Kawai Digital Piano - disassembly and repair

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  • Опубликовано: 2 авг 2024
  • Over many years of use digital pianos tend to develop keys that sometimes don't play, or play at full volume. This can be simply fixed by cleaning the contacts that detect the key presses, the problem is getting access to those contacts. This video shows a Kawai CN23 digital piano being disassembled, the contact cleaned, and then the piano reassembled.

Комментарии • 187

  • @HarmenBrouwer
    @HarmenBrouwer 2 года назад +14

    Just wanted to say thanks and that based on this guide I repaired a Kawai CN24B and here are some findings for future reference:
    - Other models such as the CN24 have 3 contacts to clean underneath each rubber. Same steps apply, but pay attention to the orientation of the strips before pulling them all off!
    - Removing the piano case from its legs eventually proved optional for the CN24
    - The circuit boards with the rubber strips can be removed and attached much easier with the keyboard flipped vertically inside the case instead of upside down, there is much less pressure on the rubber pads.
    - It is possible to use a pencil on the contacts on both board and rubber, but I didn't test this extensively because I got tired of reassembling and ordered a replacement.
    - There is a definite trick to reattaching the rubber (or silicone?) strip without breaking the little round pins or losing your sanity. I used the smallest hex bit (inbus) on a miniature screwdriver set. Push each pin not straight but at a 45 degree angle then rotate the bit at 45 degrees all around, applying only a bit of pressure. Push it in vertically after every few rotations and repeat and it should pop through much easier. Do not force and do not use anything with any sharp edges. Repeat until each one just visibly protrudes a bit from the board.
    - To fully pull the rubber through, instead of tweezers you can gently rub a finger sideways over the protruding bits and let friction pull it the rest of the way through.
    - Do Not in Any Circumstance use an electric screwdriver to reattach the boards! You WILL over turn the screws and ruin the thread in the plastic bits they go into.
    So for me, cleaning (multiple times) eventually didn't work out. Each time a different set keys seemed to have problems. More findings concerning replacements:
    - The rubber strip replacement was discontinued in favor of the full 2 circuit boards including blue translucent strips. This board is called KKB-044
    www.synth-parts.com/produkte/gehaeuse-baugruppen/baugruppen-gross/6413/kawai-rh88b-pwb-assy-kkb-044-2
    - There are two versions of this board and both apply to a number of models, choose according to the compatibility list.
    - This replacement board does NOT have the "comedy error" connector so at this point 06:40 it is just left dangling. Indeed the power light on the front doesn't work but all buttons on the sides are fine. There is nowhere to attach it so I'm not sure if it is a manufacturing error or intentional to make the board compatible with more models🤔. Anyway I can live with it, there is another power light on the top as well.
    Hope this helps someone in the future. It is more of an investment but now the piano has gone from unusable and unsellable to at least this investment worth again. in general I much rather repair something than discard it and contribute to the big electronics rubbish pile.

  • @olivierguillotte7258
    @olivierguillotte7258 4 года назад +8

    in most cases it's not enough. Easy but not enough. And worse, more keys can not even work after. The very best thing to do is to use Loctite 3863, wich is a silver varnish, and to paint (3 layers is nice) the little black graphit contacts in the rubbers. You can see him erase them at 4'51, but if there is no enough graphit on them the contacts will not be good and it will result in velocity differences between your keys or keys not working, as I said before. Trust me, after doing that on my keyboard, I recovered a new one ! And one more thing : it's valid on ALL keybeds because they always use similar rubbers

  • @leporellothegoldfinch
    @leporellothegoldfinch Год назад +1

    Thank you so much for this video. I have a Kawai CN 34 whose action has been breaking in irregular intervals for years, and your video is the one I look up when I try to remember how to take this hellish piece of gear apart. Kawai really are masters of planned obsolescence, and I swear this will be my first and last instrument of theirs.

  • @robertjkirk1
    @robertjkirk1 5 лет назад +8

    Hi John - thanks very much for this great tutorial. I fixed the piano with my son - your video gave us the confidence to take on the job. We got a bit stuck on re-assembly, forgot to put the contact strips under the plastic locators, but after playing the video back we could see where we'd gone wrong. The piano works fine now, thanks for your help.

  • @sophieferry2575
    @sophieferry2575 5 месяцев назад

    Un grand merci John. Votre tuto est vraiment parfait. Grâce à celui-ci nous avons pu aisément réparer une touche qui ne fonctionnait plus. En effet les salissures étaient en cause. Recevez toute notre gratitude 🙏

  • @EdTravelingEast
    @EdTravelingEast 4 года назад +2

    I typically don't leave comments, but this video was a life saver! Middle C went out on Kawai CN25R, I followed the instructions, although not for an identical model it worked for me. Word of caution, be super careful with the cables that connect the two digital boards, I'd doubt you could move them more than a few times before breaking a connection.

