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Joined: Nov 2016
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So, I bought a Yamaha P-45 10 months ago and I started experiencing two types of mechanical key noise.

First: Whenever I let go of the pressed key, it makes a really loud noise when it goes back to its original position. This applies to most of the keys. It's really bothering when I'm playing with headphones, but it's not hearable when playing with maximum volume. After some googling, I realized that it can be the key bed tearing a part, I'm not sure of that however, I thought of asking first.

Second: An extremely loud plastic noise occurs once my finger touches the key, as if I hit it with my fingernail. This issue only happens with the keys I use the most. I do not know where is this coming from nor did I find any similar case while googling.

If needed, I can record such noise and upload it here.
Also, if anyone knows the actual cause of these issues, how much is it going to cost me to fix it?

Thanks a lot to whoever's going to help!

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Is it still under warranty? I'd contact Yamaha. While that's not the best action out there, it does seem like your noise issues might be due to something faulty.


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The warranty was only 6 months, it's already out. I'm planning to have the piano at their place, but I need to know the issue first and how much is it going to cost me because their store is way too far from me. Their customer service phone handler doesn't seem to be getting my issue as well.

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Why not upload a video to Youtube and share the link with the people you were talking to? You can also upload it here and perhaps that will help others identify what's wrong.

6 months seems pretty short.


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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_DcljpKnIM this video might offer you some clues as to the cause of the noise, and I have seen some more detailing replacing the key action yourself and silencing the Yamaha GHS action. Also, you could check if there is sufficient lubricant where needed. It is white lithium grease, available everywhere.

From what I have read, most of the noisy actions are due to the guiderail felts worn out/ compressed beyond what they should be, causing the keys to bottom out beyond their design spec.. could be an easy fix.

Last edited by Goss; 03/07/17 02:30 AM. Reason: fixed youtube link

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I can't send them the video as their customer service is just through phone. I will upload a video here within a few hours however.

Also, @Goss; your video does not seem to be working, and I'm too inexperienced to open up a digital piano myself. I'm leaving the repair part to experts, but for now, I just need to know what the issue is and how much would it cost me to repair.

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If the clicking is caused by the guiderail felt it might be 45 minutes work for a tech total from entering the home to being booted out onto the street. The materials are cheap. If one or more keys got damaged depending on the parts that are damaged its not a whole lot either - the big cost is the guy working away at it..


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I'm going to record the noise and upload it for you guys to hear. Give me a few hours till I'm home.

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I've been having key noise, caused when the keys bottom out. It's the hammer rail felt strip. It's worn and rutted after eight years.

It runs for the entire width of the keyboard. The felt stops and dampens the rising hammers.

I ordered a replacement from Yamaha, arriving later this week. But $52 for a four-foot strip of adhesive backed felt!

Still, the fix is worth it. The keyboard feels crappy right now, and that will go away. And I'll lube the keys while I'm in there.

Andrew Mouris: It's not clear whether your noise problem is similar. I think the only way to find out is to open it up and have a look.

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Yep - the hammer end and the front guiderails felts is my guess. I would ask anyone selling these parts whether they are the same quality or better, better being the preferred answer as just chucking in the same felts will yield the same problems a similar time down the road..


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It's just odd that only after 6 months the felt would be so worn down. So I'm guessing it's something else.


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If you search Yamaha ghs felt you find many hits, and the commentary / descriptions under and in the videos all describe clunky and clicky noise - and the felts look really poor =/


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https://youtu.be/d1oPFdNFQuY

Here's the video. You can see that some of the keys generate a plastic noise once I touch them with my finger, and some make a wobble noise once released. Tell me what you think.

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The clicky things sounds weird, but the thumpy stuff sounds normal. The clicky ones seem to be two different kinds: one as you press the key and the other as you lift. Is that correct? Those don't seem normal at all.


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the thump is ol but I also clearly hear the metal hammers bumping harder than they should I think..?


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The key makes a plastic noise once I touch it, I don't have to press it all the way down, and once I let go of the key, the other type of noise happens. What can this be?

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Hello I also have a Yamaha P45, a two and a half year old keyboard. I'm a novice, and I have used many days a week (but short sesions) although, due to some injuries, there have been several periods that I couldn't use it. On the other hand, I am extremely careful with the piano (with all that I have, but certainly with the piano..)

In my case the noise happened only with one Key (G3, assuming central C is C4), it was really loose and clunky, and it was the only one, the rest of the keys was perfect. Being in warranty I took the keyboard to a Yamaha official technical service, and it semmed resolved.
But only 6 months later (more or less) the same key had begun to make annoying clunking noise when depressed. It was not so bad compared to the first time, but the 'plastic' noise could be clearly perceived (and distracting, really annoying for me) when I ligthly touched the key with the pinkie, almost without depressing the key, just touching it. If, with the finger in contact with the key I pressed down, it was ok, no noise

Googling in internet I have seen that applying grease and/or interchanging the keys assemblies beetween different octaves can reduce or resolve this problem.
But in my case, this didn't work completely. My keyboard is new, used with care, always covered after use, etc. All the keys were apparently ok, clean, and with its grease. Anyway I applied more grease and interchanged the assembly with the key problematic with another assembly (the higher octave). In the first moment it seemed to work (really the keys behaved better), but after assembled and closed the piano I noticed that the clunking noise had not gone, it was still there when I touched with the pinkie (that was the more clear way to check it, and I didn't realize after closed...).

My Yamaha P45B has a GHS action, that seems to have regularly problems whith loose keys
In a Yamaha's forum, a technic wrote: <<A key that is making a clunking noise could be caused by any number of things (items fall between the keys, padding or other items inside the keyboard have come loose or have shifted). These types of things can happen in normal use.>>

So, next day (yesterday) I opened again the piano and tried to find again the problem, and what I observed was that the base of the key had a very slight horizontal play, something minimal but, apparently, more than enough to produce that 'plastic', clunking noise.

At fist sight it seemed that the key guide was slightly thinner (hardly noticeable, maybe something subjective). So, finally I decided to confirm it and tried to widen that key guide: I removed the grease and cleaned that key guide, and put cellophane tape over it. Being the tape very thin, I used 3 layers of cellophane. After check that it worked perfect I applied the grease again.
As the piano was open, I looked for another key with similar problem. Another key (G2) had also (but much less) that clunking noise when slightly touched. With this key I used only 2 layers of cellophane.

I hope that the solution lasts a while. If the cellophane turns out not to be durable enough I will use other way to widen the key guide, but It seems clearly that it is an easy way to correct the key becoming loose.

I hope hat this solution can be of help to others.

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Ha!

Key noises are a common thing in digitals.

Instead of cellophane and Yamaha I once used teflon tape in a Casio. Now I have a Kawai and it has some very minor key noise issues. I know what the problem is (thanks to other people here) but haven't bothered opening it up.

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Hmm . . .the keys are manufactured as assemblies of white and black keys, each assembly a single plastic multi-key unit. there is no hinge, but a cantilever, being a very thin part of the moulding which flexes as the key is pressed.
Other manufactureres do the same. It will last a long time and won't flex horizontally. Clunking usually emantes from the keyboard base of the piano when the sound damping felt has been worn.
But maybe the securing screws were a tad loose . . .


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Hello, the part with the (very, very small) horizontal movement is the one I have marked in this image:

[Linked Image]

And this is the key guide where I put the cellophane tape:

[Linked Image]


The assemblies of white and black keys were completely ok

Regards

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