Hi folks,

The damper/sustain pedal on my Clavinova stopped working. I opened the pedal box and checked the sensor.. I could push the rubber stopper (that has a little attachment in it that pushes against the sensor to activate whatever electronics that are responsible for the damper effect). That works perfectly.. so the issue is with the mechanical action. The spring is perfect too. It looks like the rubber has lost its rigidity.. so the pedal pushing against it does not get the attachment pressed firmly enough against the sensor. I tried attaching a coin below the pedal above the contact point. It now dampens on its own accord (sometimes works, sometimes doesn't work) and its hard to achieve a balance.

Any ideas how to fix this?

Thanks.

Hi Liszt,

One thing you may consider is to look for a Yamaha repair centre near you and ask whether you can buy a replacement. It shouldn't be too expensive I guess.

Some time ago I replaced my Clavinova's keyboard rubber stoppers with thermal insulating foam stripes, but after that they aren't working as nicely as they used to do with the original stoppers (when they were new). So I contacted a repair centre and they told me they have them in stock for a reasonable price.

Or what about trying to add some rubber material on top of the stopper?

Ciao,
Paolo

liszt85, I would try one thing before calling Yamaha, remove the connector for the pedal unit (at both ends if possible) and spray contact spray at the contacts and spray the inside of the pot for the sustain pedal as well. You never know.

I'm curious to learn how this turns out - the price of parts, etc. Keep us posted.

This piano is in my home country.. I live in the US. I'm in my home country on vacation for a month now and was trying to figure out if I could make this work well enough to make my practice sessions more enjoyable. I don't know of a Yamaha repair center anywhere in the vicinity or in the nearby towns (or even in the same State!). I tried attaching a couple of coins on the stopper, it worked for a while (but was not very consistent in its action, I must add.. it sometimes acted on its own will) but one of the coins fell off. I really should get something like a rubber sheet and cut out a small piece (and maybe glue a couple of sheets together to get the right thickness) and then stick that on top of the stopper. Its difficult to get the exact thickness required. I don't know if this is a good solution.. So I guess Paolo's suggestion to get a replacement stopper is indeed the best solution. I'm not sure where to look though for that part. I'll probably have to practice without the damper pedal for a couple more weeks (probably a blessing in disguise, as it will encourage me to go back and practice some stuff slowly and without the pedal).

The solution is in getting the right elasticity and the right thickness I think. Thinking further about it, I have some doubts about a replacement doing the trick because if you look at the point of contact between the pedal and the stopper, there is actually another structure there.. a metal object that presses on the stopper. The pedal does not directly connect to the stopper. This intervening metal structure appears to be slightly bent from use. So I might try bending it back into position. However, that would only be a temporary solution as it will probably bend back into how it is currently.

In any case, thanks for your suggestions.. I'll probably continue playing without the pedal for sometime just because I feel like it could do me some good. I will then try to affix a rubber sheet..I'll let you know if I get to it and will keep you posted about the results.

Oh btw Dave.. its not the chip/sensor/electronics that's the issue. I know that because pressing on the stopper with the finger works the pedal perfectly. I don't know if contact spray can help activate the pedal with less pressure on the stopper. It might be worth a shot, I don't know.. I'll see if I can get hold of some contact spray!

Contact spray? Don't!

1. You already know that the contacts are not the problem.

2. Contact spray (even on contacts that exhibit problems) is a poor substitute for a proper replacement part.

3. Are you sure that this is a old-fashioned switch with metal contacts inside a plastic body?
If so, spray can be a TEMPORARY fix (if you can gain access to the contacts).
But if not ... if this is a rubber-dome-on-PC-board switch ... the spray won't reach the affected area unless you disassemble the parts.

4. Forget #2 and #3. Item #1 is all that matters in this case. Skip the spray.

Sorry then for the spray advice. I guess the next option is to call and order parts directly from Yamaha. I can't imagine that this is a difficult task.

Keep us informed and I hope all turns out well.

Thanks guys.