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A Personal Message

Ralph Joseph Onesti Piano Restorations
1317 MacDade Boulevard, Woodlyn, PA 19094
Phone or Fax 610.833.1657    email: inquiry@onestipiano.com

I wanted to take this opportunity to offer a few words in order that you might get to know us bettermaybe even a bit more personally.
Illustration by Gretchen Raichle

I fully realize, that unless you have seen our work, or know someone who has utilized our services and facility, hiring us as your technician, sending your piano (your baby) to us, or purchasing a restored instrument from us, may be a scary process. However, in our shop, we have created and retain an edge many others find elusive. We have the custom attitude. Here at RJOPR, we are a family of rebuilderspiano people if you will. Our work is what we are. It is to our benefit that every piano leaving this shop be acoustically correct, and visually pleasing. We combine the absolutely necessary with the esthetic. We have an understanding for the language of pianos, from casters to lid. That means that no matter what task we are performing at the moment, we always work with the end result in mind. That end result must be an extraordinarily lovely instrument.

My work is the result of my background and my rearing. From when I was very young, my father taught me the value of my name. Onesti means Honesty, he would remind me. In his own parable-like style, he always found the right words to drive that point home. Ultimately, with whatever words he chose at the time, his meaning always came to his belief that life without integrity is worthless. A thought I have carried with me all of my life.

A client recently asked me to say something about my work in order for him to evaluate my position. I told him that the best thing I could say, was that my next project would always be better than my last.

Over the years I have assisted countless technicians and rebuilders to upgrade their skills through either teaching my profession at a local university, or at Piano Technicians Guild or Master Piano Technicians seminars, or on some occasions, even at my shop. I felt honored that I had an opportunity to give back something to the industry, which has treated me so well these past almost four decades. Where does the time go? Some of these technicians have taken my ideas and improved upon them, just as I did with my mentors. After all, improvement is our obligation. Your technician may be one of these. Remember...a pretty shop and a shelf full of tools does not a craftsman make.

I think the best compliment I can be paid, over an over, is the trust from top technicians, rebuilders, and retailers who have sent their work to us. When a technician sends work here, they are putting their reputation on the line by placing their client's needs in our care. This has happened, and continues to happen again and again. Check out our list of clients. See if you recognize any of them.

Be a good consumer. Become educated. Take the Onesti challenge. As you are trying to decide on a qualified individual in whom you can entrust your treasured instrument, ask if they are willing to put their work against another'smine for instanceside by side.

With that having been said, my pledge is simple:

I personally, will retain a major hand in every rebuilding.

There will never be a factory, (one hand doesn't know that the other is doing) mentality.

We will treat every instrument as though it were intended for our own use.

We will never stop improving. Although the piano itself has stopped evolving, the quality of our work must continue to, for that is the mindset of our craft.

You have my word on it.

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