I repaired multiple Yamaha Clavinovas with separating hammer strike felts this week. 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, particularly in the middle of the keyboard.
The solution is to replace the hammer strike felt. Don’t try to glue it or repair it in place—it probably won’t work, and the felt is old now anyway. As a rule, the hammer rest felt should be replaced at the same time. The part numbers are V8468201 for the hammer strike felt and V7640101 for the hammer rest felt. You can order replacement felts on Yamaha 24×7 by part number. Both strike felt and rest felt are also available on Syntaur, although at the time of this writing, Yamaha 24×7 is less expensive.
These felts are wear items. After you replace them, you’ll notice an improvement to the action beyond a simple repair. As you can see in the pictures, the hammers leave defined indentations in both the hammer strike felt and the hammer rest felt. These indentations cause excess hammer blow distance and aftertouch. This is an effect noticeable to the average pianist, particularly if the felts are very old or very worn. New felts are also quieter!
Looking for more? Read my article on troubleshooting your digital piano. And don’t forget to protect it with a good surge protector!