Well I've got to get this review started somewhere. This review focuses around our purchase of a new Cunningham-branded piano for my Mom. Look for updates/clarification as I get focused; Background: I live between Boston and DC and my Mom wanted to treat herself to an upgrade from her wedding-present Baldwin spinet piano. Process: I read every forum, blog, etc. etc. to try to narrow search for a grand piano for her. We limited our search to Yamaha, Kawai, and some used Steinways. My mother tried out the following piano shops in the DC-area: Rick Jones - fun place with little pressure. Tried out some Yamaha C3s and Kawai RX... The Piano Company - Kawai pianos. My mother tried out the GX line and some sub-lines below that. Jordan Kitts - tried out C3x and some sub-lines below that. I had taken lessons at Jordan Kitts as a kid and they used to have a couple locations in Maryland. Schaeffer and Sons Piano - tried a C5 and looked around but kinda sad to see the Piano biz look like this. Cunningham - decided to take the trek (from Bethesda MD) up to PA and visit Longwood Gardens on the way. Our piano tuner gave us some contradictory advice regarding the "Cunningham" brand piano: 'don't buy a Chinese-made piano, don't buy a new piano from a piano store, read Larry Fine's "Piano Buyer". Well, the Larry Fine publication seemed to be very high on both the Hailun and related Cunningham brand. Plus: Salesmanship not dead! Rich G. really helped my Mom out and was pretty fun (had my toddler daughter acting up with me so really hard work!). My Mom seemed like she was never going to make a decision and enjoy a new piano. Rich was great. I was almost embarrassed with how much kind attention he gave to us. We were not buying a $100k piano but the moderate priced Cunningham models. Plus: the place is large and beautiful. Rich gave us a tour of the shops and met some of the re builders. Great vibe where seems like team effort. Plus: Rich seems to have great relationships with local musicians and a pair of men dropped in and played some classical and show tunes and were just horsing around with Rich. We really enjoyed watching them enjoy the Cunningham pianos. Plus: we tried out the 5'4" and the 5'10" Cunninghams and both sounded great. This was after trying out the Yamaha C3x etc. and the tone was wonderful on both. Minus: the area around Cunningham's is rough looking and I was almost not sure we were in right place... Plus: [signing off for now but have to write up more later] read more

THIEVERY BY CUNNINGHAM PIANO COMPANY OF PHILADELPIA: ORIGINAL ESTONIA PIANO RENNER ACTION BLUE POINT HAMMER WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH A CHEAP ACTION I bought an original Estonia Piano from Gary Dawkins 610.585.8598 representing the 7th day adventist church of Philadelpia who owned the piano. During the delivery process, the piano was HIJACKED BY GALASSINI WITHOUT MY PERMISSION AND HAVE TO PAY RICH AN EXTRA $700. EARLIER I ALREADY HIRED A MOVER TO TRANSFER IT TO MY PLACE IN CALIFORNIA DIRECTLY AND NEVER HIRED GALASSINI TO TAKE THE PIANO TO HIS FACTORY. It took about 3 weeks before the delivery was started, not knowing that Rich Galassini was replacing the original Renner action & was being replaced with a cheaper action. I found in google that the piano company was selling the Renner action was sold to another client. I was happy at first when I received my Estonia Concert Grand with Serial # 7476 in September 2016 even without the bench that was promised in the contract with Gary Dawkins. Later, I found out that the ORIGINAL ESTONIA PIANO RENNER ACTION BLUE POINT HAMMER WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH A CHEAP ACTION before delivery to my residence in El Dorado Hills, CA. I wrote a separate letter to the Estonia Factory to confirm the maker's original factory specification of the action. Please explain why the discrepancy, as this piano is not a true Estonia Concert Grand anymore. Give me a resolution to this problem to save everybody's reputations. I like to have a resolution to this theft and breach of contract. THEN HE LIED AGAIN ABOUT SENDING A PIANO TECHNICIAN TO MY PLACE IN CALIFORNIA, I NEVER SAW ANYBODY REPRESENTING RICH AS A PIANO TECHNICIAN. I AM A RETIRED 80 YEARS OLD PROFESSIONAL CHEMICAL & CIVIL ENGINEER WORKED WITH THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA FOR 38 YEARS. I SWEAR THAT ALL MY STATEMENTS ABOVE ARE TRUE, THAT THIS COMPANY SHOULD NOT BE TRUSTED. READ MY BLOG BELOW, RICH UNDERESTIMATED ME, AS I HAVE 26 BLOGS WITH MORE THAN 10,000,000 VISITS AND EACH ONE OF THEM GOT A COPY OF THIS EXPERIENCE WITH THE CUNNINGHAM PIANO COMPANY OF PHILADELPIA. https://peopleus.blogspot.com/2023/08/columbus-dispatch-071308-i-just-had-to.htmlThe thievery that I experienced with the Cunningham Piano Company such as the loss of the original Estonia Renner action the missing Estonia piano bench and the $700 fee of the non authorized transfer of the piano from the church to Richard Galassini's Cunningham Piano Company, I recommend that people should stay away doing business with this company. Also any representation of the 7th Day Adventist of Philadelpia by Gary Dawkins tel# 610.585.8598 who was in collusion with the piano company should be avoided. In plain language both individuals Dawkins and Richard Galassini are thieves of the highest kind. Never do business with this piano company. read more

