Bonners was started in 1976 by Peter Bonner (family name Whichello). The Whichello family were well known in the local community - having owned the building firm responsible for large housing developments in the Pevensey and Langney areas of the town.

Peter was a working musician by night - and in particular was one of the resident acts at the popular Kings Country Club in the seaside town of Eastbourne, East Sussex. He played Hammond Organ, saxophone and clarinet, and worked alongside famous acts such as The Three Degrees, Neil Diamond, Tom Jones, Dusty Springfield and Ella Fitzgerald., Peter felt he needed something to occupy his free time in the day and decided to start trading in musical instruments.

Peter rented a small shop in Ivy Terrace in 1976 from which he sold various instruments, and was also the first UK importer of the Philips Karaoke System. With the growing popularity of home organs from manufacturers such as Lowrey, Hammond and Yamaha, the business grew at an astounding rate and very soon more space was required. Peter had brought his son Gary in to help run the business and they agreed to swap premises with the dry cleaning company who was operating from the larger shop next door.

Later in the year 2000, Tony White & Myke Edwards who had both worked at Bonners since the early nineties purchased the business and have continually invested in the business both financially and emotionally to make it one of the most well respected and successful piano, keyboard & guitar stores in the UK.

In 2005 Bonners moved to their large 10,000sqft showroom in Eastbourne town centre and have since opened two additional stores in Surrey (Reigate) & Milton Keynes. With the growth of online trading, these additional stores provide large-scale showrooms for customers to visit and audition huge ranges of both pianos and keyboard instruments, in easy-to-reach locations with lots of on-site parking.

2022 & Beyond

We have now taken our online store customer experience to new levels with the implementation of the latest website technology.

Our Eastbourne store has moved to a larger, more accessible flagship location with stunning showrooms and efficient warehouse operation that will enable us to continue the Bonners tradition of offering our customers a first-class service - whether via our award-winning showrooms, over the telephone, or online. Whether you're looking to purchase your first guitar or upgrade your piano to a full-size Grand, we are happy to offer impartial, trusted advice and always competitive prices.