About Us
Bonners Music has been a cornerstone of the UK music retail scene since 1976, when it was founded in Eastbourne by professional musician Garry Bonner with the help of his father, Peter. Over the decades, we've grown from a small local shop into one of the UK's most respected suppliers of pianos, keyboards and guitars. Our commitment to quality, expertise, and exceptional service has remained at the heart of everything we do.
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History Of Bonners Music
Bonners was established in 1976 by local musician Garry Whichello, with the help of his father, Peter. Our first shop was located on Ivy Terrace, Eastbourne. Garry brought a wealth of experience from his time working with Chingford Organs and Minns Music, and he was a popular local musician known for recording his own albums and performing with “The Amazing Rubber Band.”
Peter, whose stage name was Peter Bonner, was a resident act at the Kings Country Club and shared stages with famous artists like Neil Diamond, Tom Jones, and Dusty Springfield.
Known initially as Peter Bonner Musical - because Peter felt local people would recognise the Bonner connection from his stage work - the shop quickly became one of the UK’s leading independent music stores, offering home organs, brass, woodwind, guitars, and synthesisers.
Garry became a respected figure in the musical instrument industry, not just in home organs and keyboards but in the areas of computer music, digital synthesisers, and samplers. He fondly recalls the excitement of the golden era of synths, with iconic launches like the Yamaha DX7 and Roland D50. Garry’s work took him around the globe, visiting suppliers in Japan, Eastern Europe, and the USA.
Inspired by the rising popularity of "Karaoke" in Japan, Garry secured an exclusive deal with Ivor Arbiter, the UK distributor of Fender instruments, to introduce Karaoke to the UK. Bonners became the sole supplier of the first JVC Karaoke machines in the UK, employing around 20 sales agents to distribute them to other retail outlets nationwide.
Bonners in the 1980's & 90's
In the mid-1980s, Garry opened a store in Hastings’ Silverhill area, complete with a purpose-built recording studio on the upper floor, designed with the expertise of world-renowned ICC Studios. Around the same time, Bonners opened a second store on Grove Road, dedicated to acoustic pianos. This store was managed by Ted Ellis, with local piano teacher Ann Triner assisting with sales -perhaps this was a hint at the company’s future direction.
In 1986, the two Eastbourne shops were consolidated into a larger unit at 31 Grove Road. Garry left the company in 1988 and Martin Dodd, who had been with the business since 1982, joined Peter as Managing Director. Under Martin’s leadership, the company expanded into two additional retail units on Grove Road, creating a dedicated Guitar and Drums store on one side of the road and a shop for keyboards, organs, pianos, and orchestral instruments on the other.
In 1989, a 15-year-old Tony White joined the company on a school work experience placement. Recognising Tony’s talent for keyboard and piano products, Martin and Peter offered him a weekend job, which later turned into a full-time position in 1992 after Tony completed his studies in computer database programming.
Myke Edwards joined the team in 1992 as the Guitar & Associated Products Manager. The business continued to thrive, serving customers locally and nationally and becoming one of the most popular home organ and keyboard shops in the UK.
2005 - A Big Expansion!
In August 2005, Bonners acquired the former 10,000sqft Courts furniture store on Langney Road, Eastbourne which allowed us to consolidate all three of our Eastbourne shops under one roof in the town centre. This new store was quite spectacular! We had a huge showroom on two floors with separate drums, guitars, pianos, sheet music, keyboards and brass & woodwind departments.
In 2006 and 2007, Bonners was honoured with the prestigious “Best Independent Music Retailer” award by the Music Industries Association, sponsored by Classic FM - an achievement we remain proud of to this day.
Over the following decade, we focused on building our online presence, expanding our brand portfolio, and maintaining strong ties with the local music community. We supported various initiatives to promote musical instrument tuition in local schools and through our own music school, which had 200+ pupils attending weekly lessons until the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020.
Dedicated Piano Showrooms
In 2016, we launched the expansion of the Bonners brand with the acquisition of Piano Workshop, a piano refurbishment and showroom facility in Reigate, Surrey. We now have the expertise to offer completely rebuilt vintage and modern pianos, lovingly restored by ex-Steinway craftsmen in our Surrey-based workshop.
2019 - Milton Keynes
In 2019, we opened an additional showroom and warehouse in Milton Keynes, an area with a rich history of association with major music brands like Yamaha, Kemble Pianos, Korg, Marshall, Nord Keyboards and Kawai. We collaborate with some of the world’s leading brands to showcase their beautiful instruments in this premium showroom.
2025 - Newcastle
We’re delighted to announce that Bonners is opening a brand-new piano showroom in Newcastle! Opening Summer 2025.
This new store will be large, easy to reach, and just off the main roads into the city - with plenty of on-site parking. It’s set to be a go-to destination for pianists of all levels to explore a huge selection of pianos under one roof.
At Bonners, we believe that choosing the right piano is a personal journey, and we’re here to help every step of the way. Whether you’re a complete beginner, a music teacher, or a seasoned performer, you’ll be able to try and compare models from leading brands like Yamaha, Kawai, Roland, Casio, Nord, Hammond, Feurich, plus a great range of pre-owned and reconditioned instruments - all in one space.