have a new Yamaha P-71 and using it as a controller to compose on for hours everyday and in a few months it's already wearing the felts down and hurting my hands/tendons! they put cheap thin felts in these days on cheaper keyboards! funny as I thinking a soft rubber like weather stripping my work better! glad I'm not alone. now just have to see if I can get stuff that has the right thickness or can stick on to of left layer that's already there. too bad as the action is perfect, but the hard stop for playing in louder velocities is really dangerous!
Did you make a video on the tunning of the drop keys? I have one key dropped and before fiddleling with it would be great to watch some videos on the kawai pianos fixes! Thank for this advice
Isaac mondragon No video of that. Sorry... The dropped keys are repaired by simply replacing a tiny little Kawai factory sticky rubbery/plastic pad that you buy in bulk, that sticks to the key. These flatten out over time. It’s just a little rectangular pad with a peel-off backing, about the size of a Tic-Tac candy, but it’s rectangular and flat...
Are you familiar with the pn80 models? I believe they have the weighted keys. I have 1 and a few keys are sticking and art responsive. I would appreciate any advice that you can give me I can't find the service manual for this model. Hope you have a Merry Christmas thank you
Hello, how have you been able to remove the old strip? Mine seems quite difficult to remove. Have you removed the top of the strip leaving some glue and putting the new one on top of the old glue ? Or you cleaned with acetone ?
I am the original owner of a Kawai PN300 with weighted keys (late '90s model). Due to sticking keys after a long period of storage I am attempting the first repair this piano has ever had. In opening it up, the piece on the back rail looks to be identical to what is shown in the video (except the yellowed strip is only about a quarter inch wide and looks more like foam than "felt"). Steve H, if you're still monitoring the video comments here are my questions: 1) Is foam weather stripping sufficient? (My local hardware stores don't carry the size shown in the video so I purchased 3/4" wide, 1/8" thick weather stripping on Amazon - which turns out to be a black "high density foam". When I look at the video it looks as if you are using something different. Can you be more specific about what kind of weather stripping you used (or whether it is possible to substitute)? 2) Also from the looks of it 3/4" wide is too wide. Did you end up cutting yours down or did you have enough room in the back rail to accommodate a 3/4 wide strip? (It's hard to tell from the video but the question relates to the observation that it looks like what you changed out is similar to mine - less than 1/2" wide.) 3) From the outset, my piano, which had been a showroom floor model, had noisy action, which I assumed was normal at the time. Now that I see how flattened/worn out it is, my question is whether replacing this back-rail strip is *also* going to cut down on the knocking sound that the keys themselves make? 4) Upon disassembly I see a white grease between the keys, some of which has migrated to the felt pads direct under the front of the keys. I'm thinking loss of lubricant could *also* be the reason why some of the keys aren't returning ("sticking"). Problem is, I don't know what kind of grease Kawai uses to lube their keys. Surprisingly, however, the topic of lubing digital piano keys doesn't come up much in a search, hence my last question concerns whether grease can or should be considered when sticking keys are a problem. In summary, my Kawai digital piano is currently in pieces pending whether or not to use the "high-density foam" weather stripping and in effort to track down the correct grease. Any input on these questions would be welcome. Thanks!
