🎹 How Long Do Digital Pianos Last? | Electric Piano Longevity & Most Common Component Failures 🎹
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Hi and welcome to the Merriam Pianos TH-cam channel. Today, we’re going to answer a question that gets asked every single day online and in piano showrooms all over the world - how long do digital pianos last?
Now, there isn’t a quick answer to this question as there are many factors at play, not the least of which is the ride range of quality and price points that digital pianos are currently available at. Let’s jump right in.
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Opening Thoughts
This video would not have had much relevance to the market, say 10 or so years ago. Only a small percentage of the buying population in the past would have been looking at a digital piano as a long term investment, namely professionals and enthusiasts.
Today, many people are buying digital pianos with the thought that the instrument they choose will be the only digital piano they ever own. Digital piano technology improving so much over the past few years is a huge reason why, as are the realities of many modern living situations.
Digital pianos are not built to last forever, and there are some key areas where they can fail over time. We’re going to cover each of these major areas, the likelihood of each happening, and some general guidelines you can expect regarding a given piano’s shelf life.
#1. Action
At the top of the list is piano action, so we’re going to devote the most time to this area. Actions degrade over time since they’re the actual physical component receiving so much use. Even a single playing session can result in the keys being pressed 1,000’s of time.
The reality is that a piano action is a mechanical object that’s simply going to be on the receiving end of a ton of force and impact. The quality of the action is going to determine how durable and repairable it is.
Less expensive digital pianos tend to have short, plastic actions, and these are going to be the most susceptible to issues simply due to their physical construction. How long until one of these actions breaks down? It’s not a function of calendar time, but rather how often the action gets played - a standard plastic action like the one we’ve described here is probably going to start breaking down around the 2,000-hour point.
As you move up in price, you’ll start finding digital piano actions with longer key sticks as this better recreates the experience of playing an acoustic piano. The other effect of a longer key stick is that the action as a whole going to be more durable, simply due to the physics of the construction.
Actions with longer key sticks like this are going to have a much longer shelf life, with some going beyond the 5,000-hour point.
#2. Digital Electronic Components
This area can be unpredictable, but we do tend to see motherboards and key sensors failing at a low percentage, regardless of the amount of use a digital piano has received.
It’s very uncommon, but when it does occur, the only solution is to replace those components. As long as you are able to get in touch with the manufacturer in a reasonable amount of time, odds are you can still get the part replaced, even if your instrument is past the warranty period.
If enough time has passed since the instrument was discontinued and the motherboard requires replacing, you might be out of luck as the motherboard may no longer be available. Individual key sensors key sensor strips can typically be replaced, though over time the correct sensors may one day no longer be available.
#3. Connector Jacks
This area is totally preventable, but unfortunately, we see it a lot. We often see connector jacks getting broken, and while these issues can often be fixed, that’s not always the case. Be gentle with the connector jacks, especially the headphone jacks, and you shouldn’t have this problem.
#4. Amplifiers & Speakers
Speakers are always going to be a component that can wear down, but they do tend to last a long time. As you’re not overdriving your speakers, they can last decades. Amps on the other hand can be blown out, especially if they’re left on for really long periods of time or constantly pushed at max volume. Turn the piano off when you’re not using it, and try to mostly operate within the 70-80% volume range, and you should be able to avoid this issue.
We hope you found this video helpful, thanks for watching!
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Just an FYI for buyers, I have a 28-year-old Clavinova that I still play and still sounds as great as it did on the showroom floor. And it was dropped 3 different times during moves.
So these keyboards are really made to last.
Thanks so much for tuning in and sharing your insights with the community! We appreciate it. :)
I have had to change almost all the Keys on mine because they fracture at the hinge. Learned to do it myself on youtube. They are expensive like 8 dlrs each. Action and sound is still very good. Annoying that the MIDI velocity stops at 100 and not 127 which is the standard.
@@SiggeSvahn Yep. The midi velocity makes me crazy because I can’t use it at all with any VST’s or outboard modules.
I did have it serviced after each time I dropped it, but so far the keys haven’t needed to be replaced.
I bought my Clavinova (CLP 550) in 1990... still going strong. These things are build like a tank! It was relatively expensive at the time, but I'm very glad I went for the quality item (over other keyboards).
Got my Yamaha CVP-96 new in 1996 and still play it almost every day. Roland LX-9 looks very intriguing...
Action parts are the most important. I'm amateur keyboard player, profession electronics engineer, doing keyboard/piano repairs about 10 years by now, so in my experience, keys are the most important part that fails.
When motherboard fails, it's often DAC (digital to analog converter), battery, op-amps and then any arbitrary component.
These are reason behind buying well established brands, due to availability of spare parts(components)(Yamaha, Roland, Korg).
What's in your opinion the best action/s in terms of durability?
@@DavidIzquierdoAzzouz Kawai's action in Kawai MP11, and it's successors.
@@SanelKeys those actions have got an important flaw, the GF and GF2 are known for their sliptape issue, I myself suffered it after barely 3 years of use
@@DavidIzquierdoAzzouz very easy to fix.
I would love to take any of my four problem Yamaha PSR keyboards in for repair. Where is your shop?
The Technics PX107 I had bought in 1995 is still going and lives at my parents house. The quality of the sound, particularly in the high end, is very digital sounding. But it works just fine!
My Yamaha CLP-170 lasted 16 years. First some of the sensors started to fail, sending loud notes regardless of how I played. Then the action started to give up, with broken springs and keys. I sent the piano for repairs before I sold it, but that took a significant bite off my pocket. It's worth noting that the CLP-170's GH3 action was probably the best at the time and it's now used in cheaper models as the YDP-164.
Do you think the newer CLP 735 will have longevity like your older model? Would you recommend it within its price range? Thanks!
I'm still playing a 2004 Yamaha CLP-120. Still works flawlessly. Impressed with the longevity, but definitely ready for an upgrade!
It is fantastic to hear that you've gotten nearly two decades out of your CLP120! While it is always nice to get the most out of your investment, there is nothing more exciting than a new instrument! ;)
Me too i the same instrument.
I've had a Casio wk-200 since 2009, after 15 years and over 2000 gigs, it still works just as good as it did the day I took it out of the box, the quality of the sound has not changed just because it's been 15 years, I see no need for an upgrade
I'm still playing my first ever digital piano, Technics SX-P30, 24 years later and still works well. If there is any degradation in the action I've not noticed it
My Kawai MP10 going 12 years strong.
Older digital piano were designed just as any other older appliances; they are designed to please customers.
Newer generations of digital piano are designed to include distributors and middle persons, service persons as, well, customers.
They are now made to be as lasting as majority of customers want them to be, and also quicker for service technician to service them, and most importantly, to convince end customers to replacement them completely.
