Four plus decades of piano tuning and services to the Main Line and Greater Delaware Valley. Ralph Onesti, RPT, a Registered Piano Technician with the Piano Technicians Guild, has enjoyed a reputation for excellence in the home, school, church, recording studio and on the concert stage. In addition to normal field service procedures for tuning, regulation, and voicing, other services offered include: purchasing assistance, evaluations and appraisals for purchase, resale, or insurance claims (Registered with TASA as an Expert Witness), Dampp-Chaser Certified Installer of climate control systems ('Field Expert Certification' with Dampp-Chaser Corp.). Also experienced in the installation and service of Piano Disc Systems. We are not a retailer, however, we are currently offering a few pianos for sale by consignment through our website. Please visit our website http://www.onestipiano.com (link listed below) for an expanded view of these pianos, the company and services offered. Ralph has served as the President of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Piano Technicians Guild, and Bylaws Committee Chair, and has served on the national level as chair of the Regional Testing Centers. He has also taught an accredited course in Piano Technology at the college level locally.
Business highlights
61 years of trusted experience
Services we offer
Piano Tuning, repairs and related services by Registered Piano Technician (RPT) Appraisals or Evaluations for Purchase, Sale Value or Insurance Claims (Registered w/TASA as expert witness) Climate Control System Installations (Certified Installer/Field Expert Certification)
Services we don't offer
We do not service electronic instruments or organs.
Description of Work: I had problems with the piano and called four different times with no response. That is unacceptable. They should stand by their work.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
Response from Ralph Joseph Onesti Piano Restorations
OK...so we did some research. On December 16, 2015 we did a service call to this address. The call was for a tuning and a sticking key. When I got there, "we" could not remember which key was sticking. As always when this happens I say, "as I tune, if a key is sticking, it will prevent me from continuing so I shall find it". The tuning procedure went on with NO sticking key. I lubricated all the usual suspects as a preventative measure with NO charge. I told the client if the key sticks again to call me and I would do a "drive by:.. and asked her to please mark the offending key. There was NO work for which I needed to stand behind. January...NO call February...NO call March...No call April...No call May...No call In June 23, 2016, the client was called for the usual 6 month follow up. There was NO mention of a sticking key, declined the tuning and said, "I will call you in August". So there is the saga of the unhappy client. The charge was for the work performed; a tuning procedure and nothing more. My reputation since 1964 speaks for itself. If you think this is a legitimate complaint, by all means please pick one of the "Certified" people mentioned. Warmest regards, Ralph J. Onesti, RPT
Mercedes A.
11/2015
5.0
piano tuning
 + -1 more
unknown
Description of Work: Piano tuning. It went very well.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$121.9
Lisa K.
01/2015
5.0
piano tuning
 + -1 more
Ralph not only knows his stuff but is a joy to do business with. I will definitely use Ralph in the future....Thank you!!
Description of Work: Ralph tuned our piano that had been moved, placed in storage & moved again.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$250
David C.
06/2014
5.0
piano tuning
 + -1 more
unknown
Description of Work: Tune piano
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$130
Allison K.
04/2014
5.0
piano tuning
 + -1 more
Ralph is great. He really knows his stuff, and is professional yet friendly.
Description of Work: Ralph has been tuning and keeping my 110 year old piano going for years now.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$125
Jennifer H.
02/2014
5.0
piano tuning
 + -1 more
.
Description of Work: .
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Anne W.
09/2013
2.0
piano tuning
 + -1 more
I will try to be fair and objective here. Two days passed between my initial call/leaving a message and when my call was returned. When Gretchen did return my call, she informed me that tuning would be $112 and that this was a standard rate in this area. She also said that if the piano was very far out of tune, Mr. Onesti would have to return (even in the same day) to re-tune it, and would charge another $112. She went ahead and put me on the schedule, but I figured I would continue to do research because that seemed quite high in price. I haven't lived in this area for very long, so I wasn't sure if she was right that this was the going rate. After my additional research, I realized that the price was indeed high, and that there were other qualified tuners out there who were a bit less. I booked one of them and called Onesti to cancel my appointment immediately. They didn't answer, so I left a message without giving a reason why, and simply, nicely canceled the appointment. Gretchen called me back much more quickly this time. She politely inquired, and quot;Do you mind if I ask why you canceled?and quot; I truly didn't want to have a discussion about it, because reasons are usually challenged. But I also didn't want to be rude, so I told her it came down to price, and that I had done some more research and found someone else to do the job for less. Her response was something to this effect: and quot;I'm not singing the sad song or anything, but you should know that there are a lot of people out there who tune pianos but aren't registered technicians. Is this person a registered technician? Because if they're not, they can do a lot of damage to your your instrument, and you seem like a person who is very particular about your piano.and quot; I responded that I had done my research (which I had). That ended the conversation in a very cool way that made me feel like I was in trouble. The tone of the entire conversation had already felt a little preachy. She said goodbye and hung up. It wasn't like she was really rude to me or anything, but the whole experience just left me feeling icky inside-- like I had done something wrong or stupid. I knew I hadn't, but it made me feel like I had. I don't want to ever deal with this piano tuning service again.
Description of Work: I called to inquire about Mr. Onesti tuning my piano.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
value
2.0
professionalism
2.0
responsiveness
2.0
$112
Response from Ralph Joseph Onesti Piano Restorations
Ms. [Member Name Removed] must be confusing the conversation with Onesti Piano with another company. We have no record of her any where. Please notice there was no service performed. The conversation outlined in this review would be a 'first' for us. If you kindly look at any of our other reviews you can see our point. We apologize for this person's confusion and we truly hope that she is happy with her choice of technician.
