Hi, I'm a newbie here and I just have a question about Yamaha's slimline pianos. I think it's about time for me to upgrade to a new digital piano and I'm very interested in the Yamaha modus line since I'm looking for a modern looking piano that sounds good. The F01 model is the only one in my budget right now (~$5300). However, I noticed that the CLPS308 is now finally available in Canada and I am wondering which one to choose. Yamaha is currently offering a rebate on the CLP so it would be ~$4500.
I read another post which states that the CLPS308 does not have the key-off sampling or stereo sustain like the F01 but it does have 128 note polyphony. Is one better to have than the other?
I have been playing an old yamaha keyboard so I have no idea what the difference in sound quality would be.
Has anyone played both? Which one did you prefer or sound better?

On another note, the store I visited had a floor model of the previous F01 model (CLP-F01) for about the same price as the CLPS308. Can anyone confirm that it has the same features as the Modus F01? From what I can tell the only difference is that the Modus F01 has the Yamaha Logo above the music rest.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

When I bought my first digital
piano way back in 1989, the
digitals already played like
an acoustic piano. My digital,
a $600 Williams Overture, plays
like an acoustic piano, and
I can play anything on it,
from jazz to concertos, even
though it is an economy model
digital. So high-end digitals
like the Modus and the CLPS308
are going to play like a
grand piano, and whatever
minor differences in specs
are not going to mean anything.

If the slim console CLPS 308
is still not slim enough,
and the new Modus F01 is
too expensive, then the
floor model CLP F01 looks
like a good choice. This
is apparently the slimline
Clavinova that was renamed
the Modus F01, the current model.
So this has been on the floor
for a while, but that wouldn't
matter because it would have
full warranty. This seems to
look almost exactly the same
as the Modus, and the performance
would be similar, since there
are usually not going to be drastic
changes in specs in only one yr.
And you can use the fact
that it is discontinued and
"used" to bargain down the
price even more, like: "This
is a discontinued model that has
been on the floor and pounded
on for more than yr. I can't
pay that much for a heavily used
piano. The price should
be discounted $1000 more.
No, even more than $1000."

The Modus apparently is not
selling that well--this CLP F01
has been on the floor now for about
a yr. or more. Some people love
the avant-garde look, but
it's too radical for the masses,
apparently, and most people
are scared off by it. Plus,
the price is high, which scares
off even people who like the look.
That might work even more in your favor,
since they'll probably be wanting to clear
their floor of this discontinued
model, which has been sitting there
for ages, and they might be willing
to take much less for it.

Both are Yamaha's,........so will be excellent........what about the appearance........I like the CLPS 308 more......

Specs........different, but not better or so..

Johan B

It looks as if the 308 does have stereo sustain - which is called Damper Resonance in its specs - but not key-off samples.

Floor models which have been sitting for a long time should be heavily discounted.

i like CLPS308 look better. if you can get the discount on CLPS308, then it might be the one to get for you.

Thanks for the input everyone. I actually mentioned to the dealer that it was a old model and he went to see if he could give me a lower price but when he came back he said it was as low as he could go. Not sure if I buy that. Plus, I'm a little hesitant to buy something that's been sitting there for a while.
I am now leaning to go with the CLPS308 but I'm still confused about this stereo sustain. The specs sheet says it is only included in the other models CLP340, 370 and 380. Don't know if that's going to make much of a difference and if it's worth the extra bucks to get it on the F01. I actually do prefer the look of the F01 since it is more slimmer but I was reading the manual for the CLPS308 and it looks like there are no brackets that have to be installed in the back like the F01 so it could sit more flush with the wall compared to the F01.

Yes, the CLPS306/308 is designed to sit flush again the wall.

It's a very clean design - one of the most attractive Clavinova instruments in my opinion.

Cheers,
James
x

There's no problem with buying
a floor model digital piano.
The use it has taken really
is negligible when you
consider that digital pianos
are designed for durabilty
and reliability and can last
indefinitely. The very first
digital I bought, a Korg
C-800 purchased in 1989, I
gave to my neighbor in 2005,
and the last time I checked,
in Dec., it was still in
perfect condition. A floor
model will have the same full
warranty as a brand new model,
because the store knows it will be
just as good as a new one.

Nevertheless, you can use the
fact that it is a floor model to
bargain the price down further--
plus, you might say that the
extra brackets needed indicate
that it is potentially "unstable".
If you can get them to take, say,
another $1000 off it, you'll
be getting the equivalent
of a brand new Modus at a huge
savings.

soapy, you're correct to not trust the dealer. All he did was go into another room and come back. There may be a limit to the price at which dealers can *advertise* a piano, but they can sell at the price they choose. Frankly the most important thing is the dealer's position in your market. If there's no competition, there's little incentive to make deals. If you continue to be bothered by his price, you'll have to locate another dealer. You could contact Yamaha and ask for dealer info in a zip code that's in a large city.

Re the stereo sustain, Yamaha's descriptions are not consistent. The 308 is sampled in stereo, so it's most likely that what the specs list as "Damper Resonance" is also stereo. That resonance is the sound produced when notes are struck and the damper - sustain - pedal is depressed. You could contact Yamaha's tech support, to confirm this.

If all else fails, you may want to consider getting one of the traditional models. Those sell well and should be easier to locate at other dealers.

Patience and persistence.

I just went through this exact same choice, plus a few. I settled on the CLP-370 which got delivered a few days ago. Here's why:

The Modus F01 is more money. I think the 308 is also.

The F01 only has 10 voices 308 has 14, 370 has 28
The 370 has 4-step dynamic sampling, F01 and 308 both have 3
the 370 has a few more effects.

The thing I liked better for the F01 and 308 was that the speaker configuration was a bit more forward projecting, thus the sound was a bit more dynamic.

So far I'm happy with the 370.

There's only 1 yamaha dealer where I live so I'm kinda stuck dealing with them. If I tried getting it from another city then I would end up paying shipping costs as well. I realize I'm sacrificing some features for the look but I think it will go well in my new house. Just wish the price wasn't as high. The rebate expires in Jan so I have sometime to think it over. I guess I'll need to work on my negotiating skills before I go back to see the dealer.

my idea is simply simple.
if y focus on appearance, go w f series
if y focus on the functions :D, then go w 370.
seriously, i would go w 370

Soapy,
I don't know the market in Canada, but in our market those would be very good prices, floor model or not. We have had several FO1's in our window and sold and rotated another in. Most didn't have 1/2 hour of play time on them.