Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum Heavy Keys After Piano Comes Home - Help!!!

Hi, I recently bought a new Yamaha C1 with a dealer-installed full-system Dampp-Chaser. I took delivery of the C1 9 days ago with the Dampp-Chaser operating for 8 days now.

The #1 reason I bought this C1 was for its light and even action. However, I noticed that the keys have become very heavy since delivery and has become a totally different piano from the one I played at the showroom and loved so much.

The piano felt fine the first day after delivery but just goes down hill since then...

I can tell that my apartment is more humid than the dealer's showroom, by how much I don't know. The humidity level at my apartment is generally around 47%-52% and the Dampp-Chaser appears to function normally as it cycles between the humidifying and dehumidifying functions.

I'm quite shocked and dismayed by how differently the keys feel now. Is this something that is easily fixable?

(I actually called Dampp-Chaser today and was told that the humistat was not adjustable.)

I'm waiting for the tech to come out in a few weeks for the complimentary tuning, etc.

My sore arms thank you for your help!

On a grand the dampchaser has little if any effect on the action.
The tech should address any friction issues in the action so that it is relatively stable in your home.

I agree with Gene. Make sure the key bushings and balance rail holes are properly eased. Sounds like things are a bit tight after the move.

Also, have the tech check the damper stop rail. If it is too low, the dampers will be held down and the action will feel like it plays like a truck.

It's not likely that this is the problem. Additional humidity can definitely cause the friction with the key bushings and the balance holes, as mentioned earlier.

Thanks for the replies. How much time do you think is required to make these adjustments?

I agree with the other techs. Yamaha has tight balance rail holes by design, and with a little excess humidity, they can tighten up, causing the heaviness you feel.

Depending on what the tech has to do, I'd estimate 1 to 2 hours.

This probably won't be considered warranty service, because of the humidity you describe. You might want to get a hygrometer to measure moisture in the air in your home.

The action stack should be removed from the keyboard. This will allow each key to be removed and both the front bushing and the balance bushing can be adjusted, along with the balance hole. That's 3 possible adjustments per key.

Also, this is the best time to apply lubricants; teflon powder on the hammer knuckles and the whippen pads, as well as in all the key bushings. McLube can be used on the front and balance rail pins instead of the teflon in the key bushings.

If lubes are used correctly, the bushings can be left a bit more snug and still have smooth easy action.

Also I noticed that the "friction difference" is quite large when the sustain pedal is depressed vs. when the pedal is not depressed. I expect there to be a difference but in my case, it just seems huge. Is this a symptom of the bushings being too tight?

How much room does the technician need to take out the action? Right now I have a clearance of 26" from the wall to the outside piano frame. (I sit with my back towards the wall.) Is this enough?

I really appreciate all the advice. It has been reassuring to know that this problem is fixable because I really do like this C1 very much!

I prefer at least 3 feet clearance to pull an action.

The extra weight from the dampers may have some significance. If the damper timing is wrong ... if the dampers are lifting too soon, that adds unnecessary weight.

If the damper wire guide bushings are too snug, the dampers will stick in the 'up' position.

The regulation of the dampers is crucial to the feel of the piano. It should be looked at when your tech comes. If they are lifting too early from the key, it will contribute to a very sluggish feel.

In my previous post, I stated that the balance rail holes might be tightening up because of humidity. It has been pointed out to me that while Yamaha balance rail holes are designed to fit snugly over the keypin, humidity will affect them in the opposite way one might expect. Because it is a solid piece of wood, moisture will cause the entire keystick to expand--including the hole. It will get bigger rather than smaller.

Dave, this expanding of the hole as the whole piece swells is true. However there is one other factor to be considered. In piano work, most holes are drilled undersize because there is some compaction of the wood that will cause looseness. That compacted area of the wood will swell up making the hole smaller or at least exerts more pressure on the pin. People who use too much bushing cloth in the mortise with the idea that the key can be eased, will have sluggish key problems during humidity swings. Yes you can size the mortise and cloth to a caul but won't it resize itself during damp periods?

I would rather be easing a few keys than rattling the key after a year because it is broken in. Difficult to get it right for all situations, eh?

Ain't it the truth!

Hi, my dampers begin to lift as soon as a key is depressed. I thought they were supposed to lift at least after a 1/3 of the key is depressed. Is this correct? So does this mean my dampers are lifting early?

Thanks for your help dianosing the problem.

If you see the damper begin to lift "as soon" as you touch the key, you are correct..this is something that your tech can adjust, and would tend to explain your heaviness issue.

RPD

Yep ... easy adjustment to make ... about 30 minutes, in addition to all the other stuff and the tuning.

Hey guys, you've gotta hear this one!

I decided to move the piano about an inch away from me this evening (my bench is right against the wall, so can't move the bench...) and realized that two of the three casters were not properly in the grooves of the caster cups --> i.e., the piano was on a slight incline all this time. So I moved the piano and giggled the casters into the grooves. All of a sudden, the heavy action was gone! I checked with a leveler and the piano is perfectly level now.

How crazy is this??? But then again, it makes perfect sense in hind sight considering all these gazillion moving parts inside a piano!

(It was not the piano mover's fault that the casters were out of the grooves because I pushed the piano ever so slightly after they left and didn't realize what I did!)

So mystery solved! Thanks again for your help. I will still have the technician check all the items you have mentioned to make sure the action is light and even.

Wow! I must see it to believe it!

A case of extreme keybed flex.

It's nice when things work themselves out this way.

Well, turns out the mystery returned this evening as the keys have become heavy again though this morning they felt fine. (Please, I'm not crazy!!!)

It's been extremely humid in NYC for the past 2-3 days.

But you have given me many leads, so I will just have to wait for the technician to come out. Thanks again, everyone. I will report back on the result.