Gandharva Loka World Music Instruments Inc

The fellow behind the counter when my husband and I visited, Sean, was the most engaging and attentive person I've ever interacted with in a music store, much less a busy and small space! He answered any and all of my husbands' many questions with enthusiasm and patience, and made the experience very enjoyable while teaching us a great deal about sitars (& the struggle to import them) and wood flutes.I've never been in a space that had so many 'niche' (by Western standards) instruments, and it was a delight to see! We were permitted to play around with a sitar & see how they look and feel, which is very graciously appreciated!We ended up leaving with a beautiful native-made cedar wood flute that we were assisted in selecting. We were shown the difference between different flutes, their tones, their techniques, the wood they're made of, and the differences that those minutiae create. I had always wanted a wood flute, but could never find one nor did I have the expertise to acquire the right one- thank you!We definitely will be back, hopefully with more money next time when we're in Vancouver, to visit that beautiful sitar (& Sean!) :^)

I am now the owner of a set of 7 beautiful quartz singing bowls and I could not be happier!! Tim was so helpful and gave me an *AMAZING* deal, I still can't believe how lucky I am. The bowls sound absolutely beautiful and they carry a strong resonance after you play them. I am a complete beginner and Tim was able to answer all of my questions. The store has so many beautiful instruments for healing the soul, I will definitely be back to add more to my new collection. Thank you again to everyone that helped me begin this new journey of sound healing, my heart is so full! :)

I called the shop today and the owner answered every question I had about harmoniums. He was very knowledgeable and honest about the instruments. Even though I wasn’t physically in the shop he took the time to explain everything. Will definitely be coming soon to pick up a harmonium! Thank you for the great service

It's an experience visiting Gandharva Loka and seeing what new offerings they have. Sean is authentic and friendly; he's wonderful to talk to about sound healing instruments and is enthusiastic about helping people discover what's best for them. They are a great part of Vancouver's spiritual community.

I don’t know who is working at this store now but the woman I interacted with was extremely curt and rude in comparison to the people who I have interacted with in the past who have worked here. I used to come to this store all the time 3-4 years ago and always had incredible interactions and usually made a special purchase. Today, this woman promptly kicked everyone out of the store at 6pm with a passive aggressive tone that is sadly becoming the norm for “Vancouverites”. The store hours online say 7pm, and when I said that I received a pointed reply that they should not. As soon as I walked in the store I could see she was ready to be finished her work day as she was counting cash from the register and closing up - I understand the frustration that can come from working in customer service and I know many people come into this store to window shop and that must be irritating. But when someone shows genuine interests in the instruments as I was doing I do expect a little better treatment. Very disappointed and I am sad I will no longer be a patron here.

Fantastic place. Quality products, great price, helpful and knowledgeable staff. Would go back any day. Thought this would be a tourist trap, but wasn't at all. Wonderful all around. Bought this drum for my daughter, and staff made it so easy for me to decide. Thank you.

I was looking for a tongue drum and Sean pulled them out and we played them all on the floor.It was awesome to be able to compare the sounds of each one and he was very knowledgeable about them all. After buying one I asked him about a wooden head for my flute to play some Celtic music with. He contacted a company that makes wooden flutes in the Maritimes and emailed me the information….above and beyond! Thank you Sean for the excellent customer service!

I stopped by on a whim and glad I did. Dude behind the cashier was really helpful and informative. I was just curious of all the instruments there and he helped me out and talked about the instruments I was looking at. I want to visit again to buy a mandola or one of those other stringed instruments.

My brother recently discovered the drum circles at Spanish Banks and elsewhere, so we decided to buy instruments to participate.This place is much smaller than, say, Long & McQuade which had lots of options, but Gandharva has a really nice vibe, a very friendly/helpful proprietor, and a surprisingly generous selection of quality drums and percussion instruments at reasonable prices. They also have string instruments if you're looking for a uke, guitar, or sitar.

Amazing store that has unique musical instruments!