services including instrument rentals, music lessons, repairs (supported by over 125 in-house repair technicians), trade-ins, and consumer financing through Flex Pay.
The business operates a multi-channel model anchored by physical retail stores, complemented by an e-commerce website with buy-online-pickup-in-store capability and dedicated web sales phone support (with French language service for Quebec). Revenue is generated across five streams: one-time product retail sales, recurring instrument and equipment rentals, recurring music lessons, professional repair services, and interest income from in-store and online financing programs. Customer segments are diversified across professional musicians, amateur/hobbyist musicians, students and families, educational institutions (supported by dedicated Music Educator Accounts and regional educational services managers), and entertainment venues. The company maintains community ties through MusiCounts support and music therapy fundraising (over $2 million raised for children's hospital programs), and operates an L&M Insider loyalty program alongside the Gear Hunter marketplace for new, used, and custom instruments.
The underlying technology stack is a conventional e-commerce platform with integrated inventory management across the store network, an online rental system, and web-based customer account management. There is no disclosed proprietary technology, AI/ML capability, or patent portfolio in the input data. Geographic operations are strictly domestic — the company does not ship outside Canada — making it a pure-play Canadian retailer with no international expansion signaled in the available evidence.
LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED
- Legal name
- Long & McQuade Limited
- Website
- https://long-mcquade.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1956
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Long & McQuade Limited is Canada's largest musical instrument retailer, operating 100+ stores nationwide. Founded in 1956 and family-owned, the company sells instruments, pro audio equipment, and print music, and offers rentals, lessons, repairs, and financing to musicians, students, and educational institutions across all 10 Canadian provinces.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Musical Instrument Retail
- NAICS
- Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (459140), Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (45914), Used Merchandise Retailers (45951)
- SIC
- Musical Instruments (3931), Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Musical Instrument Retail (Guitars, Keyboards, Drums, Band/Orchestra) (CRALAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Instrument Repair, Maintenance & Luthier Services (CRALAEAF), Instrument Rentals & Leasing (Band/Orchestra Programs) (CRALAEAG), Pro Audio & Recording Equipment Retail (MI-adjacent) (CRALAEAC), Instrument Accessories & Consumables Retail (Strings, Reeds, Sticks, Cables) (CRALAEAE), Audio Accessories & Consumables (Cables, Stands, Cases, Strings, Picks, Heads) (MPAIAJAF)
Keywords
Where LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pickering
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices96 records
Markets served
LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Musical Instrument and Equipment Retail: Primary revenue stream from selling musical instruments including guitars, keyboards, drums, pro audio equipment, band & orchestral instruments, print music, and accessories through retail stores and e-commerce website.
- Instrument and Equipment Rentals: Rental revenue from musical instruments and audio equipment with flexible rental periods (daily, weekly, monthly). Includes student instrument rental programs.
- Music Lessons: Revenue from private and group music instruction offered at store locations and online.
- Repair Services: Service revenue from repairs performed by over 125 in-house repair technicians.
- Financing Interest: Interest income from in-store financing programs and Flex Pay financing options offered to customers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual product pricing with free shipping over $99 |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Long & McQuade Limited is Canada's largest musical instrument retailer, operating 100+ physical stores across all 10 Canadian provinces. The company sells musical instruments (guitars, keyboards, drums, band & orchestral), pro audio and recording equipment, music software, print music, and accessories, complemented by instrument rentals, music lessons, repair services performed by 125+ in-house technicians, trade-in programs, and Flex Pay financing.
Product overview
Long & McQuade Limited is Canada's largest music retailer operating over 100 stores from Victoria, BC to St. John's, Newfoundland. Founded in 1956 and family-owned, the company offers a comprehensive product portfolio across multiple categories including Guitars (Acoustic, Electric, Bass, Classical), Pro Audio & Recording equipment, Software (Music Production/Sequencing), Keyboards (Digital Pianos, Synthesizers, MIDI Controllers), Drums (Acoustic, Electronic), Band & Orchestral instruments (Brass, Woodwind, Strings), Print Music (Sheet music, Songbooks), and Clothing & Giftware. The company provides complementary services including Instrument Rentals, Music Lessons (in-store and online), Instrument Repairs (with 125+ technicians), Trade-Ins, Flex Pay Financing, and operates Gear Hunter (a marketplace for used/custom gear). Additional offerings include Gift Cards in various denominations and the L&M Insider loyalty program. Long & McQuade serves both professional and amateur musicians through physical retail locations and a comprehensive e-commerce platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Guitars
Companies that use LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Steve's Music: Steve's Music is a Canadian musical instrument retailer primarily serving the Montreal area and online. Comparable to L&M as a Canadian music retail competitor with multi-category inventory and lessons, though with a smaller and more geographically concentrated footprint.
