John came to my studio and tuned my piano today. I'm very satisfied with the work he did, and I'm glad he could fit me into his schedule on such short notice. He was very informative about the process, and about further required maintenance - I will definitely be returning to Piesik's Piano Service. Thanks John! read more

John is very knowledgeable and is fully invested in doing a great job on your piano. He is personable, prompt and professional. He really made a difference for me on my 60 year old piano. I highly recommend Piesik Piano Tuning! read more

I've used Piesik piano service for many years now. He always does a great job tuning and taking of our piano. read more

Great service, on time, efficient and honest. We are very happy with the work and the review of our piano.

When people ask me to recommend a piano tuner, I always send them to Piesik Piano Service. John has been tuning pianos for many years and takes great pride in his work. He tuned the piano with such great precision, taking the time to "get it right." The piano plays really nicely and has stayed in tune. He spent a long time taking care of the piano and really went above and beyond in caring for the keys as well as the internal components of the piano. He is very meticulous and has an incredible ear. He obviously loves what he does and even plays the piano himself. I will definitely call him again! read more

Our precious piano had been around the world arriving in CA with a thud, a twang, and a funky dehumidifier. John was recommended by our piano teacher and repaired and tuned it all with prompt professional precision. He's kept both piano and dehumidifier in great shape ever since...provided I heed his annual tuning reminders! Thanks John! read more

I recommend John Piesick--without reservation--to anyone in need of a top-notch piano technician. He's the whole package - the precise mind of an engineer... with fantastic people skills, the touch of a craftsman, and a passion for the instruments he works on. I have a very old grand piano in decent condition that's a great candidate for rebuild, but I can't afford that right now. I was noticing how bad the touch and tone were getting, so I started interviewing technicians. I needed someone expert in wringing every possible good thing out of my piano for now, and John Piesick was absolutely the man for the job! John talked to me quite awhile over the phone, and even listened to the piano a little bit. Unlike every other tuner/technician who has looked at it in the last 30 years, after seeing the piano himself he was confident in the ability of the piano's ancient strings to come up to A440 pitch, and he was absolutely right. And he was right that it would noticeably improve the sound and touch of the piano. He was also very patient and knowledgeable in discussing other things that could be done to improve the piano until it can be rebuilt--I can tell I will be relying on his expertise and advice when I eventually choose a rebuilder. John is worth every single cent he charges--and I say that as a real penny-pincher. He also doesn't try to upsell or offer unneeded services. He even told me the piano's pinblock was so stable that it would probably only need yearly tuning once the new pitch level settles. Other than the rebuilder, he's the only one touching my piano from now on! read more

