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Close to pulling the trigger on a CLP-340, but...

Two questions:

1. Anyone had a DP with this for some time - how does the finish hold up? I spotted a Roland (RD700GX??) with a similar finish in GC, and it the keys looked really really dirty, probably hard to clean too?

2. If this is so great, then why don't the real pianos have the same finish? I looked around in the piano store I was in today and couldn't find any real pianos (uprights or expensive grands) with the same key finish as is used on the mid-upper range DPs. Most of them seemed to be plastic. Why?

"1. Anyone had a DP with this for some time - how does the finish hold up? I spotted a Roland (RD700GX??) with a similar finish in GC, and it the keys looked really really dirty, probably hard to clean too?"

It looks "dirty" because it's simulating ivory, which yellows with age. I've never owned one, though.

" 2. If this is so great, then why don't the real pianos have the same finish? I looked around in the piano store I was in today and couldn't find any real pianos (uprights or expensive grands) with the same key finish as is used on the mid-upper range DPs. Most of them seemed to be plastic. Why?"

Because they're cheap, a lot of higher end pianos have ivory-like keys, such as Fazioli and the more expenive Yamahas, I think Schimmel, Estonia, and Bosendorfer.

The dirty look was black / grimy (i.e. dirt from peoples' fingers), not yellow.

Cheap?

I looked at pianos ranging from $5000 uprights to $30 K plus grands - don't understand why they wouldn't use it, when a $2500 DP does ?

I did see one with some kind of "ivory" feel keys, but must less matte feeling than the DP ivory keys.

The keytops on the CLP-340 are, I think, equivalent to the Yamaha YUS-5 upright, the C-series grands, and the Kawai GE-30 and above. These are in the $10k to $30k range.

It is interesting to consider why 'ivory feel' keytops are more common on $2,500 digitals than on $10,000 acoustics. Marketing is a strange thing, and the marginal material cost is probably extremely low (less than $100? Perhaps an industry insider could shed some light).

It is probably down to segment differentiation within product lines - like the need to provide a $20-more-expensive steering wheel cover on your top-of-the-range car, so that the buyer can tell why they have spent $5000 more.

I quite like the Yamaha ivory-feel plastics, but the difference between that and their cheaper plastics is, to my mind, minor. But then I have dry hands, and live in a very comfortable humidity.

Is the Yamaha ivory-feel coating on the low-end DPs the same coating that Yamaha put on their high end acoustics? If it is not the same, perhaps Yamaha are using the low end DPs as a proving ground, to make sure it is reliable, before they put it on their low end acoustics. Just a thought.

Greg.

I've got a Roland DP with ivory touch and what I noticed is that the keys scratch really easily. You can clearly see scratch marks from finger nails at many keys already after a bit more than one months of usage (about 1-2 hours a day). It doesn't bother me, since you can more feel than see it. Just odd that the material is wearing off so fast.

Not odd at all it you read how they make the "ivory" keys. It is the exact same plastic but when the mold it they mix it with bits of material that later disove. It is the same way you add texture to concrete walks by rolling salt onto the wet concrete then when the concrete sets you wash out the salt, only on the keys they in effect mix the salt in not just put in on top.

So what you have is a overall lower density of plastic that is filled with very tiny air holes. It can't be a strong as solid plastic.

Yamaha invented the process and calls the plastic "ivorite". They sell it in bulk and anyone can buy the stuff, slice it up and make knife handles or what not.

Gotta keep those finger nails trimmed short!

yes or I'll practice wearing gloves ...