Cunningham Piano - SIGNED BY MAKER SHOWED ORIGINAL PIANO. WHY I GOT IT..https://peopleus.blogspot.com/2023/08/columbus-dispatch-071308-i-just-had-to.html - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We were moving our baby grand piano on short notice this week, and Cunningham sent Mike and Virgil who quickly dismantled it, delivered it to our new address, and reassembled it quickly. They were professional and friendly, and we felt like our piano was in good hands. There was a minor snafu with the scheduling in the office (nothing to do with our crew, who were on time with the schedule we'd asked for), but otherwise everything went smoothly. We thought it would be a laborious affair posing lots of risk to the piano, but instead things went very smoothly, and everything was completed from start to finish in about two hours. Yay, Cunningham. Yay, Mike and Virgil. Total cost to move a baby grand piano about 15 miles, $315 plus tips. read more

I was starting the process of shopping for a piano when a friend recommended I talk to Tim at Cunningham. The first time we met, he spent about an hour and a half showing me about pianos, explaining different ways they sound, and the different types of tone between American and European pianos. They had several pieces that I liked, and I put a deposit on one. Upon further consideration, it was not exactly right and I told them I would like to wait. Several weeks passed, and I had decided to buy an old piano and have it rebuilt, after we spoke, he called me a few hours later, having found something they had agreed to consign that was better than I even imagined that might be in my price range. He was able to negotiate a deal that was acceptable to the seller, and I ended up with much more piano than I ever would have expected for my budget. Tim worked very hard to find me whet I was looking for, did not pressure me, and got me a great deal on an amazing piano. If you're in the market, consider supporting this local all business. They are truly focused on customer service and satisfaction. And the craftsmanship that we saw coming out of their shop was obviously expert and immaculate. read more

I recently received my restored Steinway B from Cunningham Piano. The process took about a year and around $20,000. During which owner Rich Galassini would not return calls/texts/emails for about 10 times. Rich would disappear for weeks, then finally picked up the phone, apologized, and told me the schedule was delayed for another time. After the apologies, Rich would disappear again. So during the entire year, whenever I thought about the piano, I couldn't help but feel the piano has sunk into a black hole with the restoration fees. It was a truly scary experience. For example, just last month, when the piano was supposed to be delivered, I texted Rich twice asking politely where the piano was, only to no replies. Imagine you were told the piano would come during December, and the owner disappeared for a month, leaving you wondering what has happened? At last, after a whole year, finally we received the delivery of piano, but it required a technician to fix minor problems. As a week went by with no bookings and again no replies on how the booking went, I went to an online piano forum to write a negative review. Rich then promptly apologized and booked the technician, who still has not called me till this point. While Rich has apologized publicly saying his has had personal issues for the last 6 months, I noticed his personal issues only stopped him from replying to me or some other customers like he said. On the online forum, around the days he didn't reply to his customers, he was interacting with others. Such was the service if you give a big job to Rich (not some happy 5-star factory tour from other reviews). If you are looking for endless delays, then apologies, then neglects, you are looking at the right place. read more

I am very impressed with the professionalism and the knowledge that this historic piano store entails. With so many piano stores failing, this one is a class act and that is why they are still around. Their pianos are in tune and they are very happy to let you try even the most expensive ones just to compare. In my opinion, this is the "go to" place if you are in the market for a piano. read more

I just bought a N3X Yamaha Piano from Rich Galassini at Cunningham Piano Company. It's absolutely beautiful from the look to the tone. A good friend recommended Rich to me and I am glad he did. Rich took his time with me answering all my questions and every time I called he got back to me quickly. I dealt with him and his piano mover and everyone was professional, nice, and helpful. The experience of buying the piano was smooth and easy. Rich also helped me take away an old Vertical Grand upright I had in my home. The movers were professional, and respectful. No damage to the piano or my house. If you need a piano go see Rich. He will help you with all your needs. Gregg Kelman Maywood NJ read more

They delivered as promised. I bought a used piano from the Cherry Hill location. It included, delivery and a free tuning. After it was delivered I noticed how much better it sounded and responded compared to the digital piano I had been using. It really is like night and day. Now I can never go back to the digital piano. They followed through on the tuning and now my piano sounds and feels great. If I am in the market for another piano or a trade-up I will go there first. read more

I'm reviewing Cunningham's piano tuning services. I saw the only other reviewer had a bad experience - not saying they were wrong, but just wanted to balance it out. I just had a piano tuner come out to my house this afternoon. It only took a few days to make an appointment. The tuner, Dave, was very friendly and quick (in and out in about an hour and a half), and very reasonably priced compared to other tuners I've seen. And probably most importantly, I thought he did a good job getting the piano tuned up. It wasn't a complicated job per se, but Cunningham was everything they needed to be. read more

My review of 4/3/2015 I wrote that 2 months earlier I paid $275 for a written evaluation of my home piano and it was never completed. I wrote that multiple phone calls to the store were never returned. My review here at Yelp was read by Bruce, an owner of Cunningham Piano. He telephoned me a day after my posting and promised to resolve the issue. He did exactly what he promised to do. I am impressed by his immediate follow-through. He kept me informed every step of the way. It clearly showed his integrity and commitment to his customers. Within a few days I received my refund which I requested and I received the evaluation at no charge. I wish all owners were as forthright. read more

Though I have not purchased anything here, I will give them five stars. The owner, Rich, gave me a tour of the restoration building, and then let me try as many pianos on both floors as I wanted. The prices ranged from few thousand dollars to over one-hundred thousand. I would consider buying from them. read more

Rich and Dave were very helpful to us as we chose our piano over several weeks. The process of buying is not an easy one nor is deciding to part with several thousand dollars on your choice. Chances are, once that piano comes into your door, its the one you will have for many years to come, so choosing took time and patience on both ends. There was no pressure sales, but there was constant communication both in the form of calls and emails on what they could do to enhance our experience. We ended up buying a Yamaha and are quite pleased with the decision. Delivery was on time, well padded and friendly. I would definitely recommend that anyone looking to buy a piano from $2000 to $200,000 go to Cunningham Piano Company. read more

