The page that was originally here has moved to the "Part 1" link, below. I have reason to believe, from a few emails I've received and from my own earlier failed attempts at finding a manual, that the description and pictures of disassembling a Clavinova have been helpful to some people.
Part 1 (from 2008): Remove keyboard, swap problem keys.
Another page now supplements this, partly for comic effect and partly to show a few more details of the construction. This was when, having got further problems of stuck keys but having run out of keys to swap between less-used and more-used positions, I did something more drastic.
Part 2 (from 2011): Give the whole keyboard a power-shower, clean all keys.
Note! Although both little operations certainly did make some real problem-keys behave better for a while, there is obviously a deeper problem. Swapping keys (Part 1) appears quite effective, but it can only be done a few times and only reduces the problem. Thorough cleaning (Part 2) probably helped by removing a few bigger-than-just-dust-and-hair objects (!), but also only made certain keys a bit better, for a while.
From this informative page http://www.mikebarden.com/view.php/area/9/yamaha-clavinova-sticky-keys which I have discovered recently, it seems this is a recognised defect on particular models: —
"Yamaha Clavinova sticking keys / sticky keys / stuck keys - problem with one or more white keys - key can be played but stays stuck down or only partly returns or returns very slowly - can be lifted up again but is reluctant to return by itself - key leans to left or key leans to right if viewed from the front. In some cases the rear of the key is loose and sits higher than adjacent keys."THERE IS NO POINT IN TRYING TO FIX THIS YOURSELF, SO DON'T TRY. