James the owner is a peach! We rented a baby grand from East Cambridge Piano for a fundraiser concert and needed him to tune a second piano. He came in with the best price and the bonus was that he knew the guys at the venue we were using and was able to coordinate timing with them. Yay! I definitely recommend him for your piano needs. Plus he is a Berklee grad! read more

An electric piano we use for our church services had a key that started sticking. East Cambridge was the second place I called, recommended by another shop who didn't really want to look at it. I almost tried to take it apart myself after watching YouTube videos that said it's usually just dust inside, but I'm really glad I didn't. James knew immediately what the problem was just by looking at the keyboard before taking it apart (he could see a slightly bigger gap between that key and the next; something I couldn't see even when he pointed it out). He took it apart and showed me a crack in the key in question. He replaced the key while I waited and it was good as new. It was a very reasonable price as well. He also met me downstairs at the loading dock with a cart and we rode up on the freight elevator. I now have a go-to place if we ever need another repair. Incidentally, he said he sometimes gets people who bring him a box of parts because they took their piano apart after watching YouTube but couldn't fix it or put it back together. James said the problem is hardly ever dust. read more

My new Yamaha U3 arrived today. Everything about working with East Cambridge Piano has been superb. The website is easy to navigate. James Nicoloro answers every question. He kept up with me in email even when he was out of town on business. When I asked what "professionally refurbished" meant, he sent me the website of the refurbisher so I could see the process. So I made the trek from the Cape into Somerville. When you arrive in the showroom, you know that you are in a place where someone knows and cares about pianos. James offered me lots of options, including some pianos that were less expensive. There is no hard sell. I found the piano I had dreamed about. And James gave me a ride back to the subway station. What service! Michael Griffin, recommended by James, brought the piano this morning. It sounds wonderful. James called to make sure all was well. I could not recommend this business more highly. It has been a great experience. read more

Bought a used Yamaha U1 a year ago and have been thrilled with it. While shopping around visited some well known Boston retailers such as Steinert, Williams, and while I had great experiences with them as well, I knew I was in the right place when I visited East Cambridge Piano. The building is not what you would expect, they are located on the third floor of an old building that almost feels more like a warehouse, I didn't think I had even found the right place at first. Prior to my visit, I would never have considered a used piano. However, the models they have are in absolutely mint condition, sound fantastic, and were all hand picked. It's clear the folks that work here are craftsmen and while they are very easy going they take what they do seriously. Felt very secure that I was getting a great product, and I did. Incredibly laid back environment, none of the nonsensical typical pretense you might find buying an instrument like this. I felt like I could have just hung out in there for a few hours. James answered all of my questions and then basically said "have at it, play whatever you want and let me know if you have any more questions". Zero pressure. They are coming out next week to do a tuning which was included with the purchase. I had to reschedule but James could not have been more accommodating. Go see this guy and buy a piano from him. read more

After getting a damaged piano from amazon and going through the hassle of sending it back, I went to East Cambridge piano to help a local business, even if it meant paying a little more. To my surprise, not only do they match the prices online, but they feature has pianos that you don't generally see on the major websites, and you can play them all without feeling rushed. It was a refreshing experience compared to a guitar center where they'll aggressively pitch keyboards to you and let you try them for a few notes and move you onto something else. The owner, James, let me make my own decision, and I could take as long as I wanted (and I deliberated for about 45 minutes). I ended up getting a Korg LP-380 which I would have never even thought of when buying on amazon. The piano was too big for my car and I couldn't get it home. James graciously temporarily closed the store, put it into his own car, delivered it, and helped me get it into my house for free. It was one of the best experiences I've had when it came to large purchases, and I would absolutely recommend East Cambridge pianos for repairs, lessons, and purchases based on the quality of service I saw. read more

Wholeheartedly recommend. James fixed my electronic piano (after quickly diagnosing the issue, explaining the expected cost, and calling me back when he found another thing he'd recommend fixing). Yay! I got my piano back! Excellent service. I ended at East Cambridge Piano because I phone called around asking who could fix my 29 year old Yamaha Clavinova CLP-360 - the first call was to a music store, who recommended the first guy, but said "and if he can't fix it, I'm sure he'll recommend East Cambridge Piano", and then I called his recommendation who said "try this guy, but if he can't recommend it, then call East Cambridge Piano", and the next guy said "sorry, you should call East Cambridge Piano" (I got the impression that James at East Cambridge Piano is/was THE GUY in New England to fix my piano). read more