  • @NimbusNox
    @NimbusNox 3 года назад +3

    Just the info I've been looking for!! You're a godsend.
    Mine's had this problem for a while now, been waiting for someone who's a little more confident taking this model apart than I am so I know how to put it all back together!
    Thanks mate

  • @user-em7bl6nk7z
    @user-em7bl6nk7z 5 лет назад +1

    Thanks a lot! I repaired my Kawai CN37 using this tutorial. One key (G#4) was sustained without the pedal pressed. Swapping rubber contacts fixed the problem.

  • @anfractuousAlchemist
    @anfractuousAlchemist 4 года назад +5

    A big thank you to John Holcroft -- following this I was able to repair my Kawai CN34, where a few keys were usually making no sound. It was a little bit trickier, as the green cables joining the keyboard to the rest of the electronics also go through a "ferrite noise suppressor", a little plastic box, that needed to be opened. Once that was done though, I followed the disassembly and cleaning, and all the notes are playing again. Thank you!

    • @ds61821
      @ds61821 2 года назад

      I hope I can to do is well as you. The occasional dead note but then later the same note would sound much louder than the other notes. This video was spot on for me. But I don't know how the dust and dirt even hair got under there in the first place.

  • @filippocaccialupi1581
    @filippocaccialupi1581 6 месяцев назад

    usually I don't make any comment to videos BUT you really saved my life!!! I had the volume bar full of Pine needles of the christmas tree and I was desperate. but 2 hours and tons of screw after I MADE IT!!! thank you very very much!! i guess with the assistance it will cost me around 100€...(or more depends on how much they would have lied)

  • @jenspetterabrahamsen9333
    @jenspetterabrahamsen9333 4 года назад

    Thanks a lot! I've been everywhere looking for a repairman, but no such luck. This video gave me the confidence to try myself. I've got the CA-65, which was actually easier, as I did not have to remove the keyboard to access the sensors.

  • @probole1
    @probole1 7 лет назад

    Thank you, John. I simply used a piece of dry kleenex and it worked on my Casio Privia 350M. Next time I' m going to use an electrical contact spray restorer. All tips are welcome.
    Ciao da Venezia.

  • @wardropper
    @wardropper 4 года назад

    Excellent video. I had this problem with an old Roland digital piano and sort of fixed it along these lines, but your instructions are very clear and helpful. Thank you.

  • @jonesthephones
    @jonesthephones 2 года назад +1

    Thanks so much, John. I'm an experienced piano-tuner, but have ventured into repairing digital piano only occaskeys producing ionally.
    As you rightly say, getting at the offending contacts is the tricky bit. I just repaired a very heavily used KAWAI CA500 which had the B next to Middle C not sounding at all and several notes producing incorrect volumes. While the lid was off, I replaced a felt strip and made some adjustments to key operations, to quieten them down and to ensure consistency of respective note volumes.
    Result: Digi-Piano that cost just £40 is probably now worth 5 times that price . Thanks.

  • @geoiel65
    @geoiel65 5 лет назад +2

    Fantastic video! Thank you so much! I used a toothpick that was a bit dull to reinstall the rubber bits. Fixed my 5 very loud keys. Thanks again!

  • @emilyg897
    @emilyg897 2 месяца назад

    THANK YOU for this!! It took 3 rounds of taking my Kawai 130 apart and putting it back together again, but I was able to fix it and it sounds great now.

  • @bcutter0.515
    @bcutter0.515 4 года назад

    thanks so much for this! my yamaha clp-645 was having problems with keys playing at full volume. this tutorial worked well enough for me to fix my yamaha, even though some things inside were a bit different. thank you again, it saved me 200-300 dollars that it would have cost to have a professional repair it.

  • @nikkitytom
    @nikkitytom 4 года назад +3

    Damn ... you are so good and so clear with your instructions that I'm eying my Kawai CN 32 and debating whether I can do this myself. It's 2 am and I'm a senior over 70. No local repairmen here in Honolulu. But my music and piano are my life. I'll sleep on it and watch this wonderful clip again tomorrow. You are GOOD! 👍

    • @anfractuousAlchemist
      @anfractuousAlchemist 4 года назад +1

      And? Did you dare? Did it turn out? I found it strenuous (a lot of crouching around) but it turned out well!

