Renee was fantastic! I took in my dad's 80+ year old accordion to see if it was worth fixing......Renee took it all apart and gave it a quick cleaning. At 80+ years old it had some issues that weren't going to be cheap to fix and she recommended not spending the money even though it was my dads! She did all this while we watched and talked and then despite repeated tries she wouldn't take any money for the time she spent working on it. I was amazed by her knowledge and skill at disassembling and reassembling the accordion......you don't find craftspersons like that anymore! I would give her a 10 but the scale only goes to 5! read more

It may be the only accordion place I know of near me, but it's the best! Renee is so kind and did a great job fixing up my accordion. She sold me the instrument as well and was very friendly and helpful in giving me insight, as I had zero experience before then. It's difficult for me to get to the store during regular business hours, and she has come in more than once during closed days to let me pick up my instrument. Romagnoli rocks! read more

Class act. Friendly, knowledgeable, and they know their stuff. Been up to their shop a half dozen times now (2hr drive) and it never disappoints. Very nice selection of PAs and they encourage you to try out whatever catches your eye. I recently upgraded from my beginner accordion with them to something much nicer and am very pleased. read more

This is the best accordion shop that's still around in the United States. I just had a full size PANcordion professional accordion tuned from a musette tune to a Cleveland tune. I showed master technician Mike Iwema videos of the tuning I want, and he proceeded to tune my accordion COMPLETELY BY EAR!!! Not to mention, my accordion was back to me in perfect shape with a plaque with my name on it in a month. This is super fast for a full tune. Also, the tune was SPOT ON, and I mean, exactly spot on. I frequently come to the shop, I've been going for years. Mike, or "Accordion Mike" as signed on my reed block after the tune, is in his 20s and his passion for everything accordion really shows. Not only in his repair work, but when he plays too. Renee who works at the shop also does flawless repair and tuning work. Rosanne, the owner of the shop, is always pleasant, and ready to help you pick out the perfect accordion. Please, PLEASE, if you are looking to buy an accordion, bring an old accordion in for evaluation, or just interested in the instrument, stop by Romagnoli Accordions. Some repairs can take months or even a year due to the fact that accordions have thousands of advanced parts that can be hard to source, but you will not be disappointed in anything they do. Not to mention, they have a "Saturday Squeeze" jam session the first Saturday of every month where people of all ages and backgrounds come together to play accordions and just have a good time!! The company has been family owned for over 100 years, and it's truly a treasure to the Chicagoland area. Stop by soon! read more

Romagnoli Accordions Co. - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Oak Lawn, Illinois

Had an old accordion that I bought from a guy in Wisconsin. Was beautiful but had quite a few issues. Italo American rebuilt it for me and today it plays perfectly. When I was a kid, they were on 51st and Troy. I was surprised to find them still around. The man that did the repairs is an 80 year old from Italy. It is clear the he really loves accordions and treats them with care. it is kind of sad knowing that this is getting to be a lost art. read more

What a great resource for accordion players! I recently started playing after a 30+ year hiatus, and had 2 accordions that needed a little work. I called the day before to see if they do any minor repairs on the spot--they DO!-- and was even given a rough estimate. Much to my surprise, it was less than what I had imagined. Not only did they do the work I requested, Renee ( I hope I remembered the name right!) did quite a bit of work to clean and polish both accordions. And then vacuumed out the cases! She encouraged me to play a few that were on the shelves, and we had a great conversation about old vs. new. I also enjoyed going through their stock of old original sheet music and books, and found 2 books from my childhood lessons that I no longer had. I cannot be more pleased with my experience there today! Thank you! read more

The woman who works there is extremely nasty. And by nasty I mean...just really mean, for no reason except to be mean. We went around the store and looked for some of the more professional accordions, and there was nothing to our liking. A bunch of old, cheap, and odd looking accordions. Even the professional accordions that we found had some age to them. This is not the place to go if you're looking for the most current models in professional accordions, or even last decades models. The woman never bothered to ask us if we needed any help, in fact I think she was more glued to that TV than anything else. When we attempted to leave the store, the woman questioned us as to why we weren't buying anything, to which our reply was "we didn't find anything that we were very interested in." Of course, not being rude or polite to an extent on our part, but this woman comes right back with "well...nothing is free here." A completely uncalled for comment to which my friend asked in a very stern tone to please buzz us out (explained below) and that we're no longer interested in their services. We then parted ways, without so much as a nod or wave. That particular area of Oak Lawn is kind of sketchy, but I assume more so during the evening hours. Needless to say you have to buzz in and out of the store from a buzzer under the checkout counter. Which basically makes you feel a little uncomfortable and trapped. The store looks like it hasn't been updated since the 70s. The only real good thing about this store is parking, there's plenty of it! From the stories that I've heard from fellow accordionists in the area, as well as accordion shop owners around the US, the woman who works there owns the store and apparently inherited it from her late husband. And apparently some guy comes in every once in a while to take care of accordion repairs, etc. But I have to imagine the original owner/founder of Italo-American is turning in their grave right now. I may try it out again if they have new management, but until then I will find other means to shop for accordions and look for repairs. read more

Greedy Owner. Ripped me off on a 1975 Hohner Atlantic (with issues). Offered me $50. Yes. $50. I know he is going to repair it and sell it for $1800. What a miserable excuse for an honest businessman. I'm Appauled. These guys are a complete ripoff. Greedy and a disaster. They are the least honest people I have ever met. They are ripping you off like there is no tomorrow. This old guy, "technician", who really is the owner, is the rudest individual I have met in decades. My mistake. If this place went bust tomorrow, I would through a party. What a scam. read more