My Clavinova 305 is 20 years old and it is still the same as when I bought it. It has taken some battering over the years since I have played a lot of Beethoven sonatas on it. It is the closest thing to a real grand piano there is and I can carry it up the stairs if I wanted to. Try doing that with a 9 ft Steinway. I always wanted my own grand but could never afford it so I thank the Japanese from my heart for inventing the Clavinova digital grand. It's brilliant and I can add my own orchestra to the piano to give it that concert feeling. If I just use the strings voice I play the Beethoven symphonies from the Liszt transcriptions, it's not the same as an orchestra but it is a close second. I swear this isn't an advert for Yamaha although reading it back it certainly sounds like it, but it's just that great.
Your videos are very informative. You helped provide critical info for my purchase of a Roland RD-88. I have a Roland RD-700 that I purchased in 2002. Some of the keys stopped working and I had it repaired for under $300. The repair guy said that I probably won't be able to get it repaired in the future due to the lack of available parts. He said I have another 10 years or so. Great video. Thanks.
Hi Stu, I just discovered your blog yesterday, and LOVE them. You're a fountain of information. Your vocabulary and your playing are extremely impressive. It's wonderful to listen to someone who has an extensive grasp of the English language and has worked in musical instrument sales. Twenty years ago I bought a Roland KR 7 and have been playing the daylights out of it on a daily basis. I'm a composer and do a lot of music sequencing and MIDI. Just recently the KR has been giving me some trouble in that not all of the keys are sounding on a regular basis, so it's obviously time for me to get something newer. I'm in San Diego so I'll see what the local dealers have to offer or what may be available used. Your videos are extremely helpful. Thanks.
really appreciate a video about this subject. There are endless videos on TH-cam basicly moving people into buying the newest and the lastest whatever, but very few adressing durability. Well done and properly explained! 👏
My Yamaha Clavinova P-100 works perfectly for 30 years now.
I recently cleaned up the action mechanism (a working day) and now it's totally like new.
Same for me. 25 Years.
I had a Clavinva lasted 25 years and was still working when I sold it. Newer piano, a Roland, was so much better that I had to sell the Yamaha.
@George Sadusk My Yamaha clavinova is losing it’s action on some of the keys after 25 years or so. Could you recommend a good digital piano that has a similarly light or easy action and is within the £1,000 range ?
Same. Im using it for 65 years now without any problems.
Had my Yamaha p-255 for 8 years now. Still plays like its brand new! Great informational video btw!
Another great video Stew! I am what you call a Digital Piano Enthusiast. I've never owned an Accoustic and rarely played on one. I'm SOOO amazed by the how far we've gotten with digitals nowadays. I guess it's sacrilegious but the NV5 is sooo good!
I want to see how long I can keep my FP30X. I'm sure it'll break my heart a little bit when I notice the first thing that degrade on it. It's my first "real" digital piano. I'm trying to take good care of it. I've even bought the Stand the 3 pedal for it. I've had it for a year and a half and I haven't noticed any degradation. I've rarely not touched it everyday. Even just for 10 to 20 minutes. And for some reason, I've enjoyed the upright piano tones on it especially the mellow one. I know for a fact that Stew doesn't like the sounds for uprights on digitals but it grew on me. I just turn up the ambience and modulate the brilliance and I find it satisfying. Chopin's nocturne op9no2, Liebestraum no3 heck even Autumn leaves sounds good playing it. I also have better dynamic control when I use it over the default Roland tone. But anyway, right now, the only long term digital piano to have is the NV5S. I'm going to get my hands on one of them at some point in my life. Lol.
In late 1989, I purchased an Technics SK-KN800. A couple of years ago, one of its two speakers started to sometimes sound a little tinny. But otherwise, the keyboard plays fine.
This was a highly relevant and extremely useful topic to cover. Thanks very much for doing one on the subject.
I can voucher for digital piano's longevity. I've played a lot of different makes and models. I have a Roland P - something, in my parents house which is 15 years old and still going strong with no issues at all in that time, it has had heavy use at various points but now, just occasional. I try to stay current with my pianos at home and currently have the Yamaha P125 and Casio PXS1100. But from a different perspective, it can be immensely frustrating sometimes that a piano has lasted so long, as it means that some people/places of education/worship, are reluctant to upgrade, if there's nothing wrong with the instrument. I know that this is subjective but the core issues for me are piano sound and action, as I'm sure they are for most people. I've played for worship in churches for many years, and also played for weddings and funerals. There's nothing worse than getting to a venue to find a digital piano from 25/30 years ago, which is in perfect working order but sounds and feels horrible. The worst case of this was 4 years ago at a wedding of my friend. I'd never been to this particular church before, but decided to risk not taking my own piano. One of worse mistakes of my life as it was a Yamaha Clavinova from about 1993, again perfect working order but was horrendous to play. I'm a confident player but was a nervous wreck, as it was a wedding and I couldn't relax with the awful action and tone. All in all digital pianos are on the whole very long lasting, I have only ever taken one to dump in all my years of playing.
That's interesting to know. But perhaps the making/built quality of newer digital piano models are not as durable as the ones in the past. I remember how well-built Yamaha P -120 was (that model was released in early 2000s), it was a tough looking piano indeed. But the current p-series offerings from Yamaha, P-125 for example, look and feel cheaper (though the sound quality has gotten better). I don't think that any of the digital pianos we have available in the market today would last 10 years, tbh.
welcome to the life of pianist-everyone else takes their own instruments while we are left at the mercy of whatever there is. ALWAYS take your own keys. I have learnt my lesson the hard way, when I arrived at the gig to find the upright which was in a different part of room from where the rest of the band was, facing AWAY from them. We rearranged the room to move the combo closer to me, but I almost put out my neck looking backwards for ques all evening!
Hey David, I'm looking for a digital piano and was considering those two in particular due to a tight budget and health concerns (Yamaha P125 and Casio PXS1100), would you be willing to share your experiences with both in regards to Sound quality of the piano samples and key action?
One thing I have noticed, is when you play out and even with a case your keyboard can take a beating and is subject to damage on the road. The other side of that is if you are making money playing out, you can buy a new one if you need to. I am retired and play quite a bit at home, but I have multiple keyboards and I care for them well. I keep them powered off and covered when not in use, I think that helps with the longevity of the instruments. Thank you for the video!
I have had my Kurzweil pc88 for 28 years and it still plays just as well as when I first purchased it… I originally bought it as it was one of the first ever MIDI controller.
My Roland PT-3100 has been going strong across 4 moves and better than 15 years and the only thing that has happened recently was a piece of the wood veneer which came off the left side. While I should be able to fix that with some glue, I've been pretty impressed how well it's held up with my messing around and three kids later.