  • @fabianramirez3222
    @fabianramirez3222 4 года назад

    Thanks for the video. I had 1 muted key and was able to "repair" it using a hair dryer on cool air and blowing the dust between de keys without disassemble, but it only worked during some days. It is definitely advisable to make a proper cleaning when this happens.

  • @alexanderwashofsky855
    @alexanderwashofsky855 4 месяца назад

    Thank you for this video. I used it to take apart my CN25R fix a stuck key, and this was supremely helpful!

  • @douglasmelville8938
    @douglasmelville8938 4 года назад

    Thanks man, I would have given up at some simple hurdles but your video showed me how easy it was. Problem fixed!

  • @bettyriley7295
    @bettyriley7295 5 месяцев назад

    I know this was posted a long time ago, but I still want to say thanks for this video. It helped me fix my squeaky keys on my piano.

  • @DavePawson
    @DavePawson 4 года назад

    Excellent, thanks. Very clear. Hoping I can use it as the basis for my CA67!

  • @anniezhou8559
    @anniezhou8559 Год назад +1

    You’re awesome John! That is exactly the tutorial I needed to take the pencil out of the digital piano. Thanks soooo much!!!!!!👍👍👍👍

  • @catherinesarah5831
    @catherinesarah5831 3 года назад

    Thank you so much for this video. I had to change the power supply connector and found your video really handy in getting into the insides. I had started in the wrong place until I was lead to check your video out 🙏

  • @geu6270
    @geu6270 2 года назад +2

    Thanks for this great video on doing this repair with the ES8 !!!!!
    One note, I don't think you want to over rub (you certainly did not over do it) the graphite composite tops on the contacts someone (Oli) said as it will damage them and all the sudden the damaged keys will play louder than the rest. I do not know for sure but see Oivier's comment below.

  • @erwannc3005
    @erwannc3005 4 года назад

    Thank you. I was able to cleaned mine after seeing you disassemble it.

  • @Garinioss
    @Garinioss Год назад

    If a note still muted, even despite having cleaned the contact rubbers, personally something that helped me was to scratch the part where it makes contact with a pencil. This completely fixed it in my case. Of course, you also have to verify that everything is clean and connected. Greetings!

  • @bruceyoung7821
    @bruceyoung7821 5 лет назад +9

    Not the same model, but I believe I could clean mine as well. Thank you.

  • @Phantawalker
    @Phantawalker 5 лет назад

    Thank You very much!!!!! You saved my piano) My kawai kdp-90 arrived with some mechanical noise from two keys. But now its work perfectly, your video hepls a lot!

  • @SixWatt
    @SixWatt 10 месяцев назад

    Thank you for the guidance, I had a bunch of keys on my RockJam Xfinity that didn’t work and now it’s as good as new!

  • @ds61821
    @ds61821 2 года назад

    This is exactly my issue and why I looked for such a video as yours.

  • @julioocesarmolina
    @julioocesarmolina 2 года назад

    You saved me a ton of time. Very thorough!

  • @gatosupersayayinp9484
    @gatosupersayayinp9484 5 лет назад +3

    Thanks so much! It was so helpful to repair my kawai CN24

  • @marchcomposer2257
    @marchcomposer2257 3 года назад +6

    This is exactly the information I was looking for, John! Thank you so much! Kawai piano that plays some keys very loud.

  • @24gatesisawanker
    @24gatesisawanker Год назад

    Thanks John , I am now about to dismantle my Kawaii CN37B with your help . Wish me luck.

  • @Pippippipvk
    @Pippippipvk Год назад

    Thanks to this Video I was able to take apart my CN43, altought must admit getting the display and sound buttons of the Keys was a pain in the ass ^^

  • @IPsyChARTz
    @IPsyChARTz 4 года назад

    Thank you!!! My epiano is working now. You made my day

  • @bennestecher4046
    @bennestecher4046 2 года назад

    Thanks for sharing this video! I've just dissembled my Kawai ES7 for the very first time. My b1-key has been brought back to life! Yet, I must have messed up some other contacts while reassembling. Some of the keys which used to work are dead now... Nonetheless, I know what to do now:)

  • @yukicanchibi
    @yukicanchibi 3 года назад

    Thank you SO much for the vid. Saved my kawai after 2. Touch.

  • @MrGrauz
    @MrGrauz 3 года назад

    Great video. Thank you for giving me this "insight"! 😁👍

  • @FArshMuser
    @FArshMuser 7 лет назад

    Thank you. Got my problem fixed.

