# L & M buys Mother's Music



## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

The big Canadian chain buys the small Western Canadian chain.
I heard about this the other day, then today I was in Mother's and I saw one of the L&M salesmen, and he was wearing his L&M shirt, so I thought, hmm, it must be official.

When I get home, sure enough, there it is on L&M's website Three Edmonton locations & two Calgary ones. With some listed as formerly being Mother's Music.
They'll also add stores in Winnipeg & Saskatoon--both of which already had L&M's.

I'm not sure what to think about that.

I liked Mother's better for some things, and L&M better for others, and would often stop at both if I had time (Easier to do when they were both on 17th.)
I've bought guitars & amps from both. I also do stop by other stores as well.

Now they'll both be L&M.

Well, time will tell.

Anybody have thoughts on this? Or have tales from when L&M took over a local store?

(Keen Kraft was ages ago)


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

When L&M bought a music store in Stratford Ontario, service, stock selection, order speed, all improved.

Peace, Mooh.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Mooh said:


> When L&M bought a music store in Stratford Ontario, service, stock selection, order speed, all improved.
> 
> Peace, Mooh.


Well Mother's wasn't lacking in customer service, they were always good at that in my experience, but the local L&M is good at that too, so I don't see a decline.
I'm wondering more about brands, accesories and stuff like that.
For example,
I'm probably going to have to start ordering my short scale bass strings online if L&M won't order them (And paying extra for S&H)--the local L&M said they won't stock them as they don't sell quickly enough, and Mother's always had a few sets on hand--at a decent price.
I've found that Mother's was better for buying knobs, machine heads, pick up rings, plastic guitar parts, and stuff like that too.

But as I posted above-time will tell.

L&M was better at those things above than the the local stores not named Mother's, so maybe it will be okay.


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

i like L&M downtown here in Edmonton.... sales guys were helpful and nice... different selection to L&M... nicer store set up as well... all they lacked was some brands.


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## washburned (Oct 13, 2006)

Watch out for great in store deals on stuff that L&M doesn't normally handle. When they took over Musicstop in the Maritimes there were some really good clearance prices.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

I've been to four Long & McQuades in my life, each very different from the others in terms of selection, service and "vibe". I imagine that the newly purchased stores won't change much - other than their letterhead.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

washburned said:


> Watch out for great in store deals on stuff that L&M doesn't normally handle. When they took over Musicstop in the Maritimes there were some really good clearance prices.


I'm keeping an eye out that way--but it would be more for accessories and maybe pedals.
I'm not really in the market for a new guitar at this time--although they have had some real good prices recently.
I'm not really interested in any of the maps in the store at this time-if I get another amp anytime soon, it would probably be a small tube amp.

I have to admit, one of my first thoughts was, "Will there be a sale?"


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

ugh... i hate L&M south.... no one ever helps you there....but its the closest one to where i live.

Rory and te guys Downtown are top notch.


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## Stevo (Apr 3, 2008)

If they keep the Mother's downtown open, I hope they do something about the parking down there.... hehe


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Ya, neither location is ideal. L&M is a touch small and tight, but parking is usually OK. Can be difficult to turn left off 107th to get at it if traffic is heavy. Mother's has better space but zero customer parking, with meters out front and on one side. But 103rd isn't super busy, and there's a light there so easy to get at it.

The guy usually doing pedals at Mother's is beyond awesome, super knowledgeable and friendly. There's one guy who's a little creepy and sometimes a bit clingy who I don't care if I see him at L&M.


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## ThePass (Aug 10, 2007)

Where I grew up and have spent most my life (Burlington, Ontario) there was a little shop called Lakeshore Music. It was great.....big "inside Burlington" joke was that it was on New Street and not Lakeshore Ave.....anyway.

I bought my first Strat there (I still have it ~ 1993 Plus Dlx) plus countless other stuff.

