Help! Buying in Canada

[d8g3jdh]

I am looking into getting a new amp, and i find alot of local music stores are overpriced. However, many internet sites dont ship to Canada. Getting good gear for a decent price is hard.

Anyways, i suppose the best thing to ask is this:
All you canucks out there, where/how do you get your gear? Internet site or store? Whats the deal?

Please, this is really annoying!

[C-5KO]

What gear are you looking for?

I've purchased some stuff from the sellers based in the US off Ebay, I've also got Long & McQuade/Steve's to special order me stuff in the past.

[deanthemachine]

Hey there

I live in Thunder Bay Ontario Canada and its about 1 hour away from the US border, right on the other side is a border shop that accepts packages for a small fee (1-2 bucks). So if I'm buying anything from the US, I just get it shipped there, then pick it up and take it across the border. Duty I think is around 15%.

hope this helps, maybe theres a simular place around you.

[Whitmore]

I mostly make purchases from Long and Mcquades usually have good prices and are helpful. I got strings from Music123.com shipping wasnt bad. Also if you are in the London Ontario area then John Bellones has great prices and their employees are extremely helpful.

[heroincredible]

Try Long & Mcquade, they usually have a decent price for some stuff. Also IME their service is good and they don't pester you about buying something(one of them told me they don't get commission so they aren't pressured into selling more gear) and usually don't care if you take down basses and plug in to test every single piece of gear you can get your hands on.

[AndrewShirley]

Go check out the Arts in Newmarket, not far from you They're on Eagle street. Heading northing on 11, turn east on Eagle Street for a couple of blocks, they're on the right. I find that if I ask them "see what they can do" on the price, they usually beat L&M's right off the bat.

- Andrew

[Wesley R]

Originally Posted by deanthemachine

Hey there

I live in Thunder Bay Ontario Canada and its about 1 hour away from the US border, right on the other side is a border shop that accepts packages for a small fee (1-2 bucks). So if I'm buying anything from the US, I just get it shipped there, then pick it up and take it across the border. Duty I think is around 15%.

hope this helps, maybe theres a simular place around you.

We used to bike up there and cam at some campgrounds North of town 10-12 miles or so. Great resteruants and a strip club that we had a dandy time at. They loved US dollars. Seems to me that some of the regulars had their own beer taps and didn't even need the bartenders or waitresses. Don't know how that all worked, but shure loved that place and ice cold OV.


Went there a few years later for our one year anniversary, no bikes or strip club, kid, minvan and inlaws.
Wesley R.

[Steve Clark]

As C-5KO said, "What are you looking for?" What have you tried and what was the price that you thought high?

Have you had a chance to check the bigger Toronto stores mentioned already? Some of the those places are small margin big volume so pricing should be competetive. Although if Guitar Centre ever comes to Canada those guys will have some serious competition.

This link might give you a few more places to look at

http://www.cleverjoe.com/retail.html

As Whitmore said the guys at John Bellones are good guys. I play bass in different bands for two of them so I have to say that. And there really is a John Bellone.

[Jazzin']

-Steve's Music Store
-Ebay
-Avatar and their Canadian distributor

[d8g3jdh]

Well, im looking into a new head and cab, and while i dont know much about cabs i have tried the behringer BX4500 450 watt and i liked it, the music store was charging $430 (CAD) for it, and i found that high. I suppose i should ask, is it?

And not to take away from my original question, but what are some other good budget cabs/heads?

[The Antipop]

I think someone in TO on here has a head and cab for sale. I believe but not sure.

L&M, Steves, just read above.

Remember, if you think the price is high, factor in that you are paying in Canadian funds not american.

[Whitmore]

Steve ur down in the London area eh? Me and my band were down there recording in june its a good city we were recording with one of the guitar players from helix he owns guitar works i believe it is called. It was a good time and we got some good sounding stuff out of it. Lol i know that was off topic but i just had to share the love for london its a good place. www.myspace.com/fallingsoulsca to check out what that guy can do.

[Steve Clark]

Originally Posted by The Antipop

Remember, if you think the price is high, factor in that you are paying in Canadian funds not american.

Yup, product cost, plus shipping, plus duties, plus customs brokers fees . . plus margin. All that balanced with manufacturers minimum sales price. There is a store in my town and the owner said he's not interested in carrying anything unless he's making 30 points on it. I'm assuming that's before he pays his heat and hydro, employees and so on.

The Behringer sells for $259 USD ($302 CDN) at MF. You'll find varied opinion on Behringer at TB. According to MF they do ship to Canada, or at least some items. I'm guessing you would'nt get free shipping so add on . . . someone might be able to tell you but I can ship an iAMP to Miami for about 32 USD. Call it $40 CDN but I have an account and a preffered rate. Plus your brokerge fees ($35 plus maybe). Duties, if not built in US. Don't know what that would be since I currently only import US built gear. Plus GST on value for import. In the end I think you get pretty close to your quote from your store.