  • @user-fq1uc9jh9b
    @user-fq1uc9jh9b 4 года назад

    I fixed my CS3! Thanks a lot!!!

  • @TomEC5000
    @TomEC5000 2 года назад

    Thank you so much, it was so helpful although my CN34 looks a little different inside ( cables)

  • @didgeridoo5
    @didgeridoo5 3 года назад

    I followed this video to the letter to recondition my kawai cn23 and replaced the cpu board as well as the rubber contacts and the rubber contact boards with new parts from W D Greenhill & Co Ltd as well as replacing the two headphone jacks. The piano was working fine before I dismantled it but when I put it back together the keys would not produce sound although the demo and everything else works. I have made sure all wires are connected

  • @bennorth5906
    @bennorth5906 3 года назад

    This was very useful - thank you!

  • @NirmalenduPaul
    @NirmalenduPaul 5 лет назад +1

    Thank you.. that was really helpful.

  • @4cpus4me
    @4cpus4me 7 лет назад

    Excellent tutorial.

  • @jonathanshrago17
    @jonathanshrago17 10 месяцев назад

    Hi John, thanks for this. I think I'l try this with my CA67 🎹

  • @uniqueaerialvideoltd2863
    @uniqueaerialvideoltd2863 5 месяцев назад

    Thanks John.

  • @razvandobai2264
    @razvandobai2264 4 года назад

    Thanks alot! Worked for kawai cn25 too

    • @razvandobai2264
      @razvandobai2264 Год назад

      2 years later came back for the same thing 😂 thanks again

  • @didgeridoo5
    @didgeridoo5 2 года назад

    Adding to my comment of 1 year ago I found out the reason why my Kawai would not go and it was because of the re-assembly on my part which was not being careful enough following the instructions. Great video thanks to you the piano is like new.

    • @MeLSL1
      @MeLSL1 2 года назад

      Hi Mike. I have the same problem after trying this fix. None of the keys make a sound but the demo and metronome are fine. Can you share how you fixed it?

    • @didgeridoo5
      @didgeridoo5 2 года назад

      @@MeLSL1 Hi Mel, if you go to section 6.30 min,. and look by his thumb you will see a row of little white T shaped holders and when I screwed the board back down my problem was I screwed the board down on top of the white fittings which did not allow the keys to connect to the rubbers. You will see that the board has got to clip into those white T shaped fittings which will allow the keys to connect. I hope this works for you. Cheers Mike

    • @SivakumarReddyPraSid
      @SivakumarReddyPraSid 2 года назад

      Good pointer. I was scratching my head until I patiently scrolled through the messages and saw yours. Got it all working except for the first 5 keys on the left which were working before. I’ll have a look them tomorrow.

  • @energizer2002
    @energizer2002 3 года назад +1

    Thank you very much, John! This video helped me to fix my Kawai CN-29

    • @gotex6639
      @gotex6639 Год назад

      You already have to repair your cn29? I can’t decide to buy the Yamaha ydp 165 or the kawai cn29

    • @energizer2002
      @energizer2002 Год назад

      @@gotex6639 If you ask me, I would choose Kawai.

    • @gotex6639
      @gotex6639 Год назад

      Thank you for the fast response! Can you tell me why the kawai? Is it true that the keyboard is smoother?

    • @energizer2002
      @energizer2002 Год назад

      @@gotex6639 Because of the sound. If you try to play Yamaha and Kawai, you will hear Kawai sounds much more acoustic. And yes, the keyboard itself is nicer.

  • @peterduxbury927
    @peterduxbury927 4 года назад

    John, we all make a few 'mistakes' when pulling things apart, and you are genuine and honest. You did a great job in highlighting the fact that (when any Key is pressed), the air which is trapped INSIDE of the rubber Membrane Contact is expelled. When the same Key is released, the rubber Membrane Contact draws in air. Any dirt or loose particles around the base of each membrane (88 of these),will cause contamination of the electrical signals. Today, I have also stripped down a Roland HP 3000S with a similar problem, ie; Six Keys are completely dead! I wanted to say that the Roland has identical Rubber Membrane Contacts, but there is one major difference. If you examine the top of the rubber membrane, you only see the TWO hollow bores, on the Kawai membrane. On a Roland, there are the same pair of hollow bores - in a north-south line. Also on the Roland, there is also a pair of tiny holes - on the east-west plane, and I can only assume from this, that Roland had decided to place "breathing holes" at the top of each membrane for improved cleanliness. I have learnt things from watching your vid. You use a rubber eraser to clean the PCB contacts, where I have always used Methylated Spirit. I will try this. Underneath the Keys, you will see many diodes. My first job was to check the diodes on the non-functioning Keys. All were OK. Many people wouldn't even consider stripping-down their electric piano, mine is worthless, so nothing is lost! At least I will get rid of 30 years of Crud and filth around those 88 contacts. You did a great job. Greetings from Sydney Australia.