- Cosmo Music: Cosmo Music is a Southern Ontario (Richmond Hill) musical instrument retailer offering sales, lessons, and repairs. Comparable to L&M in product mix and service ecosystem, but a much smaller single-store footprint focused on the GTA.
- Tom Lee Music: Tom Lee Music is a long-established Western Canadian musical instrument retailer based in Vancouver, serving British Columbia with retail, lessons, and repair services. Comparable to L&M as a Canadian music retail counterpart, but smaller in scale and concentrated in the West Coast.
Broad incumbents
- Best Buy: Best Buy Canada is a broad consumer electronics retailer that sells guitars, pro audio, keyboards, and DJ equipment as part of a much wider assortment. Comparable to L&M only as a partial-overlap incumbent in musical and audio electronics; lacks music-specialist depth in repairs, rentals, and education services.
- Amazon: Amazon operates as a broad marketplace incumbent that sells musical instruments, pro audio equipment, print music, and accessories alongside many other product categories. Comparable to L&M only on the online retail dimension and certain product categories, lacking L&M's in-store repair, lessons, and rental depth.
Direct peers
- Andertons Music: Andertons is a UK-based musical instrument retailer with both physical stores and a strong online presence, focusing on guitars, drums, keyboards, and PA. Comparable to L&M in retail-plus-online hybrid model and customer segments served.
- Sweetwater: Sweetwater is a leading US online-first musical instrument and pro audio retailer with an in-house team of sales engineers, free shipping, and own-brand content. Directly comparable to L&M on product categories and customer base (hobbyists through professionals), though it competes via an online-led model rather than physical storefronts.
- Guitar Center: Guitar Center is the largest musical instrument retailer in the United States, operating a similar multi-category physical retail + repair + lessons + financing model across hundreds of stores. Comparable to Long & McQuade in product breadth (guitars, pro audio, drums, band & orchestral, keyboards), customer segments, and bundled service ecosystem, with the key difference being US vs. Canadian geographic focus.
- Thomann: Thomann is Europe's largest musical instrument online retailer, carrying guitars, pro audio, drums, keyboards, and accessories with delivery across Europe. Comparable to L&M in scope and pricing-disruption philosophy, but operates primarily online and ships internationally rather than via a retail-store footprint.
- Sam Ash: Sam Ash was a long-standing US musical instrument retailer with a similar multi-category, physical-store-driven model to L&M. Comparable as a direct historical competitor with similar product breadth, though it largely shuttered physical operations in 2024.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED social profiles
Digital presenceLONG & MCQUADE LIMITED financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED
What does LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED do?
Long & McQuade Limited is Canada's largest musical instrument retailer, operating 100+ physical stores across all 10 Canadian provinces. The company sells musical instruments (guitars, keyboards, drums, band & orchestral), pro audio and recording equipment, music software, print music, and accessories, complemented by instrument rentals, music lessons, repair services performed by 125+ in-house technicians, trade-in programs, and Flex Pay financing.
Is LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED a public or private company?
LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED founded?
LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED was founded in 1956. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED based?
LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED is headquartered in Pickering, Canada, in the North America region.
How does LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Musical Instrument and Equipment Retail is the primary driver. The others are instrument and Equipment Rentals, music Lessons, repair Services and financing Interest.
Who are LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Steve's Music, Cosmo Music and Tom Lee Music. Broad incumbents are Best Buy and Amazon. Direct peers are Andertons Music, Sweetwater, Guitar Center, Thomann and Sam Ash.
Does LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED have an API?
No public API is recorded for LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED.
What industry is LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED in?
LONG & MCQUADE LIMITED's product category is Musical Instrument Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAEAA, Musical Instrument Retail (Guitars, Keyboards, Drums, Band/Orchestra), with a secondary code of CRALAEAF, Instrument Repair, Maintenance & Luthier Services. Its NAICS code is 459140 and its SIC code is 3931.