It was bought out and moved to Mainway Drive. The building is 10X the size, but the parking SUCKS. Don't go there on a Sat afternoon, like I did last weekend, lol.

Some of the same staff are there, but of course it's grown and expanded......

The one thing Lakeshore Music did for me, that I can't see L&M doing for anybody is 'installment' payments.

Basically I took home two Strats and a LP (not all at once) but was able to pay them off weekly just on honor. I gave them a down payment, took my guitar home and said I'd be back in two weeks on payday to pay some more. And I did. then came back two weeks later, paid it (them) off. No interest. 

Good luck doing that now.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

L&M does have payment plans, and does occasionally do them at 0% thought they usually specify a brand that qualifies - Gibson annual sale comes to mind, but I have bought other stuff on time @ 0% with them.


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

Actually, Edmonton will now have 4 Long and McQuade stores since "Gordon Price" on Whyte Ave is also part of Mother's.

My guess would be that the two downtown stores will merge, the Whyte Ave store will shut down or become an independent.


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

i imagine the L&M downtown edmonton will shut down. shitty part of town, small store...or it will become a warehouse for them.

the mothers store downtown would be perfect for a L&M superstore. lots of floor space up in that beyotch.. the amp room is awesome and so are the 3 pedal rooms.


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

The best news out of this is: Larry Yong is coming back to Calgary to the Mother's location. I pretty much quit buying gear once he left, Ben was impossible to deal with.

Not that I buy any gear anymore anyway.


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## washburned (Oct 13, 2006)

keto said:


> L&M does have payment plans, and does occasionally do them at 0% thought they usually specify a brand that qualifies - Gibson annual sale comes to mind, but I have bought other stuff on time @ 0% with them.


 Usually Gibson and Traynor (Yorkville) since they own Yorkville and are the Canadian distrib. for Gibson.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

ThePass said:


> Where I grew up and have spent most my life (Burlington, Ontario) there was a little shop called Lakeshore Music. It was great.....big "inside Burlington" joke was that it was on New Street and not Lakeshore Ave.....anyway.
> 
> I bought my first Strat there (I still have it ~ 1993 Plus Dlx) plus countless other stuff.
> 
> ...


I've been dealing with Lakeshore since years before they moved to Mainway. Right now my office is only about a 15 minute drive from the Burlington L&M so I'll often take a break and go there during the week. I've noticed its hard to get a parking spot any day of the week.


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## ThePass (Aug 10, 2007)

keto said:


> L&M does have payment plans, and does occasionally do them at 0% thought they usually specify a brand that qualifies - Gibson annual sale comes to mind, but I have bought other stuff on time @ 0% with them.




I'm sure they do.

But back then, I just paid my first payment when I picked up the guitar. Came back two weeks later (pay day) and paid some more. Then again two more weeks later.

Basically, lay-a-way but I got to take it home right away.

No credit check, paper work, "void" cheques, driver licence photocopies ect ~ just 'on my word'.

Those days are gone.


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## gtone (Nov 1, 2009)

This might be good news for the Saskatoon Mother's Music store, which used to be one of my favourite shops in 'Toon-town. Went there last Friday to drop off some gear at Western Speaker Works, located in the back of the store, and both my son and I were disappointed at how low-end the store's instrument inventory had sunk to. We used to go in and try out lots of quality, higher end stuff in there; now it's almost exclusively entry to medium level instruments (the amps and effects less so, it's only fair to say), and only have half as many instruments as 5 years ago to boot!

While I'm no gear snob or anything (far from it), if I want to ogle inexpensive gear, I'll wander down to my local Mom/Pop music shop here in the 'Jaw. I do support these guys when/where possible, and in all fairness to them, there's no margin in them bringing in higher end instruments that sit on the hanger because so many locals seek gear in the $250-$600 "sweet spot" that they're comfortable with. When I venture to the bigger cities, though, I kinda want to see something of quality or substance, as I'm sure many musicians do. At least L&M's seem to have a fairly good cross section of entry to upper level gear judging by the inventory at their Regina store.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

ThePass said:


> I'm sure they do.
> 
> But back then, I just paid my first payment when I picked up the guitar. Came back two weeks later (pay day) and paid some more. Then again two more weeks later.
> 
> ...


