Coleman's Music
Coleman's Music is a family-owned Australian musical instrument retailer founded in 1989, operating a South Melbourne showroom and Australia-wide Shopify e-commerce store. It sells new and pre-loved guitars, amps, effects, keyboards, and accessories to beginner, hobbyist, professional, collector, and institutional customers, with repairs and rent-to-buy services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersLynbrook, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Coleman's Music does
Coleman's Music is a family-owned Australian musical instrument retailer that has operated continuously since 1989. Originally founded as Cranbourne Music in Cranbourne, Victoria as a small organ shop and music school, the business opened a Melbourne CBD store in 2002, relocated to Elizabeth Street in 2017, rebranded to Colemans Music in 2021 to honor founder Michael Coleman, pivoted to a guitar-centric model in 2023, and in 2025 moved into a larger showroom on Coventry Street in South Melbourne. The legal entity is Cranbourne Music Pty Ltd (ABN 62 007 131 624), a private proprietary limited company under continuous family ownership with no external funding or public listing.
The company runs a hybrid physical-and-digital retail model. Its main showroom in South Melbourne is complemented by an Australia-wide Shopify-based e-commerce store offering electric, acoustic, classical, and bass guitars (160+ electric SKUs with 135 in stock, plus 40 vintage/used SKUs), amplifiers, effects pedals, keyboards, PA equipment, percussion, print music, and accessories from major brands including Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, Yamaha, Nik Huber, JET, Spira, Schecter, Marshall, Boss, D'Addario, Fenech, Pratley, Takamine, and Squier. Distribution is via multi-carrier shipping (TNT, Australia Post, Toll Ipec, StarTrack) with same-day Victoria dispatch and Click and Collect. Pricing is in AUD inclusive of GST, with flat $14 standard shipping, free shipping over $200, oversized/bulky surcharges, and price matching against Australian competitors.
Revenue is generated through one-time sales of new and pre-loved instruments, trade-in and consignment transactions (recorded as transaction fees), repair and servicing fees from in-house guitar technicians, weekly rent-to-buy installments on guitars, and gift voucher sales. The customer base spans beginner, hobbyist, and professional guitarists, collectors of vintage and rare instruments, and schools/educational institutions served by a dedicated representative. Marketing is primarily content-led (blog, buyer's guides, email newsletter), supplemented by free Saturday beginner guitar lessons as a community acquisition channel. The technology stack is commodity Shopify with no proprietary AI, public API, or third-party integrations, and the operating geography is Australia-only with limited international freight-by-inquiry options.
Coleman's Music firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Coleman's Music
- Legal name
- Cranbourne Music Pty Ltd
- Website
- https://colemansmusic.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Coleman's Music is a family-owned Australian musical instrument retailer founded in 1989, operating a South Melbourne showroom and Australia-wide Shopify e-commerce store. It sells new and pre-loved guitars, amps, effects, keyboards, and accessories to beginner, hobbyist, professional, collector, and institutional customers, with repairs and rent-to-buy services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Coleman's Music industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Musical Instrument Retail
- NAICS
- Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (459140)
- SIC
- Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Musical Instrument Retail (Guitars, Keyboards, Drums, Band/Orchestra) (CRALAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Instrument Repair, Maintenance & Luthier Services (CRALAEAF), Used & Vintage Musical Instruments Retail (CRALAEAH), Educational Music Products Retail (Method Books, Exam Prep, Classroom Instruments) (CRALAEAJ)
Keywords
Where Coleman's Music is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lynbrook
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Coleman's Music business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- New Instrument Sales: Retail and online sales of new electric guitars, acoustic guitars, bass guitars, keyboards, amplifiers, effects pedals, PA equipment, and percussion instruments from major brands including Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, Yamaha, Nik Huber, Schecter, JET, and Spira.
- Pre-loved/Vintage Sales: Sale of quality checked pre-loved, traded, and vintage guitars and effects. All pre-loved guitars are checked by guitar techs before sale.
- Guitar Trade-ins and Consignments: Buy and consign guitars and guitar effects. Customers can trade in existing gear for credit or upgrade options.
- Accessories and Consumables: Sales of guitar strings, cables, bags, cases, straps, picks, tuners, headphones, cleaning products, metronomes, music stands, and other accessories.
- Print Music and Educational Materials: Sales of PVG books, method books (guitar, keyboard, piano, drum, clarinet, violin), AMEB books, theory books, and educational materials including Essentials Elements and Standard of Excellence.
- Guitar Repairs and Servicing: In-store restringing, setups, and guitar repairs including adjustments for easier playability, better tuning stability, and general servicing.
- Gift Vouchers: Sale of gift vouchers for music gear and instruments.
- Rent-to-Buy: Rent-to-buy financing options available on guitars with weekly payment options.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard shipping for non-bulky items |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Free shipping threshold |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Oversized item shipping |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bulky item shipping |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Preloved guitar shipping |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Preloved effects shipping |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Preloved amp shipping |
| Subscription | Weekly | Guitar rent-to-buy financing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
Coleman's Music product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Coleman's Music is a guitar-centric musical instrument retailer selling new and pre-loved electric, acoustic, classical, and bass guitars, plus amplifiers, effects pedals, keyboards, PA equipment, percussion, and music accessories from brands such as Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, Yamaha, Nik Huber, JET, Spira, and Schecter. The company combines a South Melbourne physical showroom with an Australia-wide Shopify-based e-commerce store and supplements product sales with in-store guitar repairs/servicing, trade-in and trade-up programs, rent-to-buy guitar rentals, gift vouchers, and a print music catalogue.