  • @indigo1308
    @indigo1308 5 лет назад +2

    Hi John. Thanks for this great video! Helped me to fix the middle C key on my Kawai C-34.

    • @peterschultze9124
      @peterschultze9124 Год назад

      I have to replace an A key on my Kawai ES-1? Go for it? Was this difficult? Thanks!

    • @indigo1308
      @indigo1308 Год назад

      @@peterschultze9124 Hi. Thanks to the vido it was fairlyeasy. Go ahead!

    • @MulleDK19
      @MulleDK19 8 месяцев назад

      How did you remove the top cover. If I remove the 4 top screws, the cover try to pull the back plate with it.

    • @MulleDK19
      @MulleDK19 8 месяцев назад

      Nevermind, it was just sticking. Brute force was the answer.

    • @MulleDK19
      @MulleDK19 8 месяцев назад

      Well, a bigger problem is that the metal railing is overlapping the long PCBs, so I can't turn them over

  • @necromancer8385
    @necromancer8385 2 года назад

    I have a CN27 and it developed these faults after a few months. It was repaired under warranty but a few months down the line needs repairing again. It's been months now and parts are not available. I may try and cleaning it myself as per your excellent video but obviously voiding my warranty. I personally will not touch a Kawai again.

  • @JoanDiaz1948
    @JoanDiaz1948 5 лет назад

    Muchisimas gracias,

  • @birdycam3612
    @birdycam3612 Год назад

    Thank you, very useful

  • @TC-jz7sp
    @TC-jz7sp 4 года назад

    Thanks for making this video, it really helped. But just a question, can the grey rubber strips be washed?

  • @00ddvw
    @00ddvw 3 года назад

    John, thanks for the detailed and methodical instructions. BUT- could you have avoided removing the last PCB (with the contacts to clean) by simply removing the banks (octaves?) of keys as needed? I have just one loud key, and I'm hoping to minimize my intrusions to clean that one key pad.

  • @raoulstogaus399
    @raoulstogaus399 Год назад

    Hi John, inspired my your wonderful video, I tackled my Kawai which had keys that do not sound. After cleaning them, the some of the keys still did not work, so I cleaned the contacts again and they still do not work. Can you please tell what I can do next ?

  • @szatanica1
    @szatanica1 5 лет назад +3

    After how long did you first experience problmes with the piano?

  • @freedomdst
    @freedomdst 5 лет назад

    i was pressed on key too strong and now it doesnt seem to come back and fails to make a sound sometimes, when i press it too hard, ill try to disassembly it and see if this helps, its kind of a new piano, only had 1 year of use from an old lady who was learning, and new model the CN-37, i played my CN-24 for a year, and had like 2 years from a "pro" player and no issues.

  • @dilokkrab
    @dilokkrab 8 дней назад

    Thank you so much.

  • @nightdogggg
    @nightdogggg 5 лет назад +1

    can you help with how to remove the cover on a kawai mp 370 digital piano.? it looks like hinges but will not budge.

  • @pixyk335
    @pixyk335 3 года назад

    Thank you!

  • @leninnavarrete2502
    @leninnavarrete2502 3 года назад

    Thank's Brother 🎸🥳🎹🎹🎹👍

  • @EEKZNTBMZGYG
    @EEKZNTBMZGYG 3 года назад

    thank you very very much, i got away with getting it fixed 🙏

  • @TynesStudios
    @TynesStudios 5 месяцев назад

    I too thank you for this and it makes me ask a related but not specifically related question. We have a 206 and it's started to making a popping sound through the speakers - usually when it is just left on and idle for a bit. Sometimes the sound will go out entirely. But if we restart it, sometimes it will come back, sometimes not. Any ideas about how and where to repair. Parts availability for these keyboards? Should we reach out to Kawai - it's maybe 15 years old or more.

  • @pp_cooper2070
    @pp_cooper2070 2 года назад

    Thank you

  • @keemagngarayngay272
    @keemagngarayngay272 4 года назад

    Hello John I hope you can help me, is there a way to adjust key spacing for Kawai ES110? I just purchased 1 and it was almost perfect aside from key spacing.

  • @jonos138
    @jonos138 2 года назад

    Brilliant. This is one worry I have about purchasing. How long had you had it before it needed this maintenance? Is this the kdp120 or cn29?

  • @JoshPozziArtist
    @JoshPozziArtist 3 года назад +1

    I’m trying to take the top cover off my KDP80 and I took the 4 screws off but it’s not pulling forward. Don’t want to break it does anyone know if there are extra screws?

  • @simonstahli1536
    @simonstahli1536 6 лет назад

    Really useful video! I have a Kawai CS3 and would love to add a ‘line in’ port to it. Any ideas how that might be accomplished?

    • @szatanica1
      @szatanica1 5 лет назад

      If you get your hands on electronic schematics and know how to soder then you can try and do it yourself:) Check out electonic geeks on YT for reference, I’m sure there will be plenty of those to consult.

  • @TerryWong12345
    @TerryWong12345 4 года назад

    I need to make sure I watch this video 3 timees before I do it myself

  • @johnholcroft74
    @johnholcroft74  4 года назад +34

    Two years on from making this video I found more keys were failing. I followed the steps in this video but that didn't completely fix them. The problem wasn't dirt but that the rubber contacts weren't fully working. I think the contacts on the rubber wear away slowly over time. I replaced them and it snapped back into life. I got my replacement rubber contacts for about £10 per strip of 12 from the UK supplier WD Greenhill: www.wdgreenhill.com

    • @peterduxbury927
      @peterduxbury927 4 года назад +1

      That's very valuable information, and I have taken details, should I need them. Thanks again.

    • @jaimerivera2545
      @jaimerivera2545 3 года назад

      Thanks for the video!
      Do you know where I can get the amplifier board? My Kawai needs one, it is just like yours

    • @TimSoriano
      @TimSoriano 3 года назад

      thanks for the link Bud, i have a 2yr old ES110 recently got ants inside and cant seem to find a replacement contact

    • @ds61821
      @ds61821 2 года назад

      Sorry to hear this. I've not yet tried to repair mine per your video. If you have the rubber replacement part number that would be useful for us in the States should we want to clean and replace in the same operation. Thanks.

    • @gaikwadsantosh1288
      @gaikwadsantosh1288 2 года назад

      My kawai cn22 dig piano sound sudden low not working full sound just playing litle bit .so plz let me know any one wht i do ?

  • @LouveniaMusic
    @LouveniaMusic 5 лет назад

    Will this work for keys that randomly go out of tune too? It’s so frustrating! I have a Kawai Digita Piano 260. It’s pretty old.

  • @PeaceNinja007
    @PeaceNinja007 4 года назад

    I have some keys developing scratches for some reason. Do I have to disassemble everything to replace just the keytops??

  • @Derikrecords
    @Derikrecords 8 месяцев назад

    I have this kawai. but the right channel works quietly on the speaker outside and in headphones. what is the problem? Maybe somehow you can adjust the balance using hidden buttons? Thanks

  • @peterduxbury927
    @peterduxbury927 4 года назад +1

    I wrote four days ago, but I wanted to add that I encountered another problem as to the reason why I had six (6) 'dead' keys on my Roland 3000S piano. I followed John's advice, but I still had those 'dead' keys! I discovered (by electrical tests) that parts of the PCB copper tracks had gone 'open circuit'. This required the use of an Oscilloscope and DMM to precisely pinpoint where these 'breaks' in the PCB were located. In order to restore functionality of these 'dead' keys, I soldered wires across the 'breaks' in the Circuit Board. The main point here, is that I discovered that the damage to the PCB had been caused by Citric Acid - from spilled drinks that went down between the piano keys. Surprisingly, the citric acid had penetrated the varnish coating which had been applied to the PCB during manufacture. Examination of the copper track in the affected area revealed that the copper had "corroded away to dust" or an oxide. Should anyone decide to strip their electric piano and follow John's lead, I would strongly advise that you also check your PCB. This should be an iridescent green all over the PCB. If you see any 'dark' or black patches on your PCB, that you cannot remove from the surface, it is highly likely that this is acid attack, beneath the PCB varnish / laquer and will result in eventual failure. I think that the technical name for this failure is Galvanic Corrosion, since it is not just the acid, but the low voltage which does the damage. I got this beautiful piano for free, as the previous owner had 'given up' on it. It is now my pride & joy and works perfectly.

    • @johnholcroft74
      @johnholcroft74  4 года назад

      Congratulations Peter, that was some brilliant investigation and repair. And good advice for anyone looking to repair their piano.