Patricia B.
02/2013
5.0
piano tuning
 + -1 more
I asked my piano teacher to recommend a piano tuner and he didn't hesitate to say and quot;Ralph Onestiand quot;. That was over 15 years ago and I still rely on him to keep my piano in great shape. He keeps a regular schedule with me and never needs to re-schedule and is always on time. Not too long ago he even installed a CD player (which says something about my playing) and a humidifier. Over the years Ralph has remained professional, personable, trusting and has kept his pricing very reasonable. I highly recommend Ralph Joseph Onesti Piano Restorations.
Description of Work: Tune piano and install new pads in the piano's humidifier.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$155
Doug W.
02/2013
5.0
piano tuning
 + -1 more
Very good - I would definitely hire him again.
Description of Work: My piano had not been tuned in quite some time. Ralph came by and got it back in good shape.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$200
Aleta A K.
11/2012
5.0
piano tuning
 + -1 more
Mr. Onesti did a fabulous job with the required servicing of my Knabe piano. He arrived on time and responded to several email inquiries prior to scheduling. In addition, he was pleasantly entertaining. I will be continuing with regular service from Mr. Onesti and would highly recommend him. :)
Description of Work: Mr. Onesti performed a tuning and a pitch adjustment service. My piano had not been tuned in an unknown period.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$228
Fran R.
10/2012
5.0
piano tuning
 + -1 more
one
Description of Work: Ralph is the best at everything he does: the best piano tuner, best teacher of piano mechanisms, best listener, best story teller, best person to have working in your home. - he's simply the best, so don''t call anyone else. And no, we are not related, we just met. I had someone else last year tune my piano and was very unhappy with the results, in fact, I was sure he ruined my piano. But Ralph came in and made everything better. You won't regret putting your piano in his capable hands.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$115
SAM C.
07/2012
5.0
musical instrument repair, piano tuning
 + 0 more
I am a serious pianist, playing at least 2-3 hours most days. I was in desperate need of a professional tuner and technician to take care of my Yamaha studio upright that had suffered at the hands of an incompetent tuner previously. I found Mr. Onesti on Angie's List and I can't imagine finding a better, more competent, more experienced (40 years in the business), more seasoned piano technician. He responded immediately to my call, arrived on time two days later to do an initial tuning and evaluation of my piano, returned within days to replace a switch in my Damp-Chaser humidifier unit (free of charge), and performed a complete re-voicing of the piano to my specifications. I could not be more pleased and impressed with his service and I recommend him to anyone, including the most advanced players.
Description of Work: Piano tuning ($108), complete voicing, install new water sensor, adjust practice pedal ($108) plus tax
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$228.96
William R.
02/2012
5.0
piano tuning
 + -1 more
Excellent, professional service - on time, informative. Will use from now on.
Description of Work: Tuned a neglected grand piano
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$108
Annette D.
09/2011
5.0
piano tuning
 + -1 more
This was the first time I asked Ralph to tune our Everett piano. I had initially tried to contact him through the email link but I did not get a response. However, when I called later and left a phone message, someone contacted me the next day to schedule the appointment. Ralph came on time and was very personable and good with the dog, too! Most importantly, he did a really nice job on our piano. It had not been tuned for several years. He did not do unnecessary services and charged a very reasonable price. He is very knowledgeable and experienced with building and restoring pianos, not just tuning. The piano now sounds great; I plan to use him regularly, from now on, to keep the piano in top shape.
Description of Work: Tuning our Everett upright piano.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
4.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$114
Allan M.
01/2010
5.0
piano tuning
 + -1 more
Mr. Onesti showed up on time. He very carefully tuned the piano and offered general comments on its condition as well as suggestions for care and maintenance. He also provided good suggestions regarding piano teachers in the area. I would highly recommend him.
Description of Work: Ralph Onesti did a very professional job of tuning my piano. He is a very experienced piano tuner and is registered piano technician. (See www.ptg.org)
All statements concerning insurance, licenses, and bonds are informational only, and are self-reported. Since insurance, licenses and bonds can expire and can be cancelled, homeowners should always check such information for themselves. To find more licensing information for your state, visit our State Contractor License Requirements page.
*Contact business to see additional licenses.
Service Categories
Piano Tuning,
Musical Instrument Repair
FAQ
Ralph Joseph Onesti Piano Restorations is currently rated 4.8 overall out of 5.
Ralph Joseph Onesti Piano Restorations accepts the following forms of payment: Check
No, Ralph Joseph Onesti Piano Restorations does not offer free project estimates.
No, Ralph Joseph Onesti Piano Restorations does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, Ralph Joseph Onesti Piano Restorations does not offer a senior discount.
No, Ralph Joseph Onesti Piano Restorations does not offer emergency services.
No, Ralph Joseph Onesti Piano Restorations does not offer warranties.
Ralph Joseph Onesti Piano Restorations offers the following services: Piano Tuning, repairs and related services by Registered Piano Technician (RPT) Appraisals or Evaluations for Purchase, Sale Value or Insurance Claims (Registered w/TASA as expert witness) Climate Control System Installations (Certified Installer/Field Expert Certification)
We do not service electronic instruments or organs.