Well, anyone who's doing business that way these days is black and white a fool. No reflection on you, but definitely a reflection on the world around us. It's not 1956 any more.


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## ThePass (Aug 10, 2007)

keto said:


> Well, anyone who's doing business that way these days is black and white a fool. No reflection on you, but definitely a reflection on the world around us. It's not 1956 any more.


No kidding.

Sad eh?


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

ThePass said:


> I'm sure they do.
> 
> But back then, I just paid my first payment when I picked up the guitar. Came back two weeks later (pay day) and paid some more. Then again two more weeks later.
> 
> ...


It's been a while since I've seen or heard of that--it was something that was only done, in my experience, for frequent customers, who spent a fair amount.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I told some other guitarists I work with about this today.
One was kind of sad about it.


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## Dr.Tone (Apr 23, 2011)

*Financing*

Actually, in response to this particular thread: I've been in Account Services with Mother's Music for the last few years and was disappointed at how tight we had become with a lot of the customers (considering I'd always experienced relatively "hassle-free" financing since I started buying at Mother's in 1987.)

That being said, I am now a Long & MCQuade employee and, after going though the credit and account processes, can assure you that our credit policies as of today are not that much more stringent than the scenario that "ThePass" refers to. Certainly it's even easier for a existing customer (since you only ever have to fill out paperwork once) but there's VERY little required to get you out the door with the gear of your dreams... and certainly it's MUCH less rigorous than we were as Mother's Music. Much. Seriously. LOL 

Cheers!


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## Powdered Toast Man (Apr 6, 2006)

This will change the Mothers in Winnipeg A LOT. Fender, Gibson... to name a few.

I stopped shopping at Mothers years ago. They've got a huge store, but they've also got WAY too much gear crammed into it. Difficult to shop and they don't carry many mainstream names anymore.


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## ThePass (Aug 10, 2007)

Dr.Tone said:


> Actually, in response to this particular thread: I've been in Account Services with Mother's Music for the last few years and was disappointed at how tight we had become with a lot of the customers (considering I'd always experienced relatively "hassle-free" financing since I started buying at Mother's in 1987.)
> 
> That being said, I am now a Long & MCQuade employee and, after going though the credit and account processes, can assure you that our credit policies as of today are not that much more stringent than the scenario that "ThePass" refers to. Certainly it's even easier for a existing customer (since you only ever have to fill out paperwork once) but there's VERY little required to get you out the door with the gear of your dreams... and certainly it's MUCH less rigorous than we were as Mother's Music. Much. Seriously. LOL
> 
> Cheers!



Can you explain what you mean when you say you were "disappointed" at how tight you became with your customers at Mother's Music? I'm not sure I'm reading this right, having never been there. I'd think you'd be happy with customers who you can trust, and trust you as well.

Like I said, I'm probably reading this way wrong.


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## Powdered Toast Man (Apr 6, 2006)

ThePass said:


> Can you explain what you mean when you say you were "disappointed" at how tight you became with your customers at Mother's Music? I'm not sure I'm reading this right, having never been there. I'd think you'd be happy with customers who you can trust, and trust you as well.
> 
> Like I said, I'm probably reading this way wrong.


By "tight" I think he means strict in their lending practices, not "tight" as in knowing someone really well.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Powdered Toast Man said:


> This will change the Mothers in Winnipeg A LOT. Fender, Gibson... to name a few.
> 
> I stopped shopping at Mothers years ago. They've got a huge store, but they've also got WAY too much gear crammed into it. Difficult to shop and they don't carry many mainstream names anymore.


