The Story of Turner’s Keyboards

Hello! I’m Lisa Turner Maddox, and I manage, and along with my brother, Ed Turner, co-own Turner’s Keyboards, a piano and keyboard store located on Washington Road in Augusta, Ga.

OUR FAMILY IS THE HEART OF OUR BUSINESS

I was born the youngest of six in a music-filled family and have lived here in Augusta, Georgia my entire life. I have worked in the family business, this never ending wonderful musical journey called Turner’s Keyboards, since I was 15. While my high school friends were leaving school in the afternoons to go to band practice or club meetings, my late brother, Jeff and I were walking to our family’s piano store.

At that time, the name of our business was Turner Music House, and my mother, Wylene, worked the showroom floor while my father Edward Sr. tuned and serviced pianos. My older brother, Ed, worked in the sheet music department. Turner’s was and remains a family owned and operated business.

THE FAMILY CIRCUS?!

As the family grew, so did the business. In the mid-1970s, we outgrew our Walton Way location and moved into what remains our current location at 2358 Washington Road.

Our father sold the building we were in at that time and told us he’d bought the old circus style building next door to it, complete with a merry go round inside! We thought he had lost his mind, but in hindsight, as with many of the decisions our father made, it was an excellent choice. We love the glass all around the building, and people still come inside and look up at the red, yellow, blue, and green striped circus tent inside with amazement!

I originally worked in the business office doing banking, record keeping, and such and helped on the sales floor when needed. As the years flew by, coworkers came and went, piano lines we carried changed, and our families grew and sadly, decreased. I, along with my two brothers, Ed and Jeff Turner, and sister, Karen Turner Morris, purchased the business from our father in the mid 80’s, and he retired shortly after that. We lost him to cancer in 1998, and while the business continued, a little bit of the heart of it went with him.

In the last ten years, my brother Jeff, the best piano tuner in the world, and my sister, Karen, passed away, leaving the business to my older brother, Ed Turner, Jr., and myself. A few years ago, at the ripe old age of 57, he found the love of his life, Judge Sheryl Jolly, and decided to retire so he could enjoy married life. I now run the business with the best group of piano people in the world, and when all is said and done, I truly enjoy seeing them every single day. That’s pretty important when I might see them more hours of the day than my own family!

WHAT SETS TURNER’S KEYBOARDS APART?

There’s no doubt in my mind that what sets Turner’s Keyboards apart from any other music store in the world isn’t because of the location of our store, the piano brands we carry, or the prices and programs we offer to make pianos affordable to everyone. At the end of the day, it’s our WAY of doing business that sets us apart. Every single person who works here wants to be here, loves being a part of this great business, and truly cares about each person who walks through our doors. It doesn’t matter if they’re looking for a $150,000 Steinway concert grand piano or a beginner keyboard, we’ll take care of them, and they’ll be treated like the most important person in our world because they are!

When you call Turner’s, a real person answers, and we try to help you find what you need or answer your questions. We’ve been doing this for over 57 years now, so we’ve got a pretty good idea of how to provide outstanding customer service, and we take immense pride in doing so.

When our parents started this business in 1955, there were over seven piano stores in Augusta. We’re now down to one and I don’t take that responsibility lightly. We feel a huge obligation to our community to be an invaluable and trustworthy source for their musical needs.

One thing you definitely won’t find anywhere else is our famous “Turner’s No Sunday Without” Guarantee, which allows us to offer our churches the peace of mind in knowing if, for any reason, their piano or keyboard isn’t working for their Sunday service, we’ll loan them one for free!

I read once that what creates true economic and job security is the value that we create for others. Our goal each day at Turner’s is to provide that value to our customers, no matter how large or small their needs may be. I’ve never heard a person say he or she regretted learning to play the piano; only that he or she quit. When my staff or I can help anyone, young or old, discover the joy of playing the piano, that’s what makes this all worthwhile!

Thank you for making Turner’s Keyboard’s the most beloved piano store in Augusta.  We thank you for your incredible patronage and are excited to reach many more generations of piano enthusiasts!