Once upon a time, in the summer of 1973, in a little town way out in the country, two local dentists were looking for a place for their children to learn and play musical instruments. Since there was no music store around to supply this service, they decided to open up a music studio store of their own. At the same time in a town close-by, a local music teacher/working musician, Joe Ornelas, was starting up a music store of his own (Consolidated Music of Barrington, Il).

After a few years in the music business, the two dentists realized that they understood the dentist business better than they understood the music business. In the fall of 1976, Joe Ornelas purchased The Player’s Bench. Since then, the store has grown considerably. Over the years, the store has had major remodeling, inside and out. The Bench has added more teaching studios, a sound room, a guitar repair shop, a rental department, and has weathered two recessions and eight presidents.

The Player's Bench prides itself in not only having traditional guitars, trumpets, flutes, drums, and accessory products, but also a great assortment of musical instruments that are not found in most stores. Now, every square foot is filled with musical instruments, and accessories. The Player’s Bench is proud to provide the same selection and competitive prices as a large chain store, while adding the services and small town atmosphere that a customer deserves.