Please protect your digital piano (motherboard) by only plugging into a high quality UPS (uninterruptible power supply)... or at least a surge protector! A UPS like CyberPower with Pure Sine Wave is one of the best for a reasonable cost. A high quality UPS will also protect you from brownouts (undervoltage) not just surges. Do not assume your UPS protects from brownouts... make sure... most cheap ones do not!
For newer pianos this is MUCH less important than it was twenty years ago. The reason is that these days the onboard power supply will be a switching type, which is far more tolerant of "dirty" mains power than the old transfomer type and will also generally have onboard spike suppression circuitry. It is the same with your desktop computer, BTW - surges and brownouts are just not the issue they once were.
Also, dust cover when not in use is a must. It can be specifically a keyboard cover, or you can improvise using an old curtain or cheap towel, etc.
Great video and good to hear the subject discussed. I had a Yamaha Clavinova CLP 500 which I bought in 1988, a £2500 piano back then. The electronics blew and I had the motherboard replaced in 1991 under warranty. After that it just kept on going until 2012 when one or two of the keys sometimes wouldn't sound. In 2013 I replaced it with Clavinova CLP-470, another £2500 piano, and passed the CLP-500 on to my father who still has it in his studio, where we both play it from time to time. Those faulty keys seem to have gone away too. Back in 1988 it was a choice between Yamaha, Korg, Cassio and Roland. Yamaha was easily the best choice.
My Technics lasted around 16 years. My Casio, 14. Both developed strange unfixeable faults. A Roland ep7 I bought in 1993 is still going strong. Great playing BTW.
I had a Yamaha electric keyboard that was made in the 70's and it was built like a tank. The keyboard made a racket and it needed maintenance, but I used it for 25 years, and it sounded great. I don't think they make keyboards today to last very long.
I've used a Roland Hp-900 for 35 years and it works great except for small buttons on top being pushed in too far by kids use years ago. I normally use midi out to computer software piano modules and studio speakers now and take advantage of the great weighted keyboard action of the roland keyboards and thus do not rely on the various piano sound switches and amplifier. All keys work fine.
I have two old Technics stage pianos. The SX-P30 (1998) and the SX-P50 (2001) Both still working perfectly with no issues over 20 years on.
I have a cheap Hohner arranger keyboard in my collection (cost about £200 UK), which I bought almost forty years ago. I still use it from time to time, alongside my twenty year old Yamaha digital piano and my Korg PA4X, and It still works perfectly.
Great YT video, I have restored from the dead Roland /Casio / Yamaha keyboards but I am a retired electronic engineer and have a fully equip workshop and the knowledge to tackle this, it is very gratifying when they come back to live, cheers.
Thanks for the video! Just bought a Roland GP607 for my daughter. Hoping it'll serve her well for years to come. We would have purchased from your shop but we're located on Vancouver Island!
Thanks for this video. This was part of my consideration as well when determining the price I was willing to pay for an instrument that might not last longer than a decade. I'm coming from electric guitars, and my first ever guitar of 30 years is still in excellent condition. Another point concerns mobile apps: For how long will the manufacturer's apps that connect to the instrument be available? An app that enters the app store today may become incompatible with future mobile operating sytems unless it's being constantly updated. And even if it is updated, will it still support older instruments?
My Yamaha Clavinova CVP-30 was purchased in Taiwan around 1990. Nothing has failed. It looks very good and everything works and sounds like new. Cost then in Taiwan was about $3500. We're not musicians, so it hasn't been used much.
Bought a Yamaha PSR-530 in December 1998. Still works exactly as it did on that day.
Got my Yamaha CP300 mid-2006, used it a lot both professionally and at home. It's still a great instrument to play and listen to.
Useful video, thanks.
I am a bass player, so my keyboards get lighter use. But the oldest keyboard I have is 38 years old, and still works. It just doesn’t have the sound capability of a modern instrument.
With a piano in particular, the sound is so much better now than ten years ago that I would plan on upgrading just to get the better sound engine.
I still have the Casio ctk 450 it's almost 30 yrs old, but it still just working fine... Degradation of the action is becoming more evident as it gets old and I'm still happy that this keyboard somehow managed to survive our family's intense use... I have Kawaii CA 99 as my main piano, but still using my Casio from time to time.
Roland HP3000s purchased in the 80s still works and sounds great.
Thank you for choosing this topic, i was looking for this information many time with no success. After some years of buying and using different digital pianos i would like share my experience so far:
1. The first digital piano i had was a Casio privia px100 that i bought used, it starting having some noise in the keys but was usable for about 10 years until i decided to upgrade and sold it.
2. I felt in love with kawaii digital pianos mainly because of many good reviews so i decided to buy one of them. A CL36 that i changed for a CN 34 that i changed for a CA65. The last ones was the best i had in terms of experience but after a couple of years i started having problem with the keys, they stick in some infernal part that made it impossible to play.
3. Now i am waiting for my new Yamaha NU1X and i expect to have a better result this time.
My Kawai CA95 with the same action as the CA65 had the same sticking key problem as you by the sound of it. Apparently it was a well known 'feature' of this generation of CA digitals. I paid a technician €200 to fix it, but having seen what is involved I would do it myself the next time. The tapes you need are not very expensive, but anyway looks like you have a new digital now, hope it gives you trouble free playing.
I searched such an information! Thank you very much that I could find it here! :-) Stu, your channel is very helpful. Best regards from Germany
You're very welcome! We're glad you found the information helpful! :)
My Yamaha S90 is 30 years old. It still plays perfectly. The weighted action is still the best I’ve seen from a digital.
That is fantastic that you have been able to get such longevity out of your S90! :)
But by today's standards it sounds like shit
Absolutely love my 2002 Yamaha cvp 700. The action sounds a little clunky but otherwise perfect. And the baby grand design makes it a very beautiful piece
I have had my Alesis QS8 for around 25 years. It's been abused but it is still ticking. Just bought another one and found they are relatively easy to work on also. Had one bad key. I took it all apart and cleaned the pads and contacts and put it all back together. The pitch blend wheel was a bit loose on it also.
A lot of yamaha digital piano from Japan (surplus) still selling in the Philippines, even 1998 model still sounds good.
I am sick with keep my items in brand new condition i love it when everytime i play i feel its like the first time i unbox it.. have products with over 800 gigs and the condition is exacly as the first day… it takes more time for box and unbox everytime but in the end its worth it
We’ve had our robust Roland digital piano for aboot 14 years. It’s not had a hard life but it’s used regularly and without any problems at all. It has wonderfully natural weighted keys, so plays nicely and sounds fabulous. Guess you get what you pay for.
I have had lots of problems with my 3 year old high end Kawai-so, sometimes you get LESS what you pay for. Seriously looking at Roland now!
