Dear Chris,

I cannot thank you enough for the job you did on my piano! Besides your exhaustive knowledge, your hard work and dedication were amazing. It is gratifying to work with someone that takes such pride in his craft. You cared about my piano as much as I did. You were also attentive to and curious about my preferences, while lending expert guidance when I was unsure. I always felt in good hands with you, and I appreciate all the extra time you spent to find just the right regulation and sonority. The new hammers give a rich, cushioned sound. This “new” piano makes such a positive difference in my life, as I feel excited to sit down and play, and I am proud to share it with my students. Thank you!

Andrew Goodridge
Piano Faculty, New England Conservatory Preparatory School
Active piano accompanist in the Boston area

Working with Chris Pleim has been great. He replaced the action on my 1923 Steinway M and turned what had become a lackluster piano into a very beautiful instrument. The voicing and touch are wonderful. And Chris and Sakiko both pay such close attention to tiny detail. The end result is a gorgeous piano that I am loving playing again.

– Alan Seale, Boston area

Tsunenori “Lee” Abe
Vocalist, Composer, Arranger & Producer

I bought a 1928 Steinert piano from Chris in 2009, and I have been loving it more and more, using not only for my composition and piano practice but also for my professional recording projects.

My original budget was lower than this piano, but when he showed this piano to me, I just could not resist my appetite, given that it would make a huge difference when my clients or I record the piano music in my home studio. The piano would have cost way more than the price that he offered if it was in the regular piano shop. But he, an excellent piano repairman, sells pianos directly to us, so I could actually save a lot of money by not ending up buying at a regular piano shop.

The best thing about this place is that you can literally see who is doing the rebuilding work, and how they are treating pianos. And from every single person in his shop/factory, I feel great passion and love in each piano. Since they are a part of piano rebuilding process, all of them are very knowledgeable about each piano that they have in the shop. And of course, it was clear that they are proud of what they are doing.

A good piano is not an easy buy, as it is not a cheap instrument. I visited over 5 or 6 places, and before I made a final decision, I wanted to revisit Chris and play the piano one more time to make sure there was nothing wrong. Even if it was my third or forth visit there, he and his colleagues were happy to spend time with me and let me play the piano.

If you want to buy a good piano with good after care, and without being ripped off by the seller, this is the place to go. I’d highly recommend it. After your purchase, I’m sure you’ll be happy to see them again when you need tuning or adjustments over the years to come.

Tsunenori “Lee” Abe
Professional composer/arranger
Bandleader of vocal jazz quartet “Syncopation”
www.crazyharmony.com
www.jazzsyncopation.com
info@crazyharmony.com

Dear Chris,
The piano sounds great! All my pianists agree.
Thanks so much!

Anne Elvins
(Boston area pianist and teacher)

Chris, now that I am sitting at home, looking at my beautifully restored, 1910 Steinway Model A, I would like to reflect a bit on the experience. I have had the opportunity in my life to be involved with many business deals and transactions both large and small. From my experience thus far, the underlying theme has always been that once the money passes hands, the questions stop being answered, the phone calls cease to be returned and the commitment ends. My experience with you during and after this rather large purchase could not have been farther from my previous experiences. You redefine the term “after sales service”. You have just left from what was your second full day visit and this is in addition to a tuning by one of your associates. It seems that you will work tirelessly until the piano is just right in all respects. I watched in amazement as you patiently made minute adjustments in the regulation…. adjustments that I may not have even noticed… but you did them anyway. All of your little adjustments, taken as a whole, have yielded a piano that is better than a factory made product. No factory could ever lavish the kind of attention that you put into your pianos.

In addition, you have called me numerous times just to see if I am happy with the action and voicing and you give no impression of rushing me at any time. Buying this piano was a life dream of mine and this is one dream that upon coming true is as good as the dream! The Stanwood action is so delicate and precise, that I can do things with this piano, like trills and delicate expressions, that I could never do with my Yamaha C1…and that was a nice piano! I don’t mean to sound corny, but you don’t play this piano…you paint with it. I can only describe it as “depth of sound”. Once I sit down, I don’t want to leave it. I play the songs slowly so as to hear every note and to make them last longer. I am just getting to know this piano, but I think I could (and hope that I will) spend a lifetime learning its many intricacies.

Thank you, Chris. For ONCE in my life, I paid for something very special and actually got what I paid for! The piano is only part of the equation. Who you buy it from is the other very important part.

Sincerely,
Allan Salzman

Chris, I just want to say that the concert went very very well. People loved everything – the piano, not only in its location where you saw it last, but also because of your wonderful work, it sounded extraordinarily beautiful, and was very very easy to handle. So I sing your praise again, also to Tim Bolton who also was very excited. Told him he really got a beautiful piano now.

And I think you did a terrific job. So thank you very very much, I hope you have a nice vacation wherever you are, and we’ll talk again sometime later when you’re back. If you have time I’d love to come see the piano you were talking about.

Veronica Jochum
(“one of the most respected female pianists in the world”)
www.veronicajochum.com

Dear Mr. Pleim,

Thank you for rebuilding two pianos of mine. The first, a Mason & Hamlin, had its characteristic sweetness, but only in its middle register. The bass was loud but not clear, and the top seemed tinged with deadness. However, after you completed the rebuilding, the best sound remained, giving the whole instrument twice as much as volume because its tone character connects with the top, middle, and bottom.

The other piano, a Steinway, is a similar story of inconsistency of various volumes and tones. After your rebuilding the “Steinway Sound” emerged with energy, making a more heroic sound; yet it also has a mellowness and clarity throughout the keyboard.

The finesse of your tuning continues to give me great joy. I admire the sonorities of both pianos.

Sincerely,

Doriot Anthony Dwyer

“Doriot Anthony Dwyer was appointed principal flutist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Miss Dwyer thus became the first woman to hold a principal chair with a major symphony orchestra…” – New York Times

We have also had the pleasure of rebuilding a Steinway B piano for Sarah Caldwell, the founder and director of the Opera Company of Boston.  She was so happy with it she recommended us to some of her close associates.