One of my piano keys is making a loud note when played (louder than the rest) - I suspect there maybe some sort of dirt on the contact beneath the key- is there any way I can fix this myself rather than spend a fortune getting someone in?
This is a common problem with Yamaha keyboards. The problem is caused by worn-out rubber contacts in the keyboard assembly. In my old Clavinova CLP-500, there was one long rubber contact strip under the keys with two parallel strips of semiconductor material. The Clavinova circuitry determines key velocity by measuring the timing between when the key hits the first and second strips of semiconductor material. The harder you play a key, the less time it takes the key to hit the second semiconductor strip after hitting the first.
After years of playing the keyboard, the keys eventually cause tears in the semiconductor material and this messes up the timing measurement for key velocity. The only solution is to take the keyboard apart and replace the rubber contact strip with a new one.
I got rid of my CLP-500 four or five years ago and got a new CLP-170. The CLP-170 is now having exactly the same problem that the CLP-500 had. Yamaha has re-designed the rubber contacts in the CLP-170 so that there are now eight individual contact strips instead of one long one. The problem is essentially the same, though. You have to take the keyboard apart and replace the worn out rubber contacts.
Here are the part numbers for the rubber contacts that need to be replaced in the CLP-170:
V8286600 Rubber Contact, 12 keys, D-C# Qty. 6
V8286800 Rubber Contact, 11 keys, A-C# Qty. 1
V8286700 Rubber Contact, 5 keys, D-C Qty. 1
I suggest you also get a copy of the CLP-170 service manual, part number 001677. It has descriptions of all the steps necessary to take the thing apart and put it back together again. You'll also need a "rod" (which is just a long dowel), part number TX000670. Before you take the circuit boards off the keyboard assembly, you have to insert the dowel between the keys and the frame to keep the keys from falling back and getting in your way. A 5-foot long 1/4-inch dowel will probably work. (I haven't yet taken apart my CLP-170, and I don't have Yamaha's "rod," so I'm not sure if 1/4 inch is the right size or not. I'll report back here if it's not.)
Good luck,
Howard
As a Yamaha warranty service technician for over 10 years, I can assure you that WD40 is NEVER good for vinyl contacts and there is no semiconductor material, save for the diodes, on the key contact assembly. Take preceding advice with a grain of salt, there people seem to be quite ill-informed.
1) Clean the circuit board contacts under the keys (where the strip hits). Use wd-40 first (for possible rust), then soap and water (for sugars--don't soak the thing though), then follow up with rubbing alcohol (to remove moisture)
2) Replace the rubber strip. (You will need to order this part from a Yamaha dealer). I tried cleaning this, and was able to get every key working again (by themselves), but it the strip wears down and you will get random notes when you play CHORDS. Ended up having to replace it. Now its 100% working.
Sounds like the rubber contact underneath is worn out. You may check for Yamaha CLP-170 spare parts in this link:
Yamaha CLP 170 spare parts ArtAudioParts com
TORN RUBBER CONTACT,OR DUST, CLEAN OR REPLACE THE RUBBER CONTACT
Me too. I thing I have to open the piano somehow and clean something inside or under the keys
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I have the same problem just instead of one I got three notes that sound loud
I also have a few loud keys....sounds like a bad hammer hitting a string on a conventional piano. This situation just appeared after many years of playing the instrument with no problems. Do the weighted keys need some sort of periodic maintenance, and if so would this maintenance solve my loud key problem? Many thanks.
I have PSR 9000 in very good condition,but I have the same problem with one key,it sounds louder.It seems the dust or some kind of uncleaning problem.
Hi we have keys sticky and staying down on CLP170. Help with any ideas. contact Brian at [email protected]
Fixing a buddy's CLP-123 which has sat broken for years. Only half the keys actually worked. Same problem... I got the entire thing apart and cleaned the circuit board contacts with WD-40 and attempted to clean the rubber strip as well (with wd-40 again-- hey i'm cheap) but the cleaning did not help much on the rubber/silicone... I can still see it is imperfect. After my cleaning, however, only 8 keys fail to function... better than half not working, but if you can't get all of them, who cares anyway? on this model, you can turn the keyboard upside down once you take it out of the piano and you don't need a dowel, you can just remove the boards easily.
I think these rubber strips are meant to be replaced when they get bad... I'm not sure that any product could clean the one in this unit.
i have a portable yamaha keyboard, and the key when pressed has max volume over against the other keys. i then noted that yamaha uses rubber boots with contacks inside. so then i moved the rubber boot strips around and noted that the problem followed a given strip.
however i dont know if i can just buy new rubber strips.
I also have three notes that are bad, and one other is going. Use a philip's screwdriver to take it apart, that's what I'm doing.
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