@@QalinaCom What Kawai model is it?
@@Matlalcueitl ES8, from repairs for the 4th time
@@BumpyNZ Thank you (I was planning to buy ES110, perhaps I should check what Roland has to offer).
@@Matlalcueitl ES110 didn't have issues. Very different touch to ES8(which is still my most favorite action)-try new Kawai ES 920, which has the same action as ES8. Try Roland, too, but I found PHA50 action too much work... New Kawai ES 920 seems to have eliminated ES8's issues. Good luck!
I'm certainly a lucky one when it comes to durability. I have had a Kurzweil SP2X for about 15 years and it still works great, aside from a knob that acts up. Been studiyng classical music for a long time and used to put in about 4-5 hours a day a few years back. I'm always checking the digital piano market and picking favorites because I feel it will stop working at any moment.
Hi fellow SP 2X owner , my experience mirrors yours almost exactly , I am seriously considering the SP 6 as gigs are now picking up after the Covid period and My SP2 can gracefully sit on the subs bench , I don’t know how they achieve it but a new SP 6 is only around £250 more to buy than the SP 2 did 15 or so years ago , 👍🇯🇪🎹
@@regroberts325 A good thing about these newer models is that they're much lighter, about half the weight. Both the SP1 and SP6 look amazing for their price points, if they had built-in speakers they would probably be neck to neck with the greats in the "home digital piano" category.
I have had my Yamaha Motif ES for at least 25 yrs And I know of churches who have had the original Motif for at least this amount of time. Don't forget the granddaddy of mechanical/electric instruments, the Hammomd B2 and B3 and A100 series, some of which go back to the late1950s and early 1960s, and are still played weekly in many churches. 10 yrs ago I sold my 1965 B3 that I bought new and was still in tip top shape and so was the Leslie speaker. I also still have my Roland MKS-20 digital piano module from the late 1980s.
I recommend putting any electronic equipment onto a surge suppressor at a minimum. I have a whole-home surge suppressor on my main junction box. This device is about the size of 4 decks of cards stacked on each other and it sends surges to ground without letting them go even as far as the main breaker. When you have a good bouncer, then the bad stuff can't get in. Just make sure the bouncer is at the front door. I also use a power conditioner for my most expensive electronic equipment.
Our Yamaha CLP-500 was bought around 1990. I did clean and lubricate all keys once, replaced some capacitors and a potentiometer but it is still going strong. The speaker is way betrer than any electric piano I've heard since.
Your videos are always great. Thank you. USA
I just replaced my sometimes well used 32 year old Roland KR-33 digital piano. It didn't have a "piano action", just semi-weighted keys, but it is still working and being used daily by it's new owner. I'll see how many years I get of my current unit.
"Touch Screen" is a major miss in this video. Experience: I had purchased a brand new Korg Triton Extreme 88, hardly used it, remained throughout in my room for six or seven years. Everything worked flawlessly except that one day its screen would die out by itself and come back itself. Total actual playtime in these years could not have been more than 15 hours! Yes I am serious. Anyway, I felt really bad and sold it on Craigslist. Got the Kronos 2 88. My biggest fear with it too is that one day its touch screen would die. Anybody else had this issue and what did you do, including your costs etc ? Will appreciate your view.
That sounds like an unusual situation. I wouldn't hesitate buying a Korg product with touch screen, though. Yanni, the well-known Greek-American composer and keyboardist, uses 8 Korg Krome workstations during his live performances. And he uses all of them at the same time. He has a video where he explains how he connects them (He controls the rest via a single Korg Krome, if I remember correctly).
The touch part of the screen is fairly cheap the LCD itself is more expensive. Not real hard to replace. About $20 for the touch panel and around $260 for the LCD.
Great video as always
Thank you for make me cleared about what to select for my need :)
You're very welcome! We're glad you found the video useful! :)
I have a Roland XV88 bought in 2000 and still going strong. I use it to practice classical repertoire and as a midi controller. I never had a Roland gear that failed but once I bought a Kurzweil, big mistake.
I have a 10 year old Casio AP620 Clavinova console piano. It looks and plays like new, maybe because it doesn't get used every day. Although it still sounds as good as it did when it was new, now I mostly just use it as a blu-tooth midi controller (with a a Yamaha MD-BT wireless midi adapter) to play instruments on my iPad. When triggering the iPad, it isn't limited to the 10 year old samples in the Casio Piano. I can play well sampled, Steinway, Bosendorfer, Yamaha, etc pianos plus all kinds of synthesizers etc. I mention this because if you have a digital piano that has a problem with its sound generator, see if it still transmits midi data, because it may have extra life as a midi controller before you throw it out. There are more software instruments available for WIndows, Mac and iPhone/iPad than you can count. Some are free and a lot of others are under $20.00.
Thanks for this video Stu, it is the only thing that concerns me after buying my Kawai NV5s when I consider I could have bought an acoustic for what it cost. Hoping for at least that 10-15 years you mentioned:-)
True, but all acoustics aren't equal. I'm in research mode and looking at Kawai digital because the action excites me. This video argues in favour of buying the action alone (the VPC1) at a relatively non bank-breaking price. I use Pianoteq with my antique Nord and would continue that with a Kawai. I really hate the idea of having a huge piece of furniture like a car or a fridge that has become garbage. I'm sort of holding out for a MIDI controller with Grand Feel III action or a Roland with their top action.
My Yamaha Clavinova 360 is doing very well at nearly 30 years of age now. A few days ago, I did a thorough cleaning of the key actions due to sticking and sluggish response. It now plays like it did when it was new.
I have a Clavinova as well, from the first generation (also about 30 years). It's still rocking! :D
@@misterpiano92 Cool! Love mine. After all the years it has sentimental value. Took me about 8 hours or so to disassemble the keyboard and painstakingly clean all 88 keys. Was worth it though. One TH-cam video in particular was extremely helpful.
I purchased a used Suzuki DP-88 (manf. 98) for my 6yo to learn on. All functions still work after my sons been messing with it for the past 6-7months including my 4yo playing with his feet a few times. Just purchased a Kawai CA49 for the action and the modern sound engine.
Very nice choice! The Kawai CA49 is a wonderful piano and your son will definitely benefit from the all wooden key Grand Feel Compact action! :)
@@MerriamPianos Hi.. definitely didn't expect a reply from you :). We went with digital after thoroughly weighing all the pros/cons. The "new" acoustic pianos are out of budget. We have no ability to test the pre-owned ones from private sellers. "Used" ones from dealers still cost thousands more than I anticipated. Was able to find the CA49 for $1700USD so I jumped on it.
One question, how much does a Yamaha U3 manufactured in 1974 worth today? A local private seller is selling one for $3900 USD and I wonder if it's worth to have my son's piano teacher look at it.
