About Us

A young German immigrant named Johann Jacob Klotz stepped on the docks of Philadelphia in 1743 and into a new life in America with his two sons. They settled in the heavily German Lutheran populated area of Piedmont North Carolina and became a part of the community. Over the next 190 years, the Klotz descendants served with the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, with the South in the Civil War and with the U.S. Army in World War I.

When the worst of the Great Depression swept the country in the early 1930s, a great-great-great grandson of Johann Jacob decided to start a piano rebuilding company to supplement his job with Southern Railroad. Elbert Kluttz founded Kluttz Piano Company in 1931.

Music always played a role in the family and now it would be shared with their friends and neighbors. Elbert and Addie Kluttz had two sons. Paul Lee and Ray, as co-owners, carried on the work after the death of their father in a train accident in 1950.

Today, a third generation of the Kluttz family proudly continues the tradition.

Jonathan Kluttz, son of Ray Kluttz, is president of the company and his brother, Banks Kluttz, is secretary-treasurer. Paul Kluttz, piano technician, is the son of Paul Lee Kluttz. Paul can perform every step of the piano repair process, working with the 88 keys, the 250 strings, with sometimes two or three to a key. 

Each of these three got an early start in the business.  They began working in the shop at Kluttz Piano, sweeping floors and other jobs, when they were young boys.

"These guys' capability is astounding ... their work is of the highest caliber. The place has the flavor of a working museum and what they turn out is absolutely stunning. They really know the technical side of piano restoration and how to bring an instrument into contemporary playing ability. Not many people can do this high-end work. My wife inherited a 1907 Chickering piano. Kluttz Piano came and picked it up, took it to Salisbury and made an inspection. They determined that the case was top quality mahogany but there was carving missing. The piano was worth salvaging and making playable. They took it apart, replicated carvings and trim that were missing and worked with me on the types of finishes.We have an absolutely stunning precision instrument that plays beautifully. I'm an engineer by training and they earned my respect. The piano is perfect and worth $30,000."

---Don Faulkner, Charlotte, NC