Canada sucks for musicians. Here's proof.

[JLubinsky-Mast]

Man, the Canadian Dollar is brutal right now. Blame who you want, OPEC, Harper, Trudeau, whatever.
When the Americans were hurting a few years ago, I cleaned up buying used and new gear at a favourable exchange.

I still love living here, and playing with dope musicians.

In Calgary playing a slew of shows with crushing bands for Juno fest. Get to cap it off with a beautiful 9 hour drive through the spectacular Canadian Rockies.
Life could be worse up in the double denim kingdom

 

[MichaelOz]

555 Euro = 632.42 US
555 Euro = 822.69 CDN

Sounds like you are getting a better deal than Europeans.

$869 AUD, exhange rate pretty much 1:1. Hmmm ...

 

[jdthebassman]

You can't have everything (what would you do with it?).

do with what, I don't under stand your comment

 

[madbass6]

Stopped in a Long & McQuade with my son and found a Fender Rumble 200.
After taxes $689!View attachment 835756
What a frickin' rip off.
A 200w combo amp for almost 7 bills?
In the states these are $449 and no tax if online.
Just sick of this crap.

Don't like the price?
Here's a Simple solution, Don't buy it!

 

[Thehound]

This is exactly why I buy most of my stuff used currently. if you look around some smaller music stores still haven't raised the prices on old stock, some deals are still to be had just gotta look harder.

 

[Thornton Davis]

So they'll match a US advertised price dollar for dollar in Canadian? (50 bucks equals 50 bucks etc etc). I can't see that happening......

Be realistic dude, they'll match any other Canadian price.

TD

 

[toddbooster]

When I read the thread title "Canada sucks for musicians", I thought we would be talking about the crushing 18 hour drives between most major metropolitan areas, not griping about a lousy $150.

 

[onosson]

they only take the exchange rate into consideration when the CDN$ drops. Prices in Canada never go down when our dollar is on par or is higher than the US dollar..

I haven't found that to be true myself - I recall prices on many things dropping a few years ago when we were at or close to par. The problem is, historically, being on par is a rare situation, and right now we are barely recovering from the worst exchange rate with USD in over 10 years

 

[GoLeafsGo]

This is exactly why I buy most of my stuff used currently. if you look around some smaller music stores still haven't raised the prices on old stock, some deals are still to be had just gotta look harder.

This. When I was looking for the little Gretsch Junior Jet a few years ago, no one had them in stock. But Tundra Music in Whitby was more than willing to beat the best price I could get on-line (in Cdn. dollars) and order one for me. And Guitar Boutique beat the L&M price for my Godin. Both great stores, very personal service, superior techs. That said, there are some thing I have and will buy at L&M. Their "sale" prices can be pretty good, the people, at least at the Oshawa store, are quite good. Heck at a Boxing Day sale, I even had Steve Long sell me a bass cab. Great guy, but you have to understand, they are running a business, not a charity.

 

[buldog5151bass]

do with what, I don't under stand your comment

Cheap prices and socialized health care. T'was an attempt at humor - apparently not entirely a successful one.

 

[nerkoids]

I thought this would be a thread about nickelback.

Well this thread just took a turn for the worse...

 

[bigsnack]

Las time I was in the local l&m, a road worn jazz was almost $1500. Over $1600 after tax for a mim bass.

I am in the market for another bass and wanted to buy Canadian made, all I can find is 3 options. Godin, which doesn't have a model that speaks to me, F-bass and Dingwall, also mucho $$$$ for Canadian made.

The cost of living in Canada is terribly high. I am tired of it as well.

Hammersmith!!! A brand new company run by a guy here on the forums. Check them out!

 

[Lee Moses]

Fortunately for me, my gf lives in Michigan.

How un-Canadian of you.

 

[SoundOfOneHandSlapping]

In October of 2014, I ordered a brand new Martin BCPA4 acoustic bass at Long and McQuade for $1525 CAD. Now, they sell this bass for $2799 CAD. I know our dollar has dropped in the last year and a half, but not enough to warrant this bass nearly doubling in price. I gave up on L&M after I had them do a basic setup on the Martin. The Horror...the horror...

Kijiji is a Canadian musician's best friend, so long as you live in a big city, or at least, you're willing to travel to one. Here in Ottawa, a Rumble or Bassman combo is a rather frequent listing.

 

[shawshank72]

I get that prices are higher in Europe and Australia, goods manufactured in North America are either flown or shipped at a big cost. The majority of Canadians live within two hours of the CDN/US border, with NAFTA we have duties waived on North American made goods going over any of the three border. Prices have always been higher in Canada, even when the dollars are on par (which wasn't to long ago). I wonder what the cost of that mim jazz would be if we didn't have NAFTA.

I used to be a serious mountain biker, and built my own bikes. It was cheaper for me to buy parts from the US, pay shipping and duties (if needed) and state and provincial taxes, than it was to buy from mail order in Canada.

Macleans magazine published a comparison on exact products sold in both the US and Canada a few years ago, it was a real eye opener. some items where as much as 50% more in Canada.

I live an hour away from VSN, and have checked them out, will keep an eye on them. Also will be checking out Kinal.

And to those who state we have free healthcare and drugs, nothing is free my friend..........nothing. we just don't take a credit card to the doctors.

Canadians typically have their tax-free day in Late June, so every dollar we earn up to that date goes to income/sales/property taxes of some sort. we have some of the highest taxes in the world, truth.

Truth

 

[winterburn69]

It certainly does suck to buy new at the moment.

I was actually at my closest L&M yesterday (an hour away) and eyed up a few things:

Epiphone Jack Casady - $1079.00
Fender FSR Ash Jazz - $799
Squier CV '60s Jazz (Inca Silver) - $539.99
Ampeg SCR-DI - $239.99

Needless to say I walked away with only the strings and tuning machine turner thing I came in for.

 

[corndog]

Yes. Why not? Is Canada another planet? Is there another country that has civilization and low cost products?

Have you read the entire thread?

 

[shawshank72]

they only take the exchange rate into consideration when the CDN$ drops. Prices in Canada never go down when our dollar is on par or is higher than the US dollar..

Absolutely.

 

[bobalu]

... which is probably why those Canadian makers have to charge accordingly, and also the distributors that stock them to pay their rent, keep the lights on and pay their employees. They have to eat and keep a roof over their heads too, and as I discussed with @Sheldon D. recently, they're not exactly making a huge profit and drowning in Ferraris!

As pointed out earlier, we pay a hell of a lot more here in Europe. If I were to buy a high-end secondhand instrument every time I went to the States, then sold it on here having snuck it through Customs (which of course I'd never do...), I could pretty much pay for my flights with the profit.

^ ^Yep, for sure. I have friends in Australia and one in New Zealand (a student). Talk to them about how fair gear prices are in their country...... Go to an Aussie music store website and check out an Am. Standard Jazz or P, or a Stingray. I hear what the O.P. is saying about L&M though.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

So how much does a guy from the great white north get dinged if he buys an amp used on TB classifies? Is there a duty you have to pay? Is it huge?