I love your channel and all the information you guys put out. Keep it up.
Thanks for the informative video. I've had my Yamaha P-80 for 21 years and it hasn't missed a beat. The only improvement I've had to make has been to strengthen the supplied wood stand, which would rock left and right when I played loud. Steel braces - two small corner braces, plus one main cross-brace, solved that problem completely.
You're welcome! That is awesome to hear! 21 years is impressive longevity. It sounds like you have certainly got your value out of the initial investment. :)
always enjoy your piano playing excerpt in your video
I'm using my fathers Yamaha P80. It's over 20 years old by now. A few plastic keys have broken in the back (known fault) but I've just moved them to the uppermost octave. If I wanted to I could easily buy new replacements keys for 5-10 dollars each but I'm saving for something newer instead.
I learned on TH-cam how to repair the P80 Keys with just a nail, a candle and a side-cutter. Done this with P80 and an old Clavinova.
As a jet engine engineer and piano enthusiast, I appreciated your analogy when describing amplifier life.
Eventually an amplifier will need capacitors replaced but that could be in 30-50 years or even more depending on usage.
Great video!
I bought a Yamaha Clavinova 560 way back when in 1990, 32 years ago, and it is still going strong! I play it, my daughters played it. I started taking lessons again 2 years ago simply by chance (my daughter had no time because of exams, so I took her place). Since then, I have been thinking about buying a more modern model by Yamaha, one with better speakers (the Clavinova 560 is great with headphones, but the speakers are weak and the tone is tinny when playing without). Because of the pandemic, however, Yamahas seem to be out of stock in our area. Don't know which other brands are equally good -- anyone have any ideas?
Always great videos
Thanks so much! We appreciate it. :)
I was really enjoying my Casio CDP-135 for a few years then I realize that dust accumulation (due to not having a covering cloth or plastic sheet) that eventually seeped into the electronics components and affecting one note. When I opened up the Casio to clean off the dust, I unfortunately also damaged the most important part which is the ribbon cable connected to the electronics. Luckily I managed to get a replacement from my local audio electronics store here in Singapore. So my point here is always keep your digital piano nice wrapped with a dust proof cover or even just a simple cloth will do. Also do not use a wet cloth that can drip water in between the keys and this may also damaged that part of the circuitry to the particular note too. So get a digital piano cover too and maybe you can do a review on the types of piano covers for users. Thanks.
@ Mikey Mikey - good points. I always cover my piano (an Alesis). In fact I tailor-made my own cover, closely fitting, using my sewing machine skills to good effect. I injected a sense of humour into my design as the materials used include some “butchers stripe” which I have apportioned to the actual keys section… which means that even when covered, it has a distinct piano flavour and brings a smile to my face. A pleasure to behold in its own right!😃 And makes me want to play👍
@@adrianlw2750 Wow. Multi-talented indeed.
If and when my digital keyboard fails, and is not repairable, what is the best way to discard or recycle the unit?
The rubber conductive pads wear with use, doesn't matter what brand or vintage they all wear eventually. It doesn't matter how many years old it is, it is just about how much use it has and how hard it is played. It is fixable though, a shop can usually fix it for a few hundred dollars.
I purchased a keyboard this week and was wondering this. I imagine if it does give out in 10 years I would not be too upset because I would have an excuse to buy a new one with the latest tech!
As a child in the 90s playing the piano, I thought that keyboards were ugly holdovers from the 80s. Now, as a homeowner, I would never want to put a giant piano in my home. Also, the flexibility of midi recording combined with the accessibility of audio editing software didn't exist when I was younger. The keyboard is really popular option now.
Length of warranty can be a consideration. The length of the warranty can give an indication of how long the manufacturer plans to have replacement parts available. When I shopped for digital pianos last year, of the pianos I considered, Kawai and Yamaha had a 5 year warranty and Roland had a 10 year warranty. I ended up buying a Roland LX-706 because I like the sound and keyboard feel, but it was also reassuring to have a 10 year warranty.
i bought a Casio PX-200 pretty soon after they came out in 2007 and just passed it on to my brother-in-law's kids in Nome, AK with only a broken headphone jack. It traveled to several dozen coffee shop "gigs" with it's plastic end caps and many more years in it's wooden console configuration. it even got left out in a moderate rain one time after a gig. a few sensors were stuck for a few days until they dried up, but unscathed after that. i never was a huge fan of its headphone output and digital noise on long sustains, but it was a tank for a $700 entry-level DP. I know this may not be everyone's experience, but that lead me to replace it with a PX-870 when I was ready to reboot my piano journey after a number of years away from the keys. this being a full-time console model -- it obviously won't be traveling ;)
Thanks for tuning in and sharing your story! It sounds like the PX200 was a wonderful musical servant to you and, now, your brother-in-law's children. Some digital pianos have incredible longevity and can certainly outlast their expected lifespan. Also, congrats on your PX870! They're awesome console digitals with a great balance of touch, tone, and speaker power! :)
11:00 I tried I think the Casio adp120 at a store and the 18w amp was not nearly loud enough. if I were to run that at a normal piano volume it would be about 80-90% all the time. Glad I went with the px870 instead!
I'm playing a Yamaha P80 that I bought in 2003. 19 Years old. Only problem is I had one key was sticking. I thought it was broken, ordered a replacement part. Turned out the key wasn't broken, the lubrication that they use to provide smooth travel, built up, causing it to stick. So it's still going. Yes, I'm due for an upgrade , waiting for a Roland FP-60X to hit my area.
The nice thing is the inputs and outputs on my higher end digital piano are bolted into the frame just like the ones on my more high-end pro audio gear. Cheaper instruments have numerous disadvantages and their inputs and outputs just being held by the circuitboard is definitely one of them. Weighted keyboards seem to be a bit more prone to long term issues to. Quality varies of course. Higher end instruments are also designed to be serviceable. I have a 17 year old Yamaha digital piano and a 40 year old Yamaha synth. My 17 year old Yamaha digital piano is multi sampled with very nice velocity sensitive keys and a bombproof construction and sounds like my acoustic. They are nice instruments though and were not cheap $700 Costco specials.
The first parts that usu fail are the felts. It receives continuous pounding while you play, I would say after a couple thousand of hours of playing the felts are somewhat deformed or even broken, esp the top one. It will degrade to the point that the piano becomes unplayable because of random loud notes, ghost notes, etc. The repairman will charge you a fortune for the felt replacement but it is something you might be able to do yourself. Always take extra caution when dealing with electronics, dont take any risk.
I just bought my first digital piano, the Yamaha Clavinova CSP-170 and I love it. I plugged it in a power surge protector. Let’s see how long it will last.
Congrats! Enjoy your new digital piano! Happy playing! :)
I bought a Yamaha P90 in 2009, still running strong, gigged weekly with it for years. Action still feels fine!
