Don Mannino

Don Mannino has always loved fixing things, his first job as a teenager was as a bicycle mechanic. After studying at San Diego State University as a piano performance major he became an apprentice at a local music store learning the craft of piano repair. In 1980 he established his own piano business servicing home pianos and restoring pianos in his shop.  He also worked for local music stores tuning their floor models, which he loved as he got to know most of the new pianos coming out. He has been providing training classes at the Piano Technician Guild’s meetings on action repair and many other topics for years, which he continues to do to this day. Don was hired by Kawai America in 1995 as the Director of Field Services. Don became the first American certified as a Kawai Master Piano Artisan. He retired from Kawai in November 2022.  Along the way, Don has created several tools to assist piano technicians in their work. These innovative products include the Mannino Broach Set and the Mannino String Hook.