My company rents a grand piano from James every year for an annual event, and we have never been disappointed. The piano arrives and leaves on time (every year, consistently) and is always in tune. I recommend this place! I feel bad that the only other review here is so low, because we have never had a problem with them and I find the customer service to excellent. read more

I can highly recommend East Cambridge Piano. James Nicoloro's advice and demonstrations took the anxiety out of our hunt for the right keyboard. His personalized service (assembly, even delivery) went above and beyond. We are completely happy with the keyboard and accessories and would gladly buy from him again. It's also a pleasure to support a local business. read more

Just wanted to add that James came by for the complimentary tuning that comes with the piano purchase. He is a master tuner and it sounds even better than before (if that is possible!). He had just finished up tuning at Oberon (The Second Stage of American Rep Theater) before arriving at our house and was zipping off to another home in my neighborhood after he finished with our piano, but he still had some time to chat. He recommended some great teachers in the neighborhood so I think I am going to set myself up with that as the next step in our piano adventures. Thanks again to James! read more

We feel as though we found a hidden gem in East Cambridge Piano, and its owner, James Nicoloro. My family feels so lucky to have found James and his store (filled to capacity with used upright, grand and other unique pianos) through a used piano advertisement on Craigslist. We ended up purchasing our piano from James, and learning a whole lot more than we expected during the entire process. Given the cost and importance of this purchase, my wife and I spent many hours researching pianos online, speaking with manufacturers, visiting retail stores (spending almost 3 hours at James' store alone), and enlisting our piano teacher to help with the process. James is FANTASTIC to work with. He is a musician at heart, thus wants to help you find the right instrument for you - not the one that will make him the most profit. Although we, and our children, played on the various pianos we were considering, James was tireless in playing several different songs of various styles on our "finalists" - many times - so that we could focus in on the subtleties that might sway us one way or the other. At the end of the day, James' "no pressure", pragmatic & thoughtful approach led us through a fun process to a 15 year old, handmade, impeccably maintained German piano we know will sound beautiful in our house for years to come! Thank you, James! read more

I have always taken our pianos to East Cambridge. James and Jay are honest, knowledgeable and skilled. Always quick turnaround. Highly recommend these guys to our artists as well. Feel free to contact for reference. -Cory Harding President Murray Hill Talent Boston read more

I brought my Yamaha keyboard in to repair a click in one of the weighted keys. James was friendly and responsive on the phone and sounded confident that he could diagnose and fix the problem. I had a good feeling and dropped the keyboard off on a Sunday. Called on Monday and he'd already fixed it said it'd be ready to pick up on Tuesday. I am very satisfied with the timeliness and expert repair and East Cambridge Piano. They'll be my first call if I have any issues with my current keyboard and where I'll go first when I decide to upgrade (wide variety of products in the show room). read more

We've been putting off having the baby grand tuned for years. James put it to rights in two visits. His fee seems reasonable and his laid back vibe hit just the right note with the teenage musicians in our house. read more

The team at East Cambridge Piano helped me out in a big way, troubleshooting and fixing an electric piano that's been out of production for many years. I was holding my breath about what the work might cost but it turned out to be more than reasonable. And they set good expectations: when I first described the issue the piano was having, Reed walked me through the possible issues and said "If it's [x], that's an inexpensive, relatively quick fix. If [y] is broken, that's pricier and will take some creativity to address -- some people would consider a trade-in at that point. But if [z] is broken, which I hope isn't the case, we wouldn't be able to do anything with it, because the part simply no longer exists." And as someone who's worked in marketing, I really appreciated James' polite, low-pressure upsell when I picked up the fixed piano...he said basically, "You've got a great-sounding piano. Here's what the next step up sounds like [plays a bit on another piano], so if you find you're really enjoying the one you have and want to trade up, keep us in mind and tell your friends." read more

I was in the market for a new electronic keyboard after moving apartments and having to sell my old upright piano. Since I'm used to the action of a normal piano, though, I wanted to try out several models before buying. The store and storefront are pretty no-frills, but they definitely had a nice selection of high-quality keyboards -- mostly Korgs and Rolands (and lots of pianos, of course), and didn't mind me trying them out for a good half hour. They were also happy to explain the differences between the models, which I couldn't really make out from online descriptions alone. I was pretty amazed that their prices are competitive with Amazon's. Best of all -- James hand-delivered (with me in the car) my keyboard and helped me build it in my apartment for free immediately after buying. Pretty amazing service. So in sum: I wanted to support a local business because I'd be able to try out several models, but with East Cambridge Piano, I also got excellent service and a great price! Very happy I went there. read more