That is fantastic longevity! Glad to hear it! :)
Got my CP-300 Yamaha June 2006 and it is like new after carrying it in roller cases to church for years. Talked to a well known music leader in the nation that has the same instrument and he said his has some glitches and may buy a Nord. I say sixteen years without having to be tuned, this Yamaha has about paid for itself. That is a big selling point as you can buy another, especially well built like mine. One may have problems, and another identical instrument may not. Acoustic pianos do not hold their value like years past, so I found Yamaha CP-300 was the way to go.
Stu, you do great reviews!
We appreciate it! Thank you so much for tuning into the channel! :)
Bought a Yamaha clavinova in 2002 and its 16 years 2 months 9 days until I had to change my keys set. Instrument, sounds, and speakers still worked well. Not bad at all.
That's awesome longevity! Digital pianos can certainly stand the test of time when well maintained and cared for. :)
My Yamaha Arius is pretty old. It turns itself on randomly but then off again when the eco power saver kicks in 😂
I do admit it lives not far from the doorway and we live near a beach with bad ass humidity …
I had a Yamaha Clavanova for 20 years. Just went faulty a few months ago. Got a new one and cast only a few £100 more than the one 20 years ago.
My Yamaha P80 is over 35 years old and is still without a single problem. Of all the money I have ever spent on anything this has given the most joy and satisfaction. Thx Yamaha!!
That is fantastic to hear! Some models were built to endure the test of time. :)
Recently, my Yamaha P-80 stopped turning on. I had it for 20 years. So sad.
Thanks for the video and all those that I have watched recently, some great advice and reviews. I realised last night I’d had my old 61 key Yamaha PSR-330 26 years. One speaker crackles a bit when turning up or down but not when in use. All else is fine. Probably going to buy Roland FP-30X so hoping it lasts at least half as long. Reluctant now of letting the Yamaha go fully or whether to store it…
That is awesome to hear! Some digital pianos are able to exceed expectation in terms of their life span. The Roland FP30X is an excellent instrument and Roland offers some of the most reliable and durable digital pianos on the market. I know you will be impressed and thrilled with it! :)
Yamaha PF- 70 1991 ..still going strong . Beer spilt into keyboard twice ( Once , my party . Second , my son's) . Took it part , cleaned the pickups , but this was before each key came out separately , so I had to take out all the keys to get to the 5-6 sticky ones . Still has great feel and with MIDI, is still relevant . I think MIDI has to be one of the best musical inventions of the modern era, when you consider the forethought, especially when everyone else was trying establish their own standard . Eg, VHS and BETA , etc etc .
I had a casio px-320 for 15 years before it started crumbling. First thing to go was a small break of soldering on the sensor board, took me some time to find it.
In the process of taking the piano apart I have noticed that small rubber parts on each key action are cracked and crumbling. But the piano was still playable, so I gave it away to a teen who wants to learn.
you can actually replace those rubber pads, Casio will sell them to you. it's be good to do and not too hard. Better than the dry bits flying all over inside. I repaired some of my Casios, it's fun, lots of vids online. That teen will thank you;)
@@QalinaCom I don't even have an idea who to call or how these things are called. Are you sure they still make parts for a 2006 piano?
@@batner The only way to find out for sure is to ask a dealer. Parts are reused for other models, they also might have some old stock parts. It's be cheaper for you to buy a part yourself (or buy another dead keys and recycle the part). I became a repair ninja after watching some youtube vids in here. Great fun and it makes me feel good that I prolonged a life of a good instrument and reduced plastic waste. You've got nothing to lose.
I’ve got a Roland KF90 that I bought in 1999..it’s used everyday and hasn’t missed a beat.
I have a Samick SE 876G Baby Grand digital piano and it has just had it's 30th birthday. Never a problem with it since day 1.
That is amazing longevity! Glad to hear it!
I just came from Sam Ash and wanted to share my experiences with 2 new pianos I saw: the Kawai ES920 and the Roland FP90X. I will compare them with other pianos I had played before, which I also played in the same store today. The other pianos in the store were: Yamaha P45, P125, P515, Casio PX-S3000, several other Casio pianos, at least 4 Korg pianos, a few Roland pianos, and some other brands. These are first impressions taken during about 1 hour of playing:
Kawai ES920: I am probably an outlier to the type of customer that Stu describes in this video, because I don't really buy digital pianos, arrangers or workstations with the idea of keeping them for a long time. I am always changing them, despite losing money. I already have the Yamaha DGX 670, which is replacing the DGX 660. So, when I saw the Kawai ES920, I had an adrenaline rush. I saw myself buying it on the spot, thinking it was the amazing instrument I have seen in videos. What a disappointment. First of all, the speaker system sounds clear, but it lacks bass, and it didn't sound better than the Yamaha P125, although the sample sounds more open with a wider stereo. Now, the SK-EX sample: it is so dark and lacking definition, and the equalizer didn't help. I also used a pair of Audio-Technica ATH M40X studio headphone monitors. I really thought I was going to listen to a beautiful sample... but it lacks expression. It sounds as if you turn down the treble a lot in a stereo. Through the speaker system it sounds better, especially at low volumes, since those tiny speakers are not meant to push the volume too loud because it doesn't produce bass. The other samples, the EX, jazz, etc. piano samples were worse than the SK-EX. The piano produces a nice stereo ambience, though. But it sounds like a distant ambient piano. It maintains this character even through studio headphones. There is no discernible character in this sample, it reminded me a bit to some Roland pianos with that diffuse sound... I was not expecting this, really.
I tried this time to get the alleged feel of the keyboard action, comparing it with the GHS in the Yamaha's... I don't know... I couldn't detect the supposedly superior feeling this Kawai action has over the GHS. To me, they were pretty similar. The keys look nice, though, better than the shiny keys on the Yamaha P125.
I also played with the built-in rhythms: very clear sound, but most of the rhythms were kind of a mismatch for a digital piano that claims to be lyrical and soft. But nothing special there.
Roland FP90X: it looks very similar to the Kawai ES920, but the plastics have a richer shade, they seem more premium. The Kawai ES920 looks boxy, square, cheap matte plastics. The Roland FP90X has a pretty design, with nice looking "wooden" keys (they are fake, just wooden strips on the side, but who cares in a slab piano anyway). The color of the white keys is not as boring as the ES920, it has a richer shade of white. But the tone of the Roland is the typical fake sound they always have. So, here you buy a pretty piano with nice looking keys and a better feel, but then you get the "Roland" piano sound...