That may make a bigegr difference in Winnipeg & Saskatoon than Calgary or Edmonton, but definitely for anyone looking for Gibson or fender, things may improve.


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

Dr.Tone said:


> Actually, in response to this particular thread: I've been in Account Services with Mother's Music for the last few years and was disappointed at how tight we had become with a lot of the customers (considering I'd always experienced relatively "hassle-free" financing since I started buying at Mother's in 1987.)
> 
> That being said, I am now a Long & MCQuade employee and, after going though the credit and account processes, can assure you that our credit policies as of today are not that much more stringent than the scenario that "ThePass" refers to. Certainly it's even easier for a existing customer (since you only ever have to fill out paperwork once) but there's VERY little required to get you out the door with the gear of your dreams... and certainly it's MUCH less rigorous than we were as Mother's Music. Much. Seriously. LOL
> 
> Cheers!


Ya the bass player in my band has no credit whatsoever as far as I know and finances stuff all the time at L&M. He's not locked into a payment plan and basically does a layaway (drops payments by the store when he has them), but he pays a higher interest rate to be able to do that. And as far as I know, you can take the item home as soon as you put %20 down. I have to agree that L&M's financing is about as low hassle as you can get. I personally haven't financed anything there in a few years, but from what he tells me it's no different than it ever was.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

L&M financing is a huge benefit to working musicians who, often notoriously, have little cash on hand but value and honour the service so much they are loath to default. I've used it several times, partly for convenience, and partly out of desperation. That L&M provides the service, when they clearly don't have to, greatly endears the place to me. The folks who run the Stratford location (the nearest) also seem to really care about musicians and their needs, and while they remain businesslike, they are personable enough to be very helpful.

In fairness, the local mom'n'pop doesn't have the financial power to provide such a service, and I wonder sometimes if they even meet payroll. However, they do what they can to help folks and it's much appreciated, at least by regular customers.

It's got to be a tough business.

Peace, Mooh.


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## gtone (Nov 1, 2009)

I think you nailed it Mooh - the face of music retail is definitely changing the last few years.


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## Dr.Tone (Apr 23, 2011)

Yeah, as PowderedToastMan explained, I meant how stringent we were with financing. We were turning down WAY more sales than we were approving and personally I've always believed that the reason a store DOES in-house financing is to be able to offer it to people who don't necessarily qualify for credit elsewhere. Unfortunately, it actually became harder to get financing at Mother's than it had been most of the years that I was financing there. 

I was only referring to the credit policies, I assure you. 

;-)

Cheers!


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

gtone said:


> I think you nailed it Mooh - the face of music retail is definitely changing the last few years.


Sure is, even small chains used to feel like the old mom & pop stores --in a good way.


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

i wqs at mothers downtown edmonotn yesterday. the sales guy said they were shutting that location down...sounds like L&M downtown is staying where it is.


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## parkhead (Aug 14, 2009)

ThePass said:


> Where I grew up and have spent most my life (Burlington, Ontario) there was a little shop called Lakeshore Music. It was great.....big "inside Burlington" joke was that it was on New Street and not Lakeshore Ave.....anyway.
> 
> I bought my first Strat there (I still have it ~ 1993 Plus Dlx) plus countless other stuff.
> 
> ...


Norm and Jack moved lakeshore music to the new mainway Location before they became involved with Long & McQuade. They both still work there. They probably want a bigger parking lot as much as the customers do. 

Long and McQuade does that kind of easy financing, though there is some paperwork just to keep things organized. 


p


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

I've shopped at Mothers in Winnipeg in the early 90's. That's where I bought my PRS, which was the only one in town at the time and picked up a Hamer on another occasion. They had a decent collection of more unusual (at that time) brands. I didn't care much for the manager/owner, whoever he was but it was the only PRS available!

I really wish that they would open a L&M in Sudbury, it's central to northern ON and there should be enough customers around here to support it, though it would put everything else in town out of business.


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