If anyone can correct me I'd be happy for that. Just trying to help out a Canuck bassist.

But shop around is the best advice. Used is also an option.

[Steve Clark]

Yep, living and working in London, Ontari-ario.

London has a great community of musicians. Keeps me busy enough. Not enough places to play though.

Speaking of Helix, I work with about 3 or 4 different singers who are taking lessons with Brian Vollmer of the band. I'm thinking about doing the same sometime soon. It's on the to do list.

If you're ever in town again stop by the London Music Club. www.londonmusicclub.com It may or may not be your kind of place but doing great things for live music in London.

Have a good show in Walkerton in November.

Originally Posted by Whitmore

Steve ur down in the London area eh? Me and my band were down there recording in june its a good city we were recording with one of the guitar players from helix he owns guitar works i believe it is called. It was a good time and we got some good sounding stuff out of it. Lol i know that was off topic but i just had to share the love for london its a good place. www.myspace.com/fallingsoulsca to check out what that guy can do.

[Whitmore]

ya thanks man we will definetly stop by there if we get the chance. London is always a good time

[C-5KO]

Originally Posted by Steve Clark

Yup, product cost, plus shipping, plus duties, plus customs brokers fees . . plus margin. All that balanced with manufacturers minimum sales price. There is a store in my town and the owner said he's not interested in carrying anything unless he's making 30 points on it. I'm assuming that's before he pays his heat and hydro, employees and so on.

The Behringer sells for $259 USD ($302 CDN) at MF. You'll find varied opinion on Behringer at TB. According to MF they do ship to Canada, or at least some items. I'm guessing you would'nt get free shipping so add on . . . someone might be able to tell you but I can ship an iAMP to Miami for about 32 USD. Call it $40 CDN but I have an account and a preffered rate. Plus your brokerge fees ($35 plus maybe). Duties, if not built in US. Don't know what that would be since I currently only import US built gear. Plus GST on value for import. In the end I think you get pretty close to your quote from your store.

If anyone can correct me I'd be happy for that. Just trying to help out a Canuck bassist.

But shop around is the best advice. Used is also an option.

+1

Pretty much on the mark for my experience in pricing...

Unless you're buying used, or you get a lower than retail price on ebay, usually the Canadian price is good. Especially now with the dollar being so high.

ie: I just picked up a Sansamp RBI for $206 US + $20 shipping +$30 taxes. Total price $256 US. I think L+McQ is selling them for $400 Can. So I saved $90 Can.

The other thing you have to consider, is when you purchase from the US, your warranty is through the US. If something goes wrong with my RBI, I have to pay for shipping to send it to the US to get it fixed. Where as if I bought it from L+McQ, I could return it, and get a replacement on the spot, or atleast within a day or two.

Actually, I just sent down a Bmax T to get the upgrade, and shipping that down cost me close to $50 Can.... I'm waiting to get it back, and see if the shipper tries to screw me with a brokerage fee. That would probably run me $40, so I'd be out close to $90. If they try to screw me with sales tax, I still have the original shipping slip and the receipt that I can use a proof of purchase, but they may even disregard that too. I'm crossing my fingers....

[heroincredible]

Originally Posted by C-5KO

The other thing you have to consider, is when you purchase from the US, your warranty is through the US. If something goes wrong with my RBI, I have to pay for shipping to send it to the US to get it fixed. Where as if I bought it from L+McQ, I could return it, and get a replacement on the spot, or atleast within a day or two.

Not only that, but if you happen to be touring Canada, you can drop it off at any L&M and they will replace it for you(or if you rent it they take it at any store and give you a replacement and I believe they ship it back to the other store for free). Also you can ask them to lower the prices on some gear by asking if they will sell it to you at cost, and IME they do it more often than not if that particular product has been sitting there for a little while.

[C-5KO]

Originally Posted by heroincredible

Not only that, but if you happen to be touring Canada, you can drop it off at any L&M and they will replace it for you(or if you rent it they take it at any store and give you a replacement and I believe they ship it back to the other store for free). Also you can ask them to lower the prices on some gear by asking if they will sell it to you at cost, and IME they do it more often than not if that particular product has been sitting there for a little while.

My favourite section of their department is the used section now. It's something that they didn't really "advertise" before. You can grab stuff thats been in the rental department CHEAP! Or stuff that people have traded in. Before you had to have an "inside guy" to give you a heads-ups when stuff came in... of course, after all the staff picked through it and decided whether they wanted it or not... Trading stuff in to them is 70%-80% of what they can sell it for, which is usually 70%-80% below retail.

Props to L&McQ!

[C-5KO]

Just to let you know, UPS did screw me with brokerage fee's on the return shipment of my BBE Bmax, after the upgrade.

So, add another $50 to my total cost = worth it to buy locally!