The speaker system with its "powerful" 60 watts: I compared it directly against the 6 watt per channel speaker of the DGX 670. Oh boy, the DGX 670 is as loud, if not louder, and it has BASS, it sounds rich. The reason is: understand amplifiers and speakers, and don't go by specifications that mean little in real life. The Roland FP90X has smaller speakers to accommodate its looks. Tiny speakers don't make bass and can't play very loud because they don't have high sensitivity. The DGX 670, on the other hand, is not designed to look "cool". Yamaha uses space to make large speaker boxes for their speaker system. I opened my DGX 660 before, and it has long speaker boxes inside, not just what appears to be from the outside, those boxes run along the entire piano basically. In addition, the speakers are a bit larger. The truth is that the Roland FP90X does NOT sound louder or better than the Yamaha DGX 670 in real life, despite what specifications might have you believe. In reality, it sounds flat.
Yamaha P515: I tried this time to feel the alleged massive key pressure needed to move the 80+ gram keyboard... I still can't feel this keyboard being heavy. I am not saying it is not, all I am saying is that it just doesn't feel that way to me. The P515 has the best combination of speaker system and piano sample of all those pianos. The Yamaha DGX 670 has more growl in its speaker system, but the P515 produces a piano sound (despite both having the same CFX) that sounds more realistic than the DGX 670 through its speaker system. Maybe Yamaha tweaked the sample and speaker system in the P515 more for piano, I guess.
If somebody wanted to play a digital piano that sounds like an acoustic piano, both Kawai and Yamaha are the best choices. However, in the world of digital pianos, I find Yamaha still beats Kawai in terms of realism. I really though that had changed after the ES920 and their newer samples, but I don't find that to be the case. The ES920 produces a pretty ambient sound for low volumes, but the P515 captures more what a real piano sounds, particularly through its speaker system.
Yamaha DGX 670: Despite being only 6 watts, it produces the most powerful sound. It beats the Kawai ES920 and Roland FP90X. I tested them at full volume against each other. This is probably due to a better speaker design with larger speakers. Note: You don't want to play the DGX 670 as it sounds from the factory, you need to use the built-in equalizer to remove some of the boominess around 80 Hz. In addition, DON'T use the default "normal" EQ curve: go to Voice Settings and use a flat curve. I don't understand why Yamaha decided to make the DGX 670 sound less good by default... maybe to keep a greater difference from the P515. But the DGX 670 actually sounds very good, you just don't want to use the "normal" EQ curve.. I find that curve pretty useless.
I can't justify the huge price difference between the DGX 670 and the ES920 and FP90X. They don't even sound better than the DGX 670. The ES920 doesn't even feel better for me, its dull matte plastic even seems less expensive than the plastic on the DGX 670. At least the FP90X looks better. But it doesn't sound any better. And the 60-watt "powerful" amplifier is only such in the spec sheet, in practice the DGX 670 sounds richer.
Korg SP2: Kind of like getting a Roland FP90X. Expensive and nothing that I could find amazing.
Kawai Novus NV5 vs Kawai EX Pro by Acoustic Samples: I installed this morning the Kawai EX Pro by Acoustic Samples, a library that contains about 10 GB of the Kawai EX. I compared it with the piano samples that Stu plays in his Novus NV5. You can tell they have the same piano tone. After all, the SK-EX and the Kawai EX are similar and come from the same company, being the SK-EX about $20,000 more, since it has a number of more premium features. But make no mistake: the Kawai EX is a 9-foot concert grand that costs $186,000 or so. The vst piano sounds definitely with more resolution than the Novus NV5. You can hear the NV5 has less definition, it is more compressed. After all, Kawai doesn't sample each note with its full decay, plus they add a ton of artifacts. The NV5 sounds great by itself, until you play the vst by Acoustic Sample, which has more detail, and it sounds better. It is like listening to a speaker covered with a towel. But like most vst pianos, the problem in the velocity curve. You can hear the steps, although you can reduce the effect by softening the velocity curve. The velocity curve issue, which is pretty universal, may also be emphasized by the type of genre you play. I plan to upload in my channel an example of this vst piano using MIDI and probably "copy and paste" somebody playing the NV5 for comparison.
Does Kawai still make the EX? Didn't they replaced the EX with the S K EX?🎹🎶
@@MERCEDES-BENZS600GUARD_V12 Hi Benz. Kawai continues to make the EX. The EX has "K. Kawai" stamped on the fallboard. As you know, the "K" stands for "Koichi", since Koichi Kawai wanted all his grand pianos have his name. Now, the Shigeru Kawai is an even more premium piano, and costs about $20,000 more than the EX. I have seen the improvements, according to a Kawai technician, and they are numerous: probably like 20 improvements. At this level of refinement, and since both pianos are close to the $200,000 range, you will not hear a massive sound improvement because the K. Kawai EX is no joke, it is a concert piano. Shigeru Kawai was Koichi Kawai's son. Koichi stopped working for Yamaha at age 41, after being with them for 30 years. He started as an apprentice of Torakusu Yamaha. Shigeru assumed leadership of his father's legacy and business when he was 43.
@@Instrumental-Covers thanks I did not know that. I thought the S K EX was the replacement for the EX. Do you know what came before the EX? And is Kawai the only piano brand that makes 2 concert grand piano models?🎹🎶
@@MERCEDES-BENZS600GUARD_V12 Before the Kawai EX was the Kawai GS-100 and KG-8, both 9 foot concert grand pianos. Of course, they both had the "K. Kawai" logo. Fazioli has two concert grand pianos, the F278 and F308. I guess Kawai has plans for two kinds of concert pianists: the regular ones and the premium ones. 😄
Instrumental covers ..thank you so much for all this useful, comparative information. It answered most to all of my questions as I am currently considering another keyboard purchase (when I make room by selling some that I have )
Stu, it would be great if you could do a video about always plugging a digital piano into a UPS or good surge protector. In addition to my last comments it's also important to know that surge protectors don't protect well forever either: the internal electronics will eventually deteriorate. I definitely would not use one that is more than 10 years old.
Most of the surges and brownouts people are going to experience will actually be from INSIDE their house / apartment: air conditioning systems going on and off, furnace fans, various electric pumps, garage door openers, large power tools, etc. So no one can escape the problem. If more people use a good UPS / power conditioner / surge protector, the supply chain for digital piano internal electronics will stay healthier much longer.
I have a Casio PX160. It was very nice in the beginning but at one point in time it began some strange behavior. The main problem that was happening was that it would change the keys tones beginning in the middle of the octave above middle C. This made it impossible to play any song. I got lots of advice on how to fix this from Casio itself and from various music stores that I called, Nothing worked.
I was very disappointed mostly because I had a Casio piano sound that I bought in 1985 that was still going strong 25 years later. I trusted Casio and bought the PX160.
i have a Yamaha CLP clavinova...from 2003...keys are still great...
Are you trying to touch it? Just joke :)
How much time you trainging per day?
@@sadist6677
For me also.
yamaha clp 100 from 2010.
Still good condition 😃
Hi Stu, In addition, the manufacturer is important. Some manufacturers cost cut by using lower quality components such as electrolytic capacitors. These will go bad over a shorted period of time, years instead of decades. Good video.
You mention that I am an old timer who has good history with the Yamaha line.
@@darykinnaman2319 I have yet to find anything Yamaha makes to be bad.
I have Casio Celviano AP-3 from 1995, thousand hours played (i am a piano teacher), still running without problems, no key is diferent, now you can buy piano with supreme piano sound and full polyphony (AP-3 is 32 voice polyphony...), but organ and cembalo sound by Celviano sounds still very usable. But the price in 1995 :-) , it was like a half of small new car :-) (i live in Czech)
Hi Stu,
Congrats for your wonderful channel, a rich source of information about digital pianos. My interest in particular spins around the stage pianos. You have shared a whole lot of valuable information with us and the comparisons are so helpful as well.
Also congrats for your amazing playing skills. Bravo! That is another reason why I enjoy watching your videos. I learn about instruments and enjoy music at the same time.
I have a complete home studio. I am thinking of starting a channel to show my instruments. By the way my main instrument is the double bass and I like to play jazz music. But I play many other other instruments as well, strings in general, drums, and keys which I fundamentally believe everyone should learn music on as a beginner.
You have just welcomed questions, suggestions and comments, so here I go.
When I started learning music and the piano in the 80's it was the era of FM and PCM synths, the most popular being the iconic Yamaha DX-7 and the Roland D-50.
I still keep a U-220 module for nostalgic reasons. I bought it abused by a retired function pianist. The motherboard seems to be exhausted and is giving up, as almost nothing works. I can get 3 patches out of it, luckily the most important ones like the piano, rhodes, and an organ. But they all sound so outdated that it doesn't even matter that they still play . It's even out of pitch, really worthless. It's a piece of museum in my studio, that's it. I shold remove it from my rack when I run out of rack space.
By watching your videos I am inclined to buy the Roland RD-88, which seems to have the same display as my Roland TD-17KV V-Drums.
The cursor buttons layout of the RD-88 look just like the old U-220 ones, not so easy to navigate. Thr RD-88 display size would be enough from my experience with tht TD-17.
But I find it a shame the RD-88 does not come with a dial button or wheel, like the RD-2000. My TD-17 comes with that wheel, and it looks quite robust after 4 years. Do you believe that the knobs and wheel would potentially be an issue over time? I know the buttons and the jacks in the 30+ year old U-220 have never shown any traces of age.
Finally, my biggest concern:
How much does it cost to replace the set of PHA-4 standard keys on a Roland RD-88 board, for example?
Will I still be able to find a replacement set when the time comes, say in 6 years or so?
And a second replacement, do you believe it would be possible after 12 years?
Do you believe the sampling technology will be so different in 10 years that the board will be as obsolete as the DX-7 making it not worth replacing the keys or have we reached close to a limit of sound quality?
Thank you for the spetacular uploads 👐🎹🎶🎵
I have just sold on my Kawai CN 34 which I had for 10 years without any problems or deteriorating of the sound or action. Just bought a new Kawai CN 701 which is superb and showing some obvious improvement and difference in the key action. My first Digital piano I bought was a Kurtsweil Mk10 which was an disaster as the keys became extremely noisy after 3 years and made it unplayable.
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! Congrats on your new Kawai CA701! I know you will be thrilled with what it offers! Things have come a long way since the CN34 in terms of actions and tone engines. The all 88-note wooden key action is fantastic! :)
Great video. There's also something that you could have mentioned : the pleasure lasting. How long before you want new sounds or upgraded sounds ? I guess you can't have it from an update or third party library installation. That's the number one blocker for me : digital pianos are stuck and then they will age. The monolithic nature of a digital piano can be reassuring and comfortable, but as a solded set if a piece is broken everything is lost or unusable until being repaired. That's why I finally prefered VST. I already have a computer, a good DAC (SMSL DO 100) and I could hear how it can make a great difference (whereas you're stuck with the provided one with digital piano), a decent THX speakers set, so why would I pay for an other redundant set of devices that could even be less performant than mine? By the way, there's an other thing about the amplifier you could have mentioned : the weight. Digital piano try to be very light but a good ampli always weights a lot. I'm surprised how a digital piano can be only around 12kgs when a midi controller can be even heavier.
Thank you so much! We appreciate that. There is definitely an argument to be had for VST plugins, but it all comes down to the player and the context of use. For parents purchasing digital pianos for their kids, having everything onboard the instrument and easily accessible can be quite important. With that said, for players that are comfortable with software, VST plugins can present a lot of amazing options and flexibility. In terms of digital pianos being lighter than some MIDI controllers, it all depends on a variety of factors. Some MIDI controllers, like the Kawai VPC1, have long, extended wooden key sticks, which can add a lot of weight. Thanks again and all the best!
I have a Yamaha Clavinova CLP 550 that I bought in 1990. It was relatively expensive, but you could see it was a quality item way above most keyboards of the time. I still have it and use it...works great, sounds great. So over 33 years! I cannot imagine how much I have saved on tuning...and moving costs! These things are built like a tank!
That is very impressive longevity to say the least! :)
They could last decades if the parts are still available. The gripe I have is the number of screws I have to undo, basically take the keyboard apart just to get at the rubber contacts to change them. Korg SP-170S.
My 15 year old Kawai CS3 still works perfectly fine from an electronics POV which talks to Kawai’s build quality on electronics. However, a few keys started ‘wobbling’ after a few years. Noticeable only when playing strong - I’ll put that down to this being an entry-level digital piano and hope this wouldn’t happen on high-end models. No issues with jacks, but the biggest problem we have are spiderwasps using them to breed their eggs. Simply taping the ones not used shut, solves this. If you live in a country with spiderwasps.
My Kawai MP10 still plays like a dream, 10 years old this year
I had a Casio Celviano AP-620 for about 10 years. It was mostly working Ok when I got rid of it, but the speakers were starting to sound a bit off. and it needed some work. The action and motherboard seemed to be Ok, though. I had a Roland HP 203 for a few years (with no problems) and upgraded to a Roland HP-508. That is still working like new after 7 years.
I have other keyboards, some of which are up to 35 years old. These are all working, but I have had some capacitor failures on very old instruments. Some of these tend to dry out and fail after a long time and will need replacing.
Technology improved quite a bit from 1990 to 2015 or so, so I wouldn't buy anything older than 2010-2015. Any quality piano that age in good shape (or a new one) will probably last 10 years or more. Of course, very cheap instruments, even from from good companies, may not last that long.