This post is a “deep dive” article branching from my Buying Cheap Digitals guide—although the top few in this category aren’t quite inexpensive instruments anymore! If you’re still deciding between brands (or between a slab piano and a furniture console), start with that overview first. I get asked this constantly: “If I buy the cheapest … Read more
If you’re still deciding between slab vs. console, budget ranges, or what accessories you’ll need, read this first: Digital Piano Buyer’s Guide. Quick verdict The Yamaha P-145 is the newer “entry P-series” platform. Compared to the P-45B, Yamaha mainly updated the key action, piano sound, speaker system, and connectivity. You may see P-145BT (Bluetooth). The … Read more
If you’re choosing between the Roland FP-10 and the Yamaha P-45 (P45B), you’re looking at two of the best-selling, best-supported entry-level 88-key weighted digital pianos on the market. I’m an authorized Yamaha and Roland technician, and I repair both regularly. In my experience, both companies provide excellent support for these instruments—warranties are straightforward, and parts … Read more
Clients regularly ask me what digital piano they should buy. Buying a “budget” digital piano is one of those decisions that feels simple, but there are many pitfalls. I’m a piano technician and an authorized service center for Yamaha, Roland, and Casio, and so I see the aftermath of these purchases all the time—good and … Read more
A customer recently brought in a Roland EP‑9 with several sticking keys. The culprit was the notorious red adhesive (affectionately known as the “Roland red glue of death,” or simply “red goo”) that Roland used to secure the key weights in a number of 1990s keybeds. Over time, it can liquefy and migrate, jamming keys … Read more
If you’re struggling to read your Yamaha Disklavier or Clavinova floppy disks, you’re not alone! This guide explains why older Yamaha disks often look unreadable to PCs, what tools reliably extract the files, how DD/HD media mismatches and drive issues cause read failures—along with what to do to recover your songs. Yamaha Disks Have Copy … Read more
I periodically receive requests from customers reporting that their keyboard or Nalbantov floppy disk emulator can’t read their USB stick. Usually, the issue is that the USB stick isn’t formatted correctly as a FAT32 device, or that it’s corrupt. I’ve created this guide to explain how to format your USB sticks in a manner that’s … Read more
Yamaha P-71: No Sound After a Spill The customer initially reported spilling water in the keyboard. However, on inspection, the substance was oily. It had also wicked into the keyboard contacts and speakers. The most damaged component—and the reason the keyboard made no sound at all—was the volume slider. I removed the original and soldered … Read more
If your keyboard isn’t working, and you’re considering having it repaired by a service center, you might want to try a factory reset first. I’ve had quite a few customers come in with apparently mute keyboards that, in fact, just needed a factory reset. Your Yamaha might have issues with a setting that got accidentally … Read more
I repaired multiple Yamaha Clavinovas with separating hammer strike felts this week. It’s interesting how these repairs seem to come in groups! This is an issue commonly seen in Clavinovas from the late 2000s, and it affects a wide variety of models. Usually customers complain of either a noisy action or a heavy, uneven feel, … Read more