Knowledgeable and surprisingly down-to-earth staff. Helped me pick out precisely the right digital piano. I was going to have a taxi drive me and my purchase back home but the owner kindly gave me a lift instead. Will match prices with the going rate online. Unexpectedly awesome piano store. read more

I have hired James to tune and repair a piano on several occasions. He's punctual and does a great job at a reasonable price. He knows what he's doing and is pleasant to deal with. read more

Just had a wonderful experience here. Went in last week to look at digital pianos. Ian was very helpful and friendly and gave me space to play the selection without hovering. Answered any questions I had. After a less than good customer service experience elsewhere, I returned to look at my favorites again with my partner. We were treated very well, again no hard sales just a friendly and informative discussion on the instruments. James helped us think through what would work best and a few hours later I was reconnecting with my love of music thanks to the guys at East Cambridge Piano. Nice guys, the place has a great feeling to it too. They also sell acoustic pianos. When I'm ready for my next purchase I will go here. read more

James stopped by my house to tune my piano and it was a lot of fun. He was honest and gave me choices about how to deal with my very out-of-tune piano. He fixed a faulty hinge free of charge. We had some fun conversation and he left my instrument sounding much, much better than it had before. They admit that their tuning service is slightly more expensive than other businesses advertise but it's a fixed cost so you won't have to deal with surprise fees. Highly recommended for tuning! read more

I had the piano tuned by James N. A few days after the first tuning, I realized that my piano had some other problems such as keys louder or having a different sound quality than others. After a phone call James proposed to come over for a second time to work at it again. James is definitely a reliable professional and a nice person to deal with. I paid 127$, a very competitive price read more

Highly recommended. This shop is run by talented piano experts who also happen to have great customer service skills. I was looking for a certain model of digital piano, and went to East Cambridge Piano to test it out and buy it. I had probably the best buying experience that I have had in years. James helped me test the piano that I came to look at. The shop services digital and traditional pianos and is an authorized service center for a couple of companies. I found this reassuring, especially since my piano was on this list. The amazing part of the story is that after helping me try to unsuccessfully load the box into my small car, James offered to drop it off himself in his own vehicle that evening. He could have pressured me to take apart the box and awkwardly stack the pieces into my car, or tie the box down onto my roof rack, or rent a larger vehicle. He offered to take care of it, though, and I got to enjoy the rest of my afternoon! When he arrived at my house (about 40 minutes from his shop), he also had already built the piano for me! All I had to do, after he helped me carry it up to the second floor, was apply some finishing touches and plug it in. read more

Do not, under any circumstances take a vintage electric piano here to be repaired. Apparently Jay thinks that it's ok to charge $250.00 per wurlitzer repair, even if there is nothing wrong with it aside from a broken fuse filament. The first (of three) wurlitzers was missing the lid and the legs when I went to get it. "Oh....I know who has them." When I went back to get the last 2 I left with him, he was all....$500.00. I know one of them worked fine. I played it myself before I left the shop. The other just needed a fuse. When I asked him what he had done, he responded defensively by saying " Dude, that was like a month ago. I don't remember what I did." Aren't techs supposed to document all work on an invoice? Shady. I was warned, but I couldn't find anyone else. My advice to you......find someone else. After all that he was trying to get me to hook him up with the ensemble department to help him push a million new Rhodes pianos on them. The nerve of some people. read more

Great service! Needed a rush repair before a big gig as I had a 2 broken keys on my Korg SV-1. Went out of his way to get it done, very knowledgable and helpful. read more

Great service, awesome/cool location in Somerville, and a wide selection of pianos. They offer other services beyond selling pianos... tuning, repairs, rental, etc. read more

I am so very grateful for East Cambridge Piano!! In 2006, I purchased my beloved Roland FP-5 keyboard. My true baby, I felt a portion of myself and my creative abilities die when she became unplayable after years of use. I figured she was beyond repair but before I gave up hope, I contacted James and filled him in on the situation. He was realistic and honest, and I didn't get my hopes up. I saved up some money to get her looked at and diagnosed and was overjoyed when I was told the issues could be remedied. This was months ago and although I don't play her as much as my gig keyboard (my Roland is too precious and heavy to gig out with these days), she continues to play beautifully for me. Not only did East Cambridge Piano do a wonderful job, they were affordable and it was a pleasure talking with James. I highly recommend them and am happy to know they exist incase I have future issues. Thank you!!! read more