    • @peterduxbury927
      @peterduxbury927 4 года назад +1

      @@johnholcroft74 Hi John, I am a retired Plant Engineer, and my greatest 'hobby' of all, has been to study Electronics since age 14. I felt a compulsion to write within your YT Vid, which was the first(and last) one that I viewed, with regards to this subject matter. I thought that your YT Vid, your explanation of the "breathing effect" on the rubber membranes - really opened my eyes, as I had never considered this at all! At the point that I first saw your Vid, I decided to look closely at the rubber membranes across the 1400mm width of my Roland HP 3000S. It was on close examination, that I discovered the reason why Roland had appeared to attempt a design mod in an effort to overcome this phenomena of the 'breathing effect. Two holes right on the top of the membrane! Rubber membrane tends to adhere at base to the PCB and seal (mine did). I held a section of this membrane up to sunlight, and I can confirm that the rubber membrane 'breathes' through the top. I think that it is a brilliant and simple idea, because the pair of 'breathing holes' prevent each section of the rubber membrane from going into any stress, due to a (partial ) vacuum, and moreover, any membrane cell will instantly recover from any Key Press, whereas the membrane WITHOUT those 'breathing holes will still have a partial vacuum, and would be slower to reform. And (if the membrane has not recovered from the first Key Press), and then you rapidly hit the same key again, the distance between the plastic note key and the top of the rubber membrane would be slightly different. Therefore the time duration of the note and also the impact between Key and Membrane would be different. I believe that this was the Primary Reason that Roland to bore those 'Breathing holes' into the tops of every membrane cell, for all 88 Keys. All of this information is already known to Roland, and (in their striving for perfection) - they would have Lab- detected these slight differences - and overcome them with the redesign of the membrane to include those breathing holes. Would you ever consider taking off the whole Rubber Membrane, of your Kawai, and (somehow) place perfect matching-holes in the Rubber Membrane - and then refit? It could make a brilliant follow-up Vid for you, and benefit anyone who wanted to do it. BTW, I did follow your VId. I marked and then removed every section of the Rubber Membrane. Then, using clear Methylated Spirit, I set about wiping clean, the whole inside of the membrane cell, and its' Carbon Pad. Then the same again with the Circuit Board Pads. I re-assembled the Membranes and then pressed the non-working keys. My heart sank, as the 'dead' keys remained 'dead'. I then determined that this was a faulty electronics issue! As I carried out my tests, the feed to each of the 88 Keys is 4.94 VDC. I discovered that this 4.94VDC voltage wasn't present on the non-working keys! And from there, the circuit board had to be traced for open-circuit condition. When I discovered this cause - I just had to write and help some poor soul who loves his fine electric piano, and (perhaps) help him to fix those bum notes! Also to see the 'warning signs' for circuit board damage - due to spilled drinks. Sorry for this very lengthy email and my thoughts. Finally, I am so happy, coupled with a 'smug' feeling that I now have a very fine Roland Electric Piano. Sadly, many of these end-up in Landfill for these types of Key Fault issues. I do appreciate you and your work in helping others. Thanks for the congratulations, Greetings from a UK expat living in Sydney.

  • @thesnailonthewhale4876
    @thesnailonthewhale4876 3 года назад

    What stage would you need to get to to remove coins that have dropped between the keys?

  • @nickpritchard7130
    @nickpritchard7130 3 года назад

    Hi John, I have a question: I have purchased a Kawai MR270 and it makes a background hissing noise which gets loader when i turn the volume up. Do you have any suggestions on how i can fix this problem? Thanks for posting this vid. Very interesting stuff.

  • @essamusica
    @essamusica 4 года назад

    Hi. Does this tutorial to the Kawai E6? Thank you!!!

  • @uraldamasis6887
    @uraldamasis6887 2 года назад

    Is the process similar for cheaper hammer-weighted digital pianos? Or does it really depend on the model?

  • @mpiimaabbas9080
    @mpiimaabbas9080 3 года назад

    I don't know if I can fix my keyboard psr 185 with some of the steps

  • @JoeLinux2000
    @JoeLinux2000 3 года назад

    Sounds like one of William Gillock's musical compositions.

  • @Beefeater911
    @Beefeater911 9 месяцев назад +1

    Do you know where I can buy the silicone rubber conductor pads? It’s a Kawai PN 100. It’s old. Most of the keys won’t play. I tried the pencil lead trick, but it didn’t help. I think I used the wrong cleaner, and messed up the old pads. I can’t find replacements anywhere!

