Best place to buy online (or off) for Canadians?

[Dorkmaster Flek]

Hey everybody, recent drum convert here. Long story short, I got a Yamaha DTXplorer around Christmas and I've been bitten by the drum bug. Now that the limitations of this kit are starting to hold me back, I'm in the market to upgrade to some nice V-Drums. I'm in Toronto, and of course I'm checking out our local music shops like Long & McQuade and Cosmo, but are there any Canadian online retailers that are competitive with prices? I'm worried buying from the US and shipping such a large item across the border would be a major hassle, but I could be wrong. Do you think I should look south of the border too, especially with the higher dollar and all? Thanks a bunch!

[Sabre]

I had pretty decent service from LA Music. Their website is a little hokey, but they had what I needed, kept in touch, had excellent prices, and even phoned to verify credit card information for my protection. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.

Fleet Pro Sound & Lighting is another one. They are apparently the only dealer in Canada for the Hart mesh heads. I guess because of the monopoly they feel they can charge whatever they want because Canadians have no where else to turn. That and the one indifferent phone conversation I had with them would be why I'd never recommend them.

For what it's worth, unless there is a considerable savings, or they just don't carry it, I pretty much deal exclusively with Long & McQuade. That doesn't mean I don't keep an eye on pricing across the border. Especially if I lived closer to the border, I probably wouldn't hesitate to make a day trip to save a couple hundred bucks.

[Dorkmaster Flek]

Cool, good to know. I looked up LA Music on Google and they're at the opposite end of the GTA from me basically, which sucks, but maybe I'll make the trip out there. I've got Cosmo, Just Drums and a few L&M locations much closer to me, so most likely I'll end up sticking with them.

[badnomad]

If you go to L&M they will match Guitar Center/Musician's Friend online prices plus about 7%-10%,(or any other legitimate online store), but you have to ask them......This works out to less than What it would cost you to pay for shipping, and way less than the duty that Revenue Canada will stick you with on an internet purchase from the US.
Steve's isn't bad, but Just Drums is a complete ripoff.....Prices are 30%-40% higher than anyone else, and if you call them out on it, they point to the row of celebrity-signed drumheads above the counter, as if it was some kind of justification.

Myke C.

[badnomad]

Oh yeah.......The time to buy cross-border is in August at GC.....they burn stuff out the door at amazing discounts, and have some great door-crashers. I picked up a brand new VOX amp ($1600 new, $875 used), for $499 last year during the sale. I plan a trip down there every August, even if just for a day.

Myke C.

[Dorkmaster Flek]

Thanks for the advice guys. I ended up at L&M since they're the main Roland dealer here and got to try out a couple of their kits. I was looking at a TD-9 or 12 and I ended up settling on the 12 because the all mesh TD9 setup isn't too much less, and there are a few upgrades with the 12 that I think are significant, namely the brain, the mesh kick pad, and the hi-hat on a real stand. Plus, they had the 12KV available to order, and it comes with a second crash as well. It ended up being a little less than what I expected looking at online prices, so I was pretty happy. Now I just have to wait a month or so for it to come in. Oh well, more time to practice.

[Sabre]

Awesome, congratulations!

Don't forget to post pictures when you get it set up...

[spyder]

I too am from Ontario, looking for a good deal on a TD-20, I think Long and McQuade sell the TD-20 for about $5785 or something like that... Can this kit be obtained for a better price anywhere else in Ontario?

[spyder]

Now I just have to wait a month or so for it to come in. Oh well, more time to practice.

A month to get a kit in...?


Man, I hate living in Canada.

[Dorkmaster Flek]

Yeah, back orders suck, but what can you do? It's actually okay with me, because I wasn't planning on actually getting it right away. I need to sell my old one and make room for the new one and all. When I found out there was a back order anyway, I just decided to order it right there since I wasn't planning on getting it before then anyway.

[badnomad]

Actually, a month is pretty good for Roland Canada.
I waited 4 months for a mesh head.

Myke C.

[Hercules]

Andrews Bros Recording is the go mate - good prices, fast shipping, good service and they're near Milwaukee which isn't too far from you (compared to Australia) if you want to pick it up