Product overview
Coleman's Music is a family-owned Australian music retail store founded in 1989, operating as a guitar-centric music store with both physical showroom (South Melbourne) and online store (Shopify-based e-commerce platform). The product portfolio centers on musical instruments, equipment, and accessories, with electric guitars, acoustic guitars, bass guitars, guitar amplifiers, effects pedals, keyboards, PA equipment, and percussion as the core product categories. The company differentiates through its focus on guitars (electric, acoustic, classical, bass), offering both new and pre-loved/vintage instruments, with notable boutique brands including Nik Huber and Victory Amps. The service offering includes guitar repairs and servicing, trade-in/trade-up programs, rent-to-own options, and an education catalogue featuring partner music schools. The e-commerce platform is built on Shopify with no public API for external integrations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Electric Guitars Retail catalogue of new, used, and vintage electric guitars from mainstream and boutique brands, serving beginner through professional players.
- Acoustic Guitars Steel-string acoustic guitars plus packs from Fender, Fenech, Gibson, Pratley, and Takamine for beginner to advanced players.
- Classical Guitars Classical/nylon-string guitars from Yamaha, Valencia, and Ibanez for students, classical students, and traditional players.
- Bass Guitars Electric and acoustic bass guitars and bass packs for beginners through professionals.
- Guitar Amplifiers Guitar and bass amplifiers covering electric combos, vintage units, heads, acoustic amps, cabinets, and headphone amps.
- Effects Pedals Guitar effects pedals, multi-effects units, bass pedals, wireless systems, and DI boxes from Boss, JHS, EarthQuaker Devices, Marshall, Kemper, KINK, MXR, and Dunlop.
- Vintage and Used Guitars Pre-loved, traded, and vintage electric and acoustic guitars including rare models from Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, Gretsch, Rickenbacker, Hamer, Gordon Smith, and Nik Huber; every unit inspected by in-house guitar techs before listing.
- Guitar Accessories Comprehensive range of guitar and bass accessories: strings, cables, gig bags and hard cases, stands, capos, cleaning products, headphones, in-ear monitors, hearing protection, picks, slides, straps, tuners, pickups, and guitar electronics and hardware parts.
- Guitar Recording and Audio Interfaces Audio interfaces and DI boxes for guitar recording and home studio use.
- Keyboards and Keyboard Accessories Digital keyboards plus keyboard amps, stands, stools, pedals, bags, and cases for home, studio, and stage use.
- PA and Recording Equipment Public address and recording equipment including mixers, powered speakers, packaged PA systems, microphones, mic stands, speaker stands, monitor speakers, and audio interfaces.
- Percussion Instruments Percussion instruments spanning marching drums, electronic drums, classroom tuned percussion, student kits, and related sticks, brushes, pedals, beaters, thrones, heads, and bags/cases.
- Music Accessories (Metronomes and Stands) Metronomes and music stands marketed across all instrument categories.
- Print Music and Educational Materials Printed music books, method books for guitar, keyboard, piano, drums, clarinet, violin, AMEB-grade material, theory books, Essential Elements, and Standard of Excellence for individual students and school programs.
- Gift Vouchers Store-wide gift vouchers for music gear and instruments usable for any product on the website and in-store.
- Guitar Repairs and Servicing In-store guitar restringing, full setups, and general repair work performed by in-house guitar technicians to improve playability and tuning stability.
- Trade-In and Trade-Up Program Buy-and-consign service plus trade-in credits that customers can apply toward upgrades on guitars and guitar effects.
- Rent-to-Buy Guitar Rental Weekly rent-to-own rental subscription on select electric and acoustic guitars where accumulated payments apply to ownership.
- Education Catalogue 2026 Education-channel product catalogue for schools, featuring partner music school references (iRock Music School, The Music Gym) and classroom percussion instruments for institutional purchase orders.
Quantifiable outcome
- Free shipping on orders over $200
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Coleman's Music
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Coleman's Music technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Coleman's Music partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- IRock Music SchoolminorEducation partner listed in Coleman's Music Education Catalogue. Students may be referred for instruments and gear.
- The Music GymminorEducation partner listed in Coleman's Music Education Catalogue. Music school that may refer students for instrument purchases.
- FendercoreKey brand partner with dedicated section on website. Major brand in electric and acoustic guitars, bass, and amplifiers. Features Fender Stratocaster, Telecaster, and various Fender series.
- GibsoncoreKey brand partner featured prominently in electric guitar collection including Les Paul, ES335, Firebird, and Gibson Custom Shop models.
- IbanezcoreBrand partner specializing in electric guitars including Joe Satriani JS series, Steve Vai PIA series, and Paul Gilbert models.
