Hello to everyone, I already posted this in another section of the forum and have been advised to post here as well, so here we go..

I own an Avantgrand N1, of which I am fairly happy. Sound not magnificent, but certainly good enough for practice, if using good headphones.

However, although the keyboard does have a clear piano feel and allow you to play pretty much anything, it still does not withstand a comparison with the real thing. When I have the chance to play a real baby-grand back home, I cant help immediately thinking how much easier all the technical passages feel.

To be more precise, the keys of the N1 feel somewhat more shallow, making it difficult to maintain relaxation throughout difficult etudes and quick passages. Not to speak about full hand chords and octaves, where the hands dont 'sink' into the keyboard as they do in a real grand piano. I think the reason for this is that in a normal piano the step of the 'doppio scappamento' (let-off in english I think?) comes quite a lot earlier than in my N1. Besides, the resistence is probably a bit stronger. This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that on my N1 I can play octaves 'glissando' with total ease, something which is practically impossible with any other grand I played.

So, the general question is, I bet you have seen this coming for a while now.., is it possible to regulate the keyboard of the Avantgrands, bringing it more toward the feel of a proper grand piano? Has anyone else experienced the same problem with Avantgrands? And who would you ask for help to?

Many thanks for taking the time to read this. Hope someone can help.

Found the thread that may be useful.

I own an N3 and before that owned a GranTouch for 12 years. I had the key dip made deeper. The tech was a friend and neighbor and he just removed the paper punchings under the white keys which provided slightly more key dip.

I personally like a key dip that is greater than regulation. I find the key dip on most pianos too shallow.

Thank you SpanishBuddha, for taking the time to find that thread. I read it and it seems there are people having the piano serviced to make it lighter! The opposite as me, cant believe someone would like it lighter than mine honestly, so maybe some pianos come with a keyboard regulated more on the heavy side. I did contact Yamaha support center, will see if they reply..


Dave, thank you for the info. I wonder what you think of the keyboard in the N3. On my N1 the step of the escapement is really very far down the run of the key, and actually it is very difficult to make the piano play while starting with the key depressed to the level of the step (hope this makes sense), whereas in my baby grand you can feel the step pretty soon, very close to the full rest position of the key. I suspect this, coupled with a stronger resistence, is what is causing me the problems.

Have you actually measured the dip of the keys in N3, and how does it compare to a grand?

Thank you for your time guys, much appreciated.

Alex, I just play the piano, I'm not one to partially depress the key and see what what happens ... I just play. Those very few times when the piano does not respond as I expect it to, I chalk it up to my lack of technique and not a possible limitation in the piano.

I've had access to a tuner's key dip shim(?) - simply a piece of wood probably about 1'4" thick that they'll use to check the key dip. Whatever the official regulation key dip is, I prefer an even slightly deeper key dip. I prefer to have to work a bit more when I practice so any other piano I come in contact with is biking downhill with the wind at my back.



It seems most folks like a lighter action so much so that there are even discussion about electric keyboards with 'heavy actions'. Go figure. I've never played an electric keyboard where I thought the action was too heavy, if anything, they are always too light or just OK. I'm the minority point of view.

Ha ha Dave, point taken. But hey, isnt that the whole point of double escapement, that you can play a key without it having to come back to full rest position? If you cant produce a sound when the key is already depressed, why having a grand mecahnics really..that is the main difference between uprights and grand pianos, and it can make a rather big impact on your technical results, depending on which repertoire you are dealing with.

Personally I like heavy keyboards, they dont make me slower but actually help me to stay more relaxed, and give me that nice feel of vaguely sore fingers when I am through with my daly practice. And I am totally with you for what concerns the digital keyboards..

Will see what Yamaha replies, if they ever do. Otherwise, will just have to settle.