Lynx Dealer Spotlight: Long & McQuade

Like many amazing success stories, that of Canada-based musical instrument retailer Long & McQuade had humble beginnings. It was in 1956 when Jack Long, a professional trumpet player, set up a small store on Carlton Street in Toronto, Ontario on the second floor of a house. Long’s goal was simple: selling band instruments to his friends in the local music community. The store’s floor was later divided into music studios so that Long could teach trumpet lessons on the side, and not long after, he rented out a room to a local drummer named Jack McQuade, who used the space for drum lessons.

In 1957, both Jacks decided to open up a small retail store on Yonge Street and named it Long & McQuade Musical Instruments. The partnership continued until 1965, when McQuade decided to pursue drumming full time and sold his portion of the company to Long. A few years later, Long & McQuade began expanding and, to put it mildly, has continued to do so ever since. There are now over 100 Long & McQuade stores across Canada, as well as an online store that launched in 2008. The company employs over 1,800 musicians, and contracts approximately 1,000 music teachers across Canada. And despite this phenomenal growth, the entire company is still 100% owned by the Long family. Jack passed away in 2025, but his sons Steve and Jeff now run the day-to-day operations.

Today, there’s no aspect of music making that isn’t covered by Long & McQuade, from the sales and rental of every kind of instrument to lessons to service to support and more. They are beloved for their excellent customer service, employing the country’s most qualified electronics and instrument technicians. They offer financing programs to allow you to more easily take home the gear of your dreams. And yes, Long & McQuade is an excellent resource for professional audio gear as well, and are renowned for their variety and range of products. That includes plenty of Lynx audio tools, from the outstanding Aurora(n) to the acclaimed Hilo 2 to the exciting new Mesa Thunderbolt 3 Desktop Interface, as well as the peripherals and interface modules that help you get the most out of your recording, mixing, and mastering environments.

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Long & McQuade
Over 100 locations from British Columbia to Newfoundland