For tuning and piano technicians I'll give them an above average in skill, though the bar is low, but they are really pushy and I believe a dishonest in assessing the condition of the piano in order to push their rebuilding service. I agree my Steinway needs a new action, but a pin block that doesn't slip and a sound board that has been humidified and is in great shape do not. Yet Cunningham's tech, after about 10 minutes with the piano, dismissed everything and in his "opinion" the piano needed to be completely rebuilt leaving only the original shell. Interesting since three other techs without a piano rebuilding service completely disagree. Hmmm, who would you believe? They may be good at rebuilding, but before you give them $10k, get a second opinion and one you can trust. read more

A great selection of high quality pianos at affordable prices! We recently purchased our second piano from Cunningham, a refurbished vintage Steinway.. When the time came to replace a beloved Sohmer upright console piano with a grand piano we never seriously considered going anywhere else. The purchase was helped by a great sale price, twelve month no interest financing, and a guaranteed trade in for a prior Cunningham purchase. Cunningham is locally owned by musicians, active in the musical community, who get that this is not just another piece of furniture. They are helpful but never pushy. They work with you to learn your preferences and budget. They suggested a selection that matched but we were welcomed to make multiple visits to try out any piano to get a feel for sound and touch. If you buy you have the fun of touring their behind the scenes workrooms where master craftspeople repair and refurbish instruments. read more

Just had a Cunningham Upright delivered. The whole experience was excellent. I won't mention names, but my wife and I visited another piano retailer in our area and had a very different experience. A few years back we visited Cunningham, took the factory tour and looked at a few pianos. It wasn't affordable for us at the time. However, this was the beginning of a relationship with Peter and Cunningham Piano. The factory tour is pretty cool by the way. Fast forward almost three years and I walk in to Cunningham Piano and immediately Peter recognizes me and remembered my first AND last name. We only visited once, and exchanged emails a few times. I was impressed! So this time we set out for an intermediate level upright piano. We looked at some Essex and Boston products but loved the Cunningham Piano at over $1,000 less! The piano played better and sounded really good. They also had the option of getting a hand rubbed satin finish, which we totally went with. The finish looks awesome! That was something we couldn't get in the Essex at our price range. While the piano is mass produced, they take care to make sure everything is done properly and they do a great job finishing the job up at the factory and getting the piano ready for delivery. For the price it can't be beat! Plus, we love that in some way we have a piece of Philadelphia history. Great company and great experience. No rush to purchase, they walk away and let you play. All around great company and great piano. We look forward to being part of the Cunningham family for years to come! read more

I've known Rich Galassini and Tim Oliver, owners of Cunningham Piano Company, and have been familiar with Cunningham Piano and its wonderful new and reconditioned and rebuilt used pianos since the early 1990s. I'm an accomplished musician with a keen earn for tonal quality, particularly in pianos. I've always been impressed with the high quality of the piano inventory of Cunningham Piano. Recently, I've had Cunningham Piano recondition my 7' Baldwin grand piano, particularly installing new hammers, shanks, and flanges, reconditioning the action and other critical parts of the piano, and voicing. I've played the piano twice to determine my preference for the voicing and worked with the technician who performed the voicing to have him adjust it to my liking. The voicing and the feel and responsiveness of the action after Cunningham Piano's work are absolutely wonderful. The results overall of the work done by Cunningham Piano is superb. I know I'll be happy with the piano for decades. read more

I have used Cunningham piano many times now for my tuning but this time was even more exceptional than previous. They have a new tuner named Sean Weissman who came to tune the piano. While here he suggested I get the piano cleaned which I had never done before or even knew possible. He thought is would tremendously help my piano out. I was so thrilled with the tuning from him that I decided to go ahead with the cleaning. He spent close to two hours here cleaning the piano, patiently and lovingly. The result is my piano feels like new again after 30 years. I am amazed at the sound and feel of the piano. I am thrilled every time I play it. In addition Sean is just a great guy. I am so thrilled for me and Cunningham Pianos that they found him. I have always been so pleased with my dealing with Cunningham and it just got even better. I highly recommend using Cunningham Pianos for your tuning needs! read more