- Nik HubercoreBoutique guitar brand partner. Stocks handcrafted instruments including Piet and Surfmeister models. Premium boutique positioning.
- YamahacoreMajor brand partner across acoustic guitars, classical guitars, keyboards, and instrument packs.
- JET GuitarscoreAustralian distributed brand partner with extensive range including JS, JT, and JJ series. Wide variety of colors and models.
- Spira GuitarscoreEuropean-designed modern rock and metal guitar brand partner with high-performance instruments.
- SchectercoreBrand partner specializing in rock and metal guitars including Standard Series, Avenger, Damien, and artist signature models.
- MarshallcoreAmplifier brand partner featuring guitar amps, bass amps, and effects pedals.
- BosscoreEffects pedal brand partner featuring guitar pedals, multi-effects, and bass pedals.
- D'AddariocoreString brand partner supplying guitar strings, bass strings, and ukulele strings.
- FenechcoreAustralian acoustic guitar brand partner known for quality craftsmanship.
- PratleycoreAustralian-made acoustic guitar brand partner.
- TakaminecoreAcoustic guitar brand partner featuring Japanese-made instruments.
- SquiercoreFender subsidiary brand partner offering affordable electric guitars including Classic Vibe series.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Coleman's Music competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Thomann: Europe's largest online music retailer with extensive guitar, amp, and accessory catalog and international shipping. Comparable as a guitar-focused multi-category music retailer with deep brand partnerships.
- Guitar Center: The largest US specialty music retailer with national store footprint and online store, selling new and used guitars, amps, and accessories. Comparable to Coleman's in-store plus omnichannel retail model across guitar and gear categories.
- Sam Ash: Long-established US specialty music retailer with physical stores and online presence selling guitars, amps, and accessories. Comparable multi-channel music retailer with similar category breadth.
- Andertons Music: Leading UK guitar and gear retailer with strong YouTube-driven content marketing and a curated brand selection. Highly comparable to Coleman's guitar-centric focus, boutique brand emphasis, and content-led acquisition.
- Sweetwater Sound: One of the largest US online music retailers, offering new instruments, gear, and accessories with strong content marketing and customer service. Highly comparable to Coleman's hybrid showroom + e-commerce model with curated brand selection.
- Wildwood Guitars: US boutique guitar dealer focused on Fender, Gibson, and select premium brands with strong content and in-house tech setup. Comparable to Coleman's guitar-centric curation and in-house guitar-tech inspection of pre-loved instruments.
- Chicago Music Exchange: US-based boutique guitar retailer specializing in new, vintage, and used premium and collectible instruments. Directly comparable to Coleman's vintage/used curation and boutique brand emphasis (e.g., Nik Huber).
Regional players
- Big Music: Australian music retail chain with multiple locations and broad instrument/gear assortment. Regional competitor targeting the same beginner-to-professional Australian customer base.
- Kosmic Sound: Australian music retailer offering guitars, amps, and accessories to a similar customer base. Direct regional competitor in the Australian market for Coleman's guitar and gear sales.
Broad incumbents
- Reverb: Global online marketplace for new, used, and vintage musical instruments, owned by Etsy. Adjacent competitor for used/vintage guitar transactions; competes with Coleman's pre-loved/trade-in program but at much broader scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Coleman's Music social profiles
Digital presenceColeman's Music financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Coleman's Music leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Coleman's Music funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Coleman's Music M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Coleman's Music
What does Coleman's Music do?
Coleman's Music is a guitar-centric musical instrument retailer selling new and pre-loved electric, acoustic, classical, and bass guitars, plus amplifiers, effects pedals, keyboards, PA equipment, percussion, and music accessories from brands such as Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, Yamaha, Nik Huber, JET, Spira, and Schecter. The company combines a South Melbourne physical showroom with an Australia-wide Shopify-based e-commerce store and supplements product sales with in-store guitar repairs/servicing, trade-in and trade-up programs, rent-to-buy guitar rentals, gift vouchers, and a print music catalogue.
Is Coleman's Music a public or private company?
Coleman's Music is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Coleman's Music founded?
Coleman's Music was founded in 1989. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Coleman's Music based?
Coleman's Music is headquartered in Lynbrook, United States, in the North America region.
How does Coleman's Music make money?
Eight revenue lines are on record. New Instrument Sales are the primary driver. The others are pre-loved/Vintage Sales, guitar Trade-ins and Consignments, accessories and Consumables, print Music and Educational Materials, guitar Repairs and Servicing, gift Vouchers and rent-to-Buy.
Who are Coleman's Music's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Thomann, Guitar Center, Sam Ash, Andertons Music, Sweetwater Sound, Wildwood Guitars and Chicago Music Exchange. Regional players are Big Music and Kosmic Sound. Reverb is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Coleman's Music have an API?
No public API is recorded for Coleman's Music.
What industry is Coleman's Music in?
Coleman's Music's product category is Musical Instrument Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAEAA, Musical Instrument Retail (Guitars, Keyboards, Drums, Band/Orchestra), with a secondary code of CRALAEAF, Instrument Repair, Maintenance & Luthier Services. Its NAICS code is 459140 and its SIC code is 5945.