Andertons Music Co.

Last updated
Andertons Music Co.
Company type Private
IndustryMusical instrument retail
Founded1964
Founders
  • Harry Anderton
  • Peter Anderton
Headquarters
Guildford, Surrey
,
England
Key people
Lee Anderton
Website www.andertons.co.uk

Andertons Music Co. is a family owned partnership that sells musical instruments & professional audio equipment. The store & online operations are based in Guildford, Surrey, England. Its online store is one of the United Kingdom's top 150 e-commerce sites, with sales in excess of $70 million per year. Andertons has won numerous awards within the music industry, including the NAMM Music Dealer of The Year Award. Andertons is the only non-US based music store in the world to ever win this award. [1] Andertons is widely known among guitarists & musicians for video demonstrations by co-owner Lee "The Captain" Anderton, Rob Chapman, [2] and Peter Honoré a.k.a. "Danish Pete" [3] as well as many other familiar faces on YouTube. Lee Anderton is also an investor in multiple musical equipment brands, including Chapman Guitars, Victory Amplification, EastCoast Guitars, Burns Guitars London, Landlord FX, and Ordo. [4] [5] [6]

Contents

History

Andertons Music Co. was established in 1964 as a family-owned partnership by Harry Anderton and his son, Peter Anderton, in Guildford, Surrey. [7] The business originally operated as a local musical instrument storefront before transitioning through three generations of the Anderton family. It is currently under the leadership of Lee Anderton, Peter's son, who has overseen its transition into a global digital brand. [8] [9]

During the 2010s, the company underwent significant digital expansion, leveraging video content to evolve from a regional shop into a major global e-commerce entity. By 2018, it was recognized as one of the United Kingdom's top 150 internet retailers, with annual sales reported in excess of $70 million. [10] Financial filings for the 2020s indicate continued growth, cementing its position as one of the largest independent musical instrument retailers in Europe. [11]

Beyond retail, the founders have had a lasting impact on music education in the region. Peter Anderton co-founded the Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM) in Guildford, which was established to provide vocational training and degree-level education for contemporary musicians. [12]

YouTube

Andertons opened its primary YouTube channel in 2007, originally with the goal of highlighting product sales and featuring product reviews. The channel currently has over 1 million subscribers (September 2025). [13]

In addition to product reviews and demos, Andertons has featured interviews with many notable guitarists and guitar makers, including Mick Thomson, Joe Bonamassa, Russ Parrish, Paul Gilbert, Guthrie Govan, Albert Lee, John Petrucci, Paul Reed Smith, Mary Spender, [14] Nita Strauss, Walter Trout, Tommy Emmanuel and Steve Vai. [15]

Awards

Andertons has received numerous industry awards, including:

Other interests

Peter Anderton was also the co-founder of the Academy of Contemporary Music. [27]

References

  1. ↑ "Breakfast of Champions (The 2018 NAMM Show): Lee Anderton, Andertons Music". Namm.org. Archived from the original on 2018-08-29. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
  2. ↑ "How Rob Chapman Rallied a YouTube Army to Change Guitar Design FOREVER! - Performer Mag". Performermag.com.
  3. ↑ "Danish Pete tells us how it all started, from nylon-string guitars to leaving the Brit Awards with a wheel of cheese". 24 February 2020.
  4. ↑ ""It was never my intention to try and mislead anyone": Lee Anderton responds to Victory Amps ownership questions". Guitar.com | All Things Guitar. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  5. ↑ Lee Anderton Responded (Victory Amps) , retrieved 2023-09-01
  6. ↑ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  7. ↑ Langlois, Andre (2014-07-17). "Andertons celebrates 50 years of music and business". GetSurrey. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
  8. ↑ "Oral History: Lee Anderton". Namm.org. Archived from the original on 2018-08-29. Retrieved 2025-12-22.
  9. ↑ Dixon, Jamie (2021-05-12). "The History of Andertons: From Guildford to the World". Guitar World . Retrieved 2025-12-22.
  10. ↑ "Andertons Music Co. breaks Top 150 in IRUK Top 500 internet retailing 2018 report!". Music Industries Association. 2018-02-08. Retrieved 2018-04-30.
  11. ↑ "Anderton's Music Co. Limited - Filing History". Companies House. Retrieved 2025-12-22.
  12. ↑ "Upper floor to get a new lease of life". GetSurrey. 2000-01-07. Retrieved 2020-09-03.
  13. 1 2 "Andertons Music Co". YouTube .
  14. ↑ Jamie Dickson, David Mead (Guitarist) (February 10, 2020). "Mary Spender: "Record labels told me to put the guitar down. Luckily, I was stubborn enough to ignore them": The UK-based guitarist and songwriter on playing fingerstyle, the secret to her YouTube success and the pedal that changed her life". Guitar World. Retrieved February 11, 2020. ... Brighton-based guitarist Mary Spender is among the most successful...
  15. ↑ "The Captain Meets.... - YouTube". YouTube .
  16. ↑ "Andertons Win NAMM Customer's Choice Award 2019". Andertons.co.uk. Retrieved 2019-11-29.
  17. ↑ "Andertons Win NAMM Dealer of the Year Award 2018". Andertons.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  18. ↑ "NAMM Congratulates the 2018 Top 100 Dealers and Announces "Best Of" Categories". Mia.org.uk. 3 July 2018. Archived from the original on 17 September 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  19. ↑ "Andertons Music Co. breaks Top 150 in IRUK Top 500 internet retailing 2018 report! | Music Industries Association". Music Industries Association. 2018-02-08. Retrieved 2018-04-30.[ permanent dead link ]
  20. ↑ "NAMM Top 100 Dealers announced including Andertons and Millers Music! - Music Industries Association". 4 May 2017. Archived from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  21. ↑ "Andertons Music wins Top 100 Dealer and Online Engagement awards at Summer NAMM | Musical instrument industry news | MI Pro". Archived from the original on 2017-07-31. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
  22. ↑ "Andertons Music Reviews". Feefo.com. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
  23. ↑ "Toast Of Surrey Business Awards | Official Website |". toastofsurreybusinessawards.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2017-10-22. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
  24. ↑ "Andertons wins award for best music retailer". Getsurrey.co.uk. 2008-10-23. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
  25. ↑ "Third national award is music to store's ears". Getsurrey.co.uk. 2010-12-10. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
  26. ↑ "People of the Moment profile: Kris Biddiss – Head of Logistics at Andertons Music". Mia.org.uk. 2017-12-15. Retrieved 2018-04-30.[ permanent dead link ]
  27. ↑ "Upper floor to get a new lease of life". Getsurrey.co.uk. 7 January 2000. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
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