  • @marjoleinvanvliet-jw1yv
    @marjoleinvanvliet-jw1yv Год назад

    Hi there! I’ve done this last weekend (before seeing the video), since there was juice spilled on the piano. I cleaned the circuit board with acetone and decided to also clean the keys and underneath since it became really dirty and in the damaged spot some didn’t work and some were really loud..
    Now after I put it together, all the keys only respond when I press them really hard. Any idea where the fault could be??? I’d really be helped with some advice :)

  • @Head4heightstreesurgeryUk
    @Head4heightstreesurgeryUk 3 месяца назад

    nice one! I have the same piano with an annoyingly lazy G key! Cheers :)

  • @debrucey
    @debrucey Год назад

    Any idea what might be causing the problem if the keys occasionally sustain randomly as if the pedal is pressed? I’m very familiar with the sticky key issue but I’ve never encountered this problem before

  • @peterschultze9124
    @peterschultze9124 Год назад

    I have to replace an A key on my Kawai ES-1? Go for it? I hope it's simple compared to what you've done here. Thanks!

  • @zinodz2
    @zinodz2 2 года назад

    My one left speaker is not playing any sound any suggest what I should look out for when opening it up.

  • @tebzmak87
    @tebzmak87 4 года назад

    Does this apply even with my Yamaha P70?

  • @jvicmag764
    @jvicmag764 Год назад

    first, thanks for the video. what a help.
    i have a kawai model CN33R and need to replace the contacts on one octave of keys. kawai will not sell parts to the general public, albeit, i have found quite a few people selling contacts for kawai digital pianos.
    my question to you (since neither the kawai support nor their service departments would tell me) is: are the contacts interchangeable across the model lines?
    the ones for sale look like the ones on my piano.
    any help you can give is greatly appreciated. thank you.

  • @davidbee8178
    @davidbee8178 7 лет назад

    Hello John - VERY informative video, thank you. I have a two month young ES8 "portable" keyboard (Kawai SAYS it's portable but it's a bit of a beast to carry : ) I am just wondering if you might have an idea where a slight "clicking" sound is coming from while playing the WHITE keys (all black keys are fine) from 3C all the way to 4 C - I brought it to a Kawai tech under warranty - he lubed all 88 keys but was not able to make the clicking go away. According to a picture I took, it looks like there is a circuit board in the area of 3C to maybe 5 C - just wondering if PART of the key mechanisms are coming into slight contact with the printed circuit board. You can't really hear this clicking when either the speakers are on or wearing headphones BUT since 76 keys are SILENT then the 12 that are clicking are clearly not "normal" and that kinda bothers me since it's pretty new. Any ideas ? Thanks!

    • @johnholcroft74
      @johnholcroft74  7 лет назад

      Hi David, I'm not sure I can say much more than you have already worked out. As you don't hear the clicking through the speakers or head phones it seems to be a mechanical sound rather than an electronic one. If it is only on one set of keys then I would look for a loose fitting in that banks of keys.

    • @davidbee8178
      @davidbee8178 7 лет назад

      Very nice of you to respond John and yes you are definitely right about the noise being mechanical as it is easiest to hear with the ES8 switched off. Action, touch and sound on all keys are just fine BTW . Actually a clue might be found in that (if the ES8's keys are simulating "let-off" in an acoustic piano) the noise occurs only at key RELEASE, predominately in the 3C to 4C octave with the odd noisy key here and there up to 6C. NO noise below 3C and higher than 6C. So you might say the middle third of the keyboard is affected with this minor gremlin that frankly is not audible when playing but its the old fly in the ointment thing that bothers you just because you know that it's there : ) Thanks again John!

    • @MisterMusicarta
      @MisterMusicarta 2 года назад

      @@davidbee8178 Bet it's the springs. Try taking them off and putting them back on the other way up.

  • @jeanleonard6873
    @jeanleonard6873 5 лет назад +2

    Thanks for your tutorial ; is it applicable to a Kawai ES8 as well ? thank you

    • @anto8222
      @anto8222 4 года назад +1

      hi, did you solved the problem ? in my first es8 some notes sometimes went at full volume... the seller replaced it with a new one, after a few months i have the same problem

  • @Melviora
    @Melviora 6 лет назад

    I hope most weighted 88 keyboards have the same structure :/

  • @audunjemtland8287
    @audunjemtland8287 4 года назад

    what makes the contact points be conductive?

  • @ccavinod
    @ccavinod Год назад

    I own Kawai cl26 it has stopped producing sound it switches on if i switch on it after a few days then it works fine for 2-3 minutes and again no sound. does it have a motherboard problem?

  • @rojoman246
    @rojoman246 2 года назад

    I've tried this method on a Kawai CN27 and nothing improved, there are around 4 keys in the 4th octave that are not working as they should. What could be the problem?