News View ... No problem... To your questions: #1) & #2) Not knowing your model piano, I can’t say for sure about measurements, but I can tell you that I didn’t have to cut anything, except overall length of course. 4 years later, it’s still performing flawlessly. The weather stripping I used was the rubbery kind, not foam, and it was, by sheer luck, the right width right out of the box. I’m sure you could rip-cut down the length of your weather stripping, but I think it would be pretty aggravating, and I would frankly hold out for getting the exactly correct width if it were me, but I’m pretty OCD about stuff like that. As for FOAM vs my RUBBER stuff, I can’t say for sure how it will work out for you, but I suspect the foam, even high density, will begin to compress over time and it may affect your action response. On the other hand, what’s the harm in trying it, right? Worse case scenario is ripping it back out and getting something different. I guess it just boils down to your patience level. I have NO patience, and so, I was lucky mine worked perfectly the first time... I got EVERYTHING from Home Depot though, in one trip, even the grease, and again, depending on your patience, and willingness, or unwillingness to wait for the right materials, I believe you can get everything right on the first repair. It’s really up to you... P.S. Now that I think about it, I believe my weather stripping was also 3/4” x 1/8” (not 100% sure though), and even though mine fit perfectly, I don’t see any harm in letting your last 1/4” or so just overhang (unless it has to butt up against your casing or other components, but also on that note, for ease of length-rip-direction cutting (if you decide to do that), I suppose you could affix the stripping as is (mine had a peel-off backing with a really great and strong sticky surface to stay-put - after vigorously cleaning the piano’s naked surface of course), and so, maybe you could affix the stripping, and then use a razor blade/box cutter/Xacto knife to rip down the length of the stripping right where it sits. Again though, I’m not so sure how your end result will be with that foam. My rubberized stuff has been EXCELLENT, but again, your foam may be better than nothing, and YES, to your #3... #3) Yes, this SHOULD quiet things down greatly, because factory felt DOES compress over time, and your FOAM might, and my RUBBER has not, and as far as I can tell, these pianos are UNPLAYABLE (at least for me) without such weather stripping, or factory felt, or SOMETHING there... #4) And YEP, you will want to CLEAN AND RE-GREASE EVERYTHING. That was my biggest pain. Such a MESS, lubing every single moving action part of the piano with my fingers, but it’s worth it, and I believe totally necessary. CLEAN THOROUGHLY FIRST, and then what I did was numbered every single key and corresponding action pivot with a Sharpie marker (Look closely! Some are already factory-labeled!), and then just dumped everything in a bucket, and hand-washed every single part in an already-dirty UTILITY sink (don’t use your kitchen sink!), hand-dried, and placed in a second clean bucket. Again, I’m pretty OCD... LOL! Then came the grease on every moving part/pivot as it went back into the piano, and fair word of warning, even wearing gloves, the WHITE LITHIUM GREASE managed to GET ALL OVER ME, and ALL OVER EVERYTHING. It is what it is, but yeah, STRAIGHT FROM THE PARTS/SERVICE MANAGER at Kawai, standard Home Depot variety WHITE LITHIUM GREASE is what he told me to use, and so, it’s what I used, and after almost 4 years, no problems... I hope this all helps... If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to ask, and you can even TEXT me in Southwest Georgia if you want, at 229-416-8340... I can’t answer calls because of back to back music work appointments, but if you need to text, I can text back pretty quickly, or follow up with a call after that if needed. Just let me know... Best of luck! Don’t hesitate to shout! 😊😊😊
News View ... This is the grease I used per advice directly from Kawai, and it worked like a champ! 😊😊😊 ... www.acehardware.com/departments/automotive-rv-and-marine/fluids-and-lubrication/automotive-lubrication-greases/8309726?x429=true&cid=CAPLA:G:Shopping_-_Catch_All&k_clickid=372b9112-a1eb-4569-aae3-1bb621ade8f5&gclid=CjwKCAjwwo7cBRBwEiwAMEoXPDsVhVgC8Y7HIKjFoYzBBb0cU91Mo3zPjJdyaCJ0jk44XKcS9wkLlBoCMaMQAvD_BwE
I can now vouch for the fact that high-density foam doesn't do much to dampen the noise. The original foam strip was considerably softer whereas the high-density foam doesn't have enough give. I will have to search for a rubbery variety. On a note that may or may not help others here out, I also learned that the issue with my piano keys sticking in the PN-300 stems from the plastic tabs (not sure of the correct term) that sit beneath the front of the keys. They can swell. Kawai doesn't service pianos this old so they suggested filing the tabs. A technician there blamed the swelling more so than the old grease breaking down. The filing, however, has proven rather unsuccessful given the presence of lithium grease. Every piece has to be carefully cleaned beforehand. (By my own estimation, over-filling could destroy the action by resulting in uneven resistance). All of which is to say… this is not a task for the impatient! If I have any luck with this method I'll be back to update - which judging from the amount of work could be a long time!