Probably OK for a plain old tuning. But these days with electronic tuning tools, who isn't? I deeply regret trusting him outside of that for my piano. Nuff said. Updated 7/20/14: I thought the best way to put the whole irritating experience behind me was to write the above very succinct review and never think about it or John Piesik ever again. But lo and behold, another "reviewer" is sending me annoying emails, so I am responding publicly. Deborah D. posted her review 7/16/14, and sent me this weird message the same day. (Interesting that she never wrote a single yelp review before 7/16, then wrote all 4 of them the same day and sent me a snarky email, too. Is that a review by owner request or what?!) I am posting it here, so you can decide for yourself how much validity to give her review, or any of the others that look like they were written by owner request. This is the exact message Deborah D. sent to me: "You must be unaware of your piano needs C.B. A piano is more than keys and pitch. It had wood, leather, glue,movable parts. The piano is a complex instrument that needs not only tuning, but the touch of the human hand - someone who knows how the keys feel when played - are they sticking? Are they reactive. What about the pedals? How can a tuning machine fix the squeak of the sustain pedal? You must not be a musician if you are relying on computers - music is all about communicating. I doubt seriously that you are a musician that aims to move with your music. Good luck with your "modern tuning machine" Sounds like you should switch to an electric keyboard. - no maintenance needs there." To Deborah D.: I never suggested that anyone should skimp on their piano maintenance. Most professional piano technicians use electronic tuning devices these days, that's all I was saying. For the record, I have good enough chops to play the Beethoven Piano Concertos, and no, an electric keyboard isn't good for that. Don't know why you feel entitled to belittle the musical competence of strangers you have never even met. Have a nice day. _____________ Response to John Piesik's 7/1/14 comments to my initial review: I was not a long-standing customer, only used his services once. It was not for a routine tuning, and it went badly. I contacted him by phone 2X about it afterwards, and he was dismissive. That's the reason I wrote my Yelp review. I did not respond to his post-review Yelp email because don't trust someone whose behavior is different in "public view" than when they interact with you when they think no one else is "watching", and I absolutely didn't want him to work on my piano. In his owner comments, John took exception to my reviews for the LA Phil (Administration) and Sprouts, too. Is it a form of name-calling? Please read/judge my other reviews for yourself. The handful of negative ones are for good reasons. (Click on my user name to pull them up.) I think the opinions in them are perfectly sane. Obviously, he thinks there's something wrong with them. Yelpers can decide for themselves who is a reasonable person and what their opinions are worth :) I think my initial review was, and remains, completely fair. Probably OK for a routine tuning. For anything else, be extremely wary. Personally, I had a very bad experience. YMMV. ______ 10/19/14 Response to second owner comment: In his 10/14/14 owner comments, he is publicly complaining that I am not entitled to voice an opinion on Yelp. This after also taking exception to my Yelp opinions on the LA Phil(Admin), and Sprouts(faux corporate charity), too? Seriously? Shortly after my initial (bad) experience, I googled "registered piano technician" and got a directory of local registered piano technicians. Interviewed a few by phone and I'm very happy with the one I chose to address my piano maintenance needs. I didn't mention his name my review at all specifically because I didn't want to create the appearance that I wrote my review to benefit another business. My piano is in the 5-figure range. If I just want to wipe the slate clean and use someone else's services instead of reinitiating contact with John Piesik, through Yelp or otherwise, it is a perfectly rational and expeditious thing for me to do. Presumably, after the John Piesik asked Yelp to take my review down, Yelp did things to confirm that I am a real person. Certainly, they can easily verify that Deborah D did in fact use Yelp servers to send me her snotty remarks, quoted above. I didn't insert a lot of specifically identifying details because it is an awkward situation when a business owner who is obviously angry that you voiced a negative opinion also knows exactly where you live. I leave it to Yelp readers to decide for themselves whether that is fair or not, over-cautious or not. But that's the reason. At least Yelp lets people make their own assessments about which reviews, be they raves or rants, are fake. read more

John has tuned our 25 year old Samack grand piano and recently cleaned it. He is wonderful to work with. Meticulous, detailed and a w to any a wealth of information. Very timely, polite and professional! We highly recommend him to anyone wanting to tune and take extra care of their piano. read more

Got my piano tuned after years of it being moved around. So happy to have my piano back. John was great, professional and even did a small repair on the piano. Will be coming back for the next tune up! read more

John Piesik has tuned our piano since we moved to Carlsbad 4 years ago. He is professional, very courteous, and always shows up right on time for our scheduled appointments. Our piano always sounds fantastic upon completion of his work. John is very honest with his recommendations and comments he might have regarding the upkeep and maintenance of our piano and is always prompt with his reminder cards for our next tuning! (Thank you for those postcards, John!) Piesik Piano Service is HIGHLY recommended! read more

John takes his time to tune and maintain the whole instrument. His knowledge and experience is impressive, and he is patient and enjoys conversation about his craft. John is also an accomplished pianist and musician. I have spent some time developing tuning devices and their application to various instruments. Tuning a piano is NOT like tuning your saxophone or guitar. A tuning meter just gets you started. The rest is done by ear, feel, and artistry...if you are curious read about "stretching the octaves". read more

John does a great job. Very attentive to detail, always on time and my piano sounds great! What more can you want??? Excellent. You won't be disappointed. read more

I'm so glad I called him! My piano hadn't been tuned since I moved here, and I felt so comfortable with John taking care of it. He was very professional, detailed, and kind. You can tell he loves pianos--and I enjoyed hearing him play. I'll definitely call him for the next tuning! read more

I have played piano for over 45 years. I know how a piano should sound. John has tuned my Steinway grand piano for a very long time. He has the uncanny knack of knowing just what needs attention. Tuning is an art as much as it is a science, and John is both an artist and a scientist. He is meticulous in his work and totally honest; he does not suggest repairs if they are not needed. I recommend John highly. read more

John has tuned my piano for many years. He is very professional and honest. I am always impressed at how my instrument sounds when he leaves. John has always gone above and beyond and I would recommend him to anyone. In fact, I do, since I have many piano students who also need to take care of their instruments. I haven't had anyone else tune and care for my piano, and I don't plan to. He is detail oriented and if my piano starts to do something quirky, I know John will have a solution for it. Always happy to have my piano serviced and tuned! read more

16 years with John Piesek and my piano is in steller condition. John is very well educated and skilled at the art of piano care. I am a piano and singing teacher and nothing but the best will do for my instrument. I do not hesitate to recommend him to all my students. Price and service are excellent. (Just don't book into my time slot!) read more

I've been using John for about 15 years. I inherited an old upright that has great sentimental value. John has kept it alive and sounding great. Very professional and very skilled. Highly recommended. read more

We found a 1948 Kimball piano in hopes that our daughters would take an interest. We had no idea where to start or how to fix it up. John had the answers for everything. His professional demeanor and approachable persona made him the perfect guy to tune up and fix the piano. The attention to detail he displayed was nothing short of impressive. My 4 year old daughter was asking him questions as he worked on the piano and he took the time to answer each question. Our piano is looking and sounding much better because of John's fantastic work. I would highly recommend John for any and all piano services. I know I will be calling him again the next time our piano needs a tune-up. read more

John is extremely professional and we've been blessed to have him do his magic on our piano for almost 10 years now. I honestly could not be any happier with his work! I am nowhere near a concert pianist but I do play professionally in a few local bands, so our piano probably gets played 2-3 hours daily, sometimes more. John helps us keep it in great shape and sounding terrific. He always does a great job educating me on the inner workings of a piano, what needs attention and when (and why!), and never tries to "sell" me anything. I really admire his work ethic and strongly recommend him. read more

John Piesik has been tuning our pianos for over 15 years. I am a vocalist and a musical theatre director so having a tuned piano is crucial. I have had recording sessions and performances with notable opera vocalist and jazz ensembles in my home and having a tuned and beautiful piano is a must. I have tried other piano tuners in the past, but none of them were as meticulous, caring, and truly interested in my instruments as John Piesik. Not only is John is knowledgeable about tuning, he also helped me choose products to clean my baby grand as well as how to order a new bench. I live near the coast so keeping my piano tuned is tricky. John is extremely knowledgeable about coastal humidity and is up to date on the latest in piano care. John also repaired my old, childhood Knight upright piano - (this piano had traveled from Japan to the USA 2 times!) John was able to repair the damaged wood and hammer) For the serious musician, instruments become friends and our piano, is a part of the family. They hold memories and bring much joy and historical importance. From the moment John Piesik enters my house, I know he is there to care for my piano as a family member would. John is gentle, clean and efficient. He is well known in the industry and respected by all that have used his services. John Piesik is a member of the prestigious Piano Technicians Guild - not all piano tuners are. John is a pianist himself - and this crosses over in his passion for tuning. If you want the best, look no further. I recommend John without any hesitation. I cannot say enough positives things for John Piesik!! read more