Frequently Asked Questions

Monday to Friday: 10:00am to 5:00pm

Saturday and Sunday: closed

We are closed on all major Canadian holidays, and often on days we are attending conferences. Any other closures are posted in the announcement bar at the top of the website. If you have questions, please contact us.

To pre-order an item that is out of stock, please contact us and include:

• The SKU or product name
• Quantity
• Your name, shipping address, and email or phone number

On the product page, click "Notify me when available" and enter your email. We will let you know as soon as it is back in stock.

Flat rates by order total (before taxes)

• Orders ship in 1 to 2 business days.
• Delivery in Canada and the USA takes 7 to 15 business days.
• We ship via Canada Post, FedEx or USPS. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Additional freight charges apply to any Canadian postal code that Canada Post designates as an Air Stage Office. If your order needs a special courier or must ship by air, we will get competitive quotes and let you know the extra cost.

For Alaska, Hawaii and all US possessions or territories, please contact us for shipping rates and information.

Some brands, such as Suzuki, are not distributed outside of Canada.

If you ordered online with us before July 10, 2023, your email may already be in our system. Check your inbox (and your spam or junk folder) for a link to activate your account and set a password. If you can't log in, please contact us and we will resend the activation link.

If you are signed in as a retail customer and want a wholesale account, please sign up through our wholesale portal using a different email address.

Contact our office for authorization and return instructions before sending anything back. We do not accept collect or COD shipments.

Unused items in their original packaging can be returned within 30 days for a full refund.

For hygiene reasons, wind and mouth-blown instruments (recorders, harmonicas, melodicas, kazoos) cannot be returned. Return shipping is paid by the buyer unless the item arrived damaged or was sent in error.

Please contact us with your invoice number and tell us which item was damaged. We will send a replacement along with instructions for returning the damaged item. You will see a second invoice for the replacement until we receive the damaged item, and then we will credit your account.

Newsletter subscribers may receive regular discounts on select products. Delegates at workshops, festivals and conferences that Empire Music sponsors may also receive codes. Check our News & Events section for more.

Log in and add the products you want to your cart. At checkout, type the code (it is case-sensitive) into the discount field on the right, then click "Apply" to see the discounted price.

The code may be incorrect, expired, or not valid for that product or your account.

Yes. We can repair most of the instruments we sell, as long as the parts are in stock. Please contact us for cost and parts availability. We are unable to repair instruments we do not sell.

Yes. Let us know which instrument the tubing is for (for example, Alto Metallophone or Bass Xylophone). For bar nails, please be specific about the type and the instrument (for example, side hooks for a bass metallophone or bar dividers for a soprano xylophone).

Unfortunately not. Each manufacturer uses different specifications, so parts are not interchangeable between brands. We recommend contacting the shop where you bought the instrument.

With German fingering, you lift each finger in turn as you play up the scale. With English/Baroque fingering, Low F is played with the middle finger of the right hand up and all other fingers down.

Soprano and sopranino recorders come in both fingerings. Alto, tenor and bass are usually English/Baroque only.

Yes. On a German fingering recorder, the fourth hole from the top is larger than the fifth. On an English/Baroque recorder, the fifth hole is larger than the fourth.

Both fingerings are equally popular. The choice usually depends on the teacher.

Low A (D6 tuning) is tuned A, D, F#, B. High A (traditional C6 tuning) is G, C, E, A, which many people remember by singing "my dog has fleas". There is also a GCEA tuning with a low G string.

Tell us which tuning you prefer and we will pre-tune your ukulele for you.