Steve Hacker hi Steve great video , I have similar question I have a calvinova clp360 it has a strip of what looks like foam on the key bed it's quite compressed I measured it and it's approx 100mm wide by 5mm deep , I've seen some neoprene foam strips on eBay 12mm wide by 6mm deep so not much difference it says it's used in industry for hard wearing and closed cell stuff ? Do you think this would do to quieten keys ? Cheers for advice
hi i have a kawai digital piano and after 10 minutes or so it turns off but the lights are on Can you tell me the problem? and how to fix it if possible.
+Jae So I would have to see it. Sorry I only just now saw your comments. I need to be more active on UA-cam, but haven't been in years really, and I apologize.
I also have a Kawai digital piano and four keys started playing with a louder sound than the other keys, for example, when playing the scale these keys are heard louder, which is not pleasant. What will be the problem?
lassadays dias Sorry I’m only just now seeing this. That actually sounds like dirty rubber contact pads, or in my case, when I’ve had that happen, it was a HARDENING of the rubber of the contact pads, which simply needed to be replaced. It’s a super easy repair, but parts get harder and harder to find. Hopefully by now though, you’ve already gotten it resolved...
Hello! Thanks for the video. I have kawai cn 34 digital piano and some of the keys dont respond when you press them (no sound). I heard i need to replace some rubber parts under the keys - is this true? Unfortunately, i couldnt find them in my area. Maybe you could give some advice on how can i fix this problem,if possible , please. Thank you very much!
Hello! I've finally managed to get those parts! Not an easy task here, compared to Yamaha, for example) Thank you very much for your reply anyways! All th best!
Natasha Phagwah Khan Sorry that I’m only just now seeing this. That could be a whole bunch of different things. I’d have to see it to know for sure. I wish I could be of more help. Sorry...
nahnahnah nahnahnah I have no idea now. This was several years ago. It was fairly hard and dense rubber though and not foam. The stuff was so cheap though, it's no biggie if you mess up. Get multiple kinds of materials and experiment and find what works best for you. It's a super fast install and removal if you need to start over...
@@SteveHacker would you be able to share a link to this weatherstrip from Home Depot's website? I can't find something equivalent. Most of their weatherstrips are foam or thicker rubber ones meant for doors. TIA!
www.amazon.com/M-D-Building-Products-2758-Density/dp/B000CSIBCE/ref=sr_1_1?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1490766913&sr=1-1&keywords=weather+strip found this hope its good enough foam tape thanks for your replies and advice. we should get into the biz of fixing piano properly
Mike n Ikes ... Thanks! And glad to be of service. There’s also another video to watch of me servicing this same piano more recently, if that’d be of interest to you.
Here is my more recent video on the same piano, with more repair details... ua-cam.com/video/fNBv7CrILes/v-deo.html
Great video! Sadly didn’t work on my Kawai CN370, my knocking is still present, but without this video I never would’ve tried
The weather strip tip worths a thumbs-up. Thanks!
Great man !
Sometimes it takes nothing more than a thought outside of the box to make things better.
have a new Yamaha P-71 and using it as a controller to compose on for hours everyday and in a few months it's already wearing the felts down and hurting my hands/tendons! they put cheap thin felts in these days on cheaper keyboards! funny as I thinking a soft rubber like weather stripping my work better! glad I'm not alone. now just have to see if I can get stuff that has the right thickness or can stick on to of left layer that's already there. too bad as the action is perfect, but the hard stop for playing in louder velocities is really dangerous!
Did you make a video on the tunning of the drop keys? I have one key dropped and before fiddleling with it would be great to watch some videos on the kawai pianos fixes!