Had a great time. I came here 2016 on a Saturday morning. As a beginner, this was my first chance to try a variety of accordion brands and see what sound I liked. There were about 50+ on the shelves. One friendly, helpful lady stood at the counter to give me prices out of her book (the accordions didn't have tags) and another lady asked me about my musical interests and budget constraints to suggest different ones I should try out. Two master technicians fixed two broken reeds on my old accordion for $30. They also offered to help me sell my brand-new $3000 chromatic accordion on consignment for a 25% cut. Ouch, but oh well. I did have a different experience the other time I came here on a Tuesday afternoon in '08. The door was locked and I (a farm kid) didn't think of getting buzzed in (the "buzzer" is silent by the way). The cranky old lady sitting at the cash register kept gesturing me to come in, and I kept gesturing that it was locked, till she finally screamed loud enough for me to hear: "OPEN THE F***ING DOOR!!!" After that pleasant introduction, I had an awkward, brief run through the place looking for a chromatic accordion, which they didn't have, so I left. Glad to see things are more pleasant these days :) read more

I love this place! I went there a few days ago to pick up a set of new straps. They told me to bring in my accordian and they put them on. I am very happy with the service. read more

Really a wonderful place and resource that embodies the entire history of accordions. With personal links to manufacturers, craftsmen and resources around the world, if they don't have it - they can get it. I found their staff to be charming and full of information. And they employ a number of craftsmen who have squeeze boxes in their DNA. A Chicago and global treasure. read more

I took my mom to Italo-American Accordion Mfg. Co., one day so she could meet the owner, Anne R. She was very charming, and yes she was very frank; however, what Italian isn't frank about what they feel -- especially coming from the old country? Well, Anne took good care of my mom, pulled out a huge accordion and began playing La Paloma, and Spanish Eyes. Mom was enchanted, and as we looked around for an accordion, I ended up purchasing one that was really beautiful; black with encrusted "diamonds" on it. I still have that accordion and now that Anne is no longer with us, I wonder what will happen to the place. I just know that I will definitely miss Anne and that she was a very hard-working individual, who had a lot of history behind her -- not just watching TV. From attending her wake on 1-11-17, I gathered that she was a music teacher, Admitting Clerk, Business woman, etc, etc, etc Simply admirable... especially seeing today's young generation, which wants to accomplish everything with the touch of a button on their Smart/ i Phones! May she RIP and may her music live forever in our hearts! read more

Nick V was very harsh on Italo-American, but I had a good experience there. I bought a left-hand strap and needed a repair, which they did on the spot. I didn't have to sob-story them or anything. Yes, the older woman speaks her mind and maybe shouldn't with strangers, but the bottom line is that I got good service. I wish they had a North Side branch because I would go there more often. read more

I bought a used accordion from Italo-American Accordion this week, and had a fantastic experience. The staff was friendly, patient and attentive. They were happy to let me try many models, they didn't seem to mind coming to attach straps several times to various accordions so I could try them. They were very knowledgeable and tried to find out what issues were most important to me, they didn't try to steer me into more expensive models that had features that weren't important to me. They spent a good amount of time finding a hard case that would have the best fit for my accordion. They tried to look up any history they could tell me about the used accordion I bought. After I bought it they brought it back into the shop to give it a quick tune-up. 'Poppy' could see I was interested in the inner workings, so he invited me back and gave me a quick overview. They invited me to come back and play something for them once I got the hang of it. The store was obviously a family business, and not a slick storefront. I hope they stay around for another 100 years!! read more

I recently purchased an Italo-American accordion from them. While in the shop, I played the instrument some, but didn't put it through its paces like I should have. Upon arrival back home (I live some 3+ hours away), I started playing the instrument and putting it through the paces and found some "sour" keys and bases. It was on Sunday that I sent an e-mail to them telling them about the problems and that I planned upon coming up on Tuesday when they opened so that they could help resolve the issue. I was told that if the instrument wasn't satisfactory and easily repaired, that I could exchange it for any of the other 4 instruments that I had contemplated before selecting the current instrument. Upon arrival on Tuesday, Pompi was courteous and very professional. He went through the instrument and corrected the problems, telling me what was going on each step of the way. In addition, there was something he wasn't satisfied with and wanted to take care of. He asked me if I had an hour or so that I could wait while he took care of the issue. Of course, I waited for that time period. I had brought some of my music with me so that I could play the instrument better than memorized music and really hit it. During this time, Pompi heard a few things he still didn't like and took back the instrument and fixed those things, too. Friendly, professional, and explained things to me very well as to what was going on and how the instrument works. I will go back to them again should the need arise. read more

My father passed away two ears ago, and upon liquidating the household, I came upon his beloved accordion. He hadn't played it in 20 yrs!! I looked up the company, Italo-American on the internet, then decided to place a call to get some info. At first the lady who answered the phone was a little curt with me, saying she got hundreds of calls every month from info seekers trying to find out what their accordion was worth. I didn;t let that stop me, but pursued conversation. I was delighted to learn that this lady was 80 some yrs. old and the wife of the former owner and master craftsman. She talked a good while, sharing her stories of starting the business with her husband and traveling all over the US to sell their accordions to music stores. When I gave her my location, she was able to pinpoint the two possible stores in our area where my Dad must have bought it back in the 1950's. Then I shared my Dad's story, of having a polka band with his four brothers in the 1940's, being forced to play for free, ONLY at his parents nightclub. When he (being the oldest) found them some paying gigs at other clubs, his father sold all the instruments!! Not until about ten years later, after WWII and finishing college, could he afford to buy his own accordion. Then he bought the best he could afford - an Italo-American! I really appreciated all the info provided. Knowing that this is a family business makes it all that more special! read more