Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Yamaha flagship Clavinova CLP-990's Natural Keyboard Action

Hi everyone,

I'm new on this forum, and sorry for my english, I'm French.

I've just found a Yamaha CLP-990M (mahogany) after a longtime searching everywhere. It's in like new condition.

There's something I'd like to share about the CLP-990:

- Natural Keyboard: found ONLY on 3 Clavinova models: CLP-990, CLP-175 and CVP-900. It's far better than GH, GH3 or even Natural Wood (which is GH3 itself). After a key depth regulation, the CLP-990 rocks like my Yamaha grand.











I've scanned this pic from a flyer brochure or the CLP-175. The total length of this action is quite impressed! (in comparing with Kawai's RM3 wooden action)



YAMAHA's GH3/Natural Wood:




- 88 Stereo Sampling: found ONLY on the CLP-990. When playing with the Yamaha HPE-170 headphone, I can tell that the CLP-990 is the best DP I ever played. However, its amplification system is not very good, so i've tried to add some speaker systems above and behide the Clavinova, and it sounds much more like a real grand now.



IMO, I can say that the CLP-990 is a real flagship CLP Clavinova ever made. As a huge fan of Yamaha, I tried and played all the Clavinova CLP and CVP models (I really mean ALL) through the years, but only the CLP-990 gives me the touch nearest which of a grand piano. AvantGrand and GranTouch are somethingelses, but ofcourse, they're not Clavinova.

Thanks to all the conversations I've read about the CLP-990 on this forum, I found now a very fine instrument that I will keep it for a longtime, maybe forever

That looks seriously impresssive. But I would have thought the pivot would be rather further back. No matter. It has a sloping front, so it must be good!

I think it is quite sad to see that this older model Clavinova had 88 key sampling. It would mean that current digital pianos have regressed in the last couple of years, as most do not have 88 key sampling. All the sampling and the research and development has been done on the matter years ago but Yamaha would not let the results trickle down to their current low to mid line digital pianos. It would cost them nothing to do so, so what other reasons would they have to hold back?

I've read these conversations long time ago, but I still think it's very interested:

https://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubb...0Grand%20a%20lot%20better%20than%20.html

Wow. Thanks for sharing!

If I didn't know better I would say that given the history of models since this DP up through the Avantgrand that marketing in big companies such as Yamaha seems to be more about keeping good products off of the market to milk markets for all they are worth with inferior product and then to overcharge for advances year by year.

I knew that the CLP990 was the best Yamaha ever made, but I did not know its action was so different from the current GH3. Thanks for the pix.

Yeah, I played one of these actions before and liked it very well. Rather similar in design to Kawai's wood action. This is the first time I've seen one open, though.

On the topic of key length, as far as I know, the important element of key length is the distance from the front of the key to the fulcrum, not from the fulcrum to the back side of the key (or hammer). It seems like relative to Kawai's actions it is this latter portion that is longer in this action. Just eyeballing it, it appears to me that this action has a greater distance between key and fulcrum than Kawai RM3, but less than Kawai GF.

Thanks for posting these pictures! I think Dewster actually has a thread for this type of picture. Search for "nekkid DP" or some such.


edit:Actually, the picture of GF I was looking at was a black key. Maybe this is as long as GF or longer. Can you get a measurement?

Indeed I do! And I added this thread to it.

Beautiful keys trandinhnamanh! I'm trying to figure out how the hammers work? And any measurements you could supply re. front key length (playing end to pivot point) would be interesting.

I'll try to measure it this week-end

Yep. Kawai had a real beaut that was reportedly unlooped, but for some reason decided to scrap it. Something about how no one would buy it or something.

I guess if they spend their time purposely burying specs, refusing to answer technology related questions, and generally muddying the waters with market speak gobbledegook, the buying public is not being educated, so they don't know what to buy and go for the cheapest shiny thing they stumble across with the biggest name.

Excellent pictures. Whilst it is not a grand action anything like the AvantGrand's or GranTouch it is certainly (visually at least) far beyond any other Clavinova before or since. I think it had 88 note sampling too - again, unlike all other Clavinovas.

@trandinhnamanh,

Question:

Very nice find indeed, as where or whom did you purchase the CLP990 from, in Europe?

Looks like the wooden keys may be nearly as long as the "GF" action in the Kawai CA95, as this is something not to be found in many digitals.

Key length aside, it's an odd looking hammer mechanism. Seems almost too simple. By all reports it's an effective action though. I would like to see this action in motion.

Tran, Is there any chance you could make a video of this action and post it on Youtube?

trandinhnamanh, thank you for posting these great pictures.

There are indeed many similarities with Kawai's wooden key actions. After achieving what by many accounts was a highly realistic keyboard touch, I wonder why Yamaha decided to revert back to the plastic key actions? Perhaps it was just too expensive (or not profitable enough) to produce?

Kind regards,
James
x

+100!

K.

I've found it on leboncoin.fr , a well-known website for selling manythings between particulars in France. It's in new condition, because the family who owned it haven't got anyone who play piano. It was just a decor furniture. They asked for 1000€, I bargained down to 800€, and finally, after a few little performances of mine to the lady of the family, I got it for 600€

Thanks everyone. I'll re-open up the piano this week-end to mesure the key length, and I'll make a Youtube video of the action movement. The feel of escapement quite impress me

It does have 88 Stereo Sampling in 5 levels

600 Euros is a fantastic price - congrats!

IMO, the key length of Kawai GF is better, but I don't like Kawai's wooden actions and Yamaha's GH3, NW because of their after-touch. Just too soft and unstable.

+100000000!