Thank for this advice
Isaac mondragon No video of that. Sorry... The dropped keys are repaired by simply replacing a tiny little Kawai factory sticky rubbery/plastic pad that you buy in bulk, that sticks to the key. These flatten out over time. It’s just a little rectangular pad with a peel-off backing, about the size of a Tic-Tac candy, but it’s rectangular and flat...
Are you familiar with the pn80 models? I believe they have the weighted keys. I have 1 and a few keys are sticking and art responsive. I would appreciate any advice that you can give me I can't find the service manual for this model. Hope you have a Merry Christmas thank you
Hello, how have you been able to remove the old strip? Mine seems quite difficult to remove. Have you removed the top of the strip leaving some glue and putting the new one on top of the old glue ? Or you cleaned with acetone ?
Mine just peeled off with no problem. Any place where there was any glue residue left over easily scraped off with a razor blade...
@@SteveHacker thank you for the answer. I will try during my next holidays
I am the original owner of a Kawai PN300 with weighted keys (late '90s model). Due to sticking keys after a long period of storage I am attempting the first repair this piano has ever had. In opening it up, the piece on the back rail looks to be identical to what is shown in the video (except the yellowed strip is only about a quarter inch wide and looks more like foam than "felt").
Steve H, if you're still monitoring the video comments here are my questions:
1) Is foam weather stripping sufficient? (My local hardware stores don't carry the size shown in the video so I purchased 3/4" wide, 1/8" thick weather stripping on Amazon - which turns out to be a black "high density foam". When I look at the video it looks as if you are using something different. Can you be more specific about what kind of weather stripping you used (or whether it is possible to substitute)?
2) Also from the looks of it 3/4" wide is too wide. Did you end up cutting yours down or did you have enough room in the back rail to accommodate a 3/4 wide strip? (It's hard to tell from the video but the question relates to the observation that it looks like what you changed out is similar to mine - less than 1/2" wide.)
3) From the outset, my piano, which had been a showroom floor model, had noisy action, which I assumed was normal at the time. Now that I see how flattened/worn out it is, my question is whether replacing this back-rail strip is *also* going to cut down on the knocking sound that the keys themselves make?
4) Upon disassembly I see a white grease between the keys, some of which has migrated to the felt pads direct under the front of the keys. I'm thinking loss of lubricant could *also* be the reason why some of the keys aren't returning ("sticking"). Problem is, I don't know what kind of grease Kawai uses to lube their keys. Surprisingly, however, the topic of lubing digital piano keys doesn't come up much in a search, hence my last question concerns whether grease can or should be considered when sticking keys are a problem.
In summary, my Kawai digital piano is currently in pieces pending whether or not to use the "high-density foam" weather stripping and in effort to track down the correct grease. Any input on these questions would be welcome.
Thanks!
News View ... No problem... To your questions:
#1) & #2) Not knowing your model piano, I can’t say for sure about measurements, but I can tell you that I didn’t have to cut anything, except overall length of course. 4 years later, it’s still performing flawlessly. The weather stripping I used was the rubbery kind, not foam, and it was, by sheer luck, the right width right out of the box. I’m sure you could rip-cut down the length of your weather stripping, but I think it would be pretty aggravating, and I would frankly hold out for getting the exactly correct width if it were me, but I’m pretty OCD about stuff like that. As for FOAM vs my RUBBER stuff, I can’t say for sure how it will work out for you, but I suspect the foam, even high density, will begin to compress over time and it may affect your action response. On the other hand, what’s the harm in trying it, right? Worse case scenario is ripping it back out and getting something different. I guess it just boils down to your patience level. I have NO patience, and so, I was lucky mine worked perfectly the first time... I got EVERYTHING from Home Depot though, in one trip, even the grease, and again, depending on your patience, and willingness, or unwillingness to wait for the right materials, I believe you can get everything right on the first repair. It’s really up to you... P.S. Now that I think about it, I believe my weather stripping was also 3/4” x 1/8” (not 100% sure though), and even though mine fit perfectly, I don’t see any harm in letting your last 1/4” or so just overhang (unless it has to butt up against your casing or other components, but also on that note, for ease of length-rip-direction cutting (if you decide to do that), I suppose you could affix the stripping as is (mine had a peel-off backing with a really great and strong sticky surface to stay-put - after vigorously cleaning the piano’s naked surface of course), and so, maybe you could affix the stripping, and then use a razor blade/box cutter/Xacto knife to rip down the length of the stripping right where it sits. Again though, I’m not so sure how your end result will be with that foam. My rubberized stuff has been EXCELLENT, but again, your foam may be better than nothing, and YES, to your #3...
