I recently had a client request that I replace the stock GH3 action in her Yamaha CVP-305 with a Yamaha Natural Wood action, and so I had an opportunity to do some experimenting. I replaced the basic GH3 keybed in her piano with a GH3-NW keybed, which has noticeably better (and lighter) touch. She’s been extremely pleased with it ever since!
Many complete Yamaha GH3-family keybed assemblies share the same basic mounting and three-sensor electrical arrangement, and several cross-family swaps have worked successfully.
GH3, GH3X, Natural Wood/GH3, and NWX all represent action families rather than single identical assemblies. Exact features can vary by part number, including hammer grading, counterweights, and keytop finish. I’ve listed a few on this page that have been widely tested, but other possibilities are out there.
These substitutions are not endorsed by Yamaha and may affect warranty coverage for defects or damage caused by the modification.
If you have a 2-sensor Yamaha action, you cannot swap a 3-sensor GH3 action in its place. It’s important to note that although the GH3 actions seem to be substitutable with one another, the GHD and GHS actions are not compatible.
Keyboard compatibility lookup tool
Quick answer: If your Yamaha uses a GH3-family triple‑sensor keybed, you can often swap the complete keybed assembly between GH3 (ZV601600), GH3X (ZV601400), NW‑GH3 (WV830100/WH757100), and NWX (ZV601500). If your instrument uses a 2‑sensor action (e.g., not GH3-family), these swaps usually won’t work. Use the lookup tool below to check your model.
Check your Yamaha model
Enter your Yamaha model number to check likely compatibility.
Dashes, spaces, and capitalization are ignored. For example, CLP-625 and clp625 will both work.
How different do the GH3, GH3X, NW-GH3, and NWX really feel?
Although there’s some subjectivity, we mutually agreed that the Natural Wood actions felt lighter than the plastic equivalents (which is a bit counter-intuitive initially), and that the escapement added perceived weight.
Overall, we found that the NW-GH3 action was the lightest action, and the GH3X had the fullest response. You can read more about the specific differences in this article from Yamaha (from 2019). Her favorite action was the NW-GH3 which is discontinued from Yamaha’s lineup. She was an organist, and wanted as light a touch as possible, even though that’s not necessarily the most accurate simulation of a piano.
Availability and pricing
The Yamaha part numbers and prices from Syntaur as of this writing (8-1-25).
Please note that each of these part numbers is for an action in that respective family. There are, in fact, other variations of these same actions out there.
I also can’t guarantee compatibility of any replacement key bed; although this has always worked for me, it’s an at-your-own-risk operation!
Please don’t hesitate to contact me. I can quickly look up your keyboard and see if this might be an option for you.
Readers have recently confirmed this swap worked on the Yamaha CLP-280, CLP-330, and YDP-S55. If you have a success story, let me know, and I’ll add your model!
Not sure if you will see this. Is there any chance I could put a nw-gh3 in a Yamaha cp300 which would have used a gh action?
The Yamaha CP-300 uses two contact sensors, rather than three contact sensors. Unfortunately, it does not seem to be possible to substitute a NW-GH3 in place of any Yamaha GHD or GHS two contact actions.
I edited this on March 14th, 2025 with new information and a demonstration of the new tool above.
Hey, i find it amazing you post such a helpful tool online, thank you for that.
I’m currently looking to replace the gh3 action of my old CLP-230 with a brand new NWX.
You think there is some adjustment work to do on the velocity curve or should I be fine?
Unfortunately I’m from Italy else i would call you for the job hehe.
Hello Florian! Thank you for the kind words; I’m glad you found the tool useful! The NWX features wooden keys and an escapement mechanism, both of which enhance the tactile experience and can aid in expressive, delicate playing. While it’s not strictly necessary to adjust the velocity curve when transitioning to NWX, it might be helpful to tailor the response to your personal playing style. Although this is very subjective, the NWX probably feels “lighter” than the basic GH3.
And please let me know how you like it when the work is done!
Hi Alexander!
This information is gold. Thank you very much! I own two CLP-280 pianos, which I believe use NW-GH3. I have repaired the keybed several times (even replaced several keys), replaced sensors, felt. To this day I had no idea NWX and NW-GH3 are swappable. Do you think it’s worth upgrading to NWX if money is not a concern? Does it really feel closer to an acoustic grand or it’s more like a hype? From your post it looks like NWX action is a bit heavier. Does the escapement work as it should?
Hello Vladmir!
Yes, that looks like it matches to me. Personally, I find the NWX action to be a significant improvement over the NW-GH3 action. My finding, generally, has been that pianists prefer the NWX, whereas people that are used to keyboards or organs as a daily player tend to prefer the NW-GH3. I realize that’s a pretty broad brush, but, generally, that’s been the case. The NW-GH3 has a gentler touch, which makes dynamics a little tougher to control. The escapement in the NWX feels pretty good, and helps with that control. Although realistic is subjective, it’s probably the most realistic of the GH3 actions. Please let me know of you have any other questions.
Thank you!