#3) Yes, this SHOULD quiet things down greatly, because factory felt DOES compress over time, and your FOAM might, and my RUBBER has not, and as far as I can tell, these pianos are UNPLAYABLE (at least for me) without such weather stripping, or factory felt, or SOMETHING there...
#4) And YEP, you will want to CLEAN AND RE-GREASE EVERYTHING. That was my biggest pain. Such a MESS, lubing every single moving action part of the piano with my fingers, but it’s worth it, and I believe totally necessary. CLEAN THOROUGHLY FIRST, and then what I did was numbered every single key and corresponding action pivot with a Sharpie marker (Look closely! Some are already factory-labeled!), and then just dumped everything in a bucket, and hand-washed every single part in an already-dirty UTILITY sink (don’t use your kitchen sink!), hand-dried, and placed in a second clean bucket. Again, I’m pretty OCD... LOL! Then came the grease on every moving part/pivot as it went back into the piano, and fair word of warning, even wearing gloves, the WHITE LITHIUM GREASE managed to GET ALL OVER ME, and ALL OVER EVERYTHING. It is what it is, but yeah, STRAIGHT FROM THE PARTS/SERVICE MANAGER at Kawai, standard Home Depot variety WHITE LITHIUM GREASE is what he told me to use, and so, it’s what I used, and after almost 4 years, no problems... I hope this all helps... If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to ask, and you can even TEXT me in Southwest Georgia if you want, at 229-416-8340... I can’t answer calls because of back to back music work appointments, but if you need to text, I can text back pretty quickly, or follow up with a call after that if needed. Just let me know... Best of luck! Don’t hesitate to shout!
😊😊😊
News View ... This is the grease I used per advice directly from Kawai, and it worked like a champ! 😊😊😊 ... www.acehardware.com/departments/automotive-rv-and-marine/fluids-and-lubrication/automotive-lubrication-greases/8309726?x429=true&cid=CAPLA:G:Shopping_-_Catch_All&k_clickid=372b9112-a1eb-4569-aae3-1bb621ade8f5&gclid=CjwKCAjwwo7cBRBwEiwAMEoXPDsVhVgC8Y7HIKjFoYzBBb0cU91Mo3zPjJdyaCJ0jk44XKcS9wkLlBoCMaMQAvD_BwE
I can now vouch for the fact that high-density foam doesn't do much to dampen the noise. The original foam strip was considerably softer whereas the high-density foam doesn't have enough give. I will have to search for a rubbery variety. On a note that may or may not help others here out, I also learned that the issue with my piano keys sticking in the PN-300 stems from the plastic tabs (not sure of the correct term) that sit beneath the front of the keys. They can swell. Kawai doesn't service pianos this old so they suggested filing the tabs. A technician there blamed the swelling more so than the old grease breaking down. The filing, however, has proven rather unsuccessful given the presence of lithium grease. Every piece has to be carefully cleaned beforehand. (By my own estimation, over-filling could destroy the action by resulting in uneven resistance). All of which is to say… this is not a task for the impatient! If I have any luck with this method I'll be back to update - which judging from the amount of work could be a long time!
Thank you!
Steve Hacker hi Steve great video , I have similar question I have a calvinova clp360 it has a strip of what looks like foam on the key bed it's quite compressed I measured it and it's approx 100mm wide by 5mm deep , I've seen some neoprene foam strips on eBay 12mm wide by 6mm deep so not much difference it says it's used in industry for hard wearing and closed cell stuff ? Do you think this would do to quieten keys ? Cheers for advice
3 1/2 years later, how is this material holding up? I just bought an old Korg Ci-9600 that desperately needs upstop felt replacement.
ebluz Sorry that I’m just now seeing this... Almost 4 years later, my weather stripping is still working flawlessly... 😊😊😊
hi
i have a kawai digital piano
and after 10 minutes or so it turns off
but the lights are on
Can you tell me the problem?
and how to fix it if possible.
+Jae So I would have to see it. Sorry I only just now saw your comments. I need to be more active on UA-cam, but haven't been in years really, and I apologize.
Awesome! Where did you buy those weather strips? Didn't find anything like it at Ace,Home Depot or K-Mart.
Gil. Langlois Home Depot...
I also have a Kawai digital piano and four keys started playing with a louder sound than the other keys, for example, when playing the scale these keys are heard louder, which is not pleasant.
What will be the problem?
lassadays dias Sorry I’m only just now seeing this. That actually sounds like dirty rubber contact pads, or in my case, when I’ve had that happen, it was a HARDENING of the rubber of the contact pads, which simply needed to be replaced. It’s a super easy repair, but parts get harder and harder to find. Hopefully by now though, you’ve already gotten it resolved...
Hello! Thanks for the video. I have kawai cn 34 digital piano and some of the keys dont respond when you press them (no sound). I heard i need to replace some rubber parts under the keys - is this true? Unfortunately, i couldnt find them in my area. Maybe you could give some advice on how can i fix this problem,if possible , please. Thank you very much!
Phrea Spirit I'd have to see it up close or on video, but some parts are still available from Kawai...
Hello! I've finally managed to get those parts! Not an easy task here, compared to Yamaha, for example) Thank you very much for your reply anyways! All th best!
I have a Kawai LH-2 digital piano/Organ and it can turn on but the keys aren't sounding at all. what should I do ?
Natasha Phagwah Khan Sorry that I’m only just now seeing this. That could be a whole bunch of different things. I’d have to see it to know for sure. I wish I could be of more help. Sorry...
Con you post the exact model of the weather strip or link you used in the video, i also need to replace foam felt strips
nahnahnah nahnahnah I have no idea now. This was several years ago. It was fairly hard and dense rubber though and not foam. The stuff was so cheap though, it's no biggie if you mess up. Get multiple kinds of materials and experiment and find what works best for you. It's a super fast install and removal if you need to start over...
Steve Hacker I found it online i just dont know the thickness. They have 1/4, 3/8, 5/16, thickness. Wish thickness is the appropiate? Thank you
nahnahnah nahnahnah 3:03 😉😉😉
My Kawai has noisy klanking on some keys. What material weatherstrip (weather seal) did you use? Foam, Rubber? Vinyl?
customtheatres Just cheap rubber from Home Depot... Still doing great! 😊
@@SteveHacker would you be able to share a link to this weatherstrip from Home Depot's website? I can't find something equivalent. Most of their weatherstrips are foam or thicker rubber ones meant for doors. TIA!
any link to the weather strip? thanks
tlkchew I just went to my local Home Depot. Any hardware store should have this stuff... 😊😊😊
+Steve Hacker thanks will check it out
tlkchew Any time. Best of luck. 😊
www.amazon.com/M-D-Building-Products-2758-Density/dp/B000CSIBCE/ref=sr_1_1?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1490766913&sr=1-1&keywords=weather+strip found this hope its good enough foam tape thanks for your replies and advice. we should get into the biz of fixing piano properly
could have eased into piano in the beginning. almost shat meself
Mike n Ikes ... LOL! Hilarious! Glad to be of service! 😂😂😂
@@SteveHacker hahaha
@@SteveHacker Great playing, video helped alot!
Mike n Ikes ... Thanks! And glad to be of service. There’s also another video to watch of me servicing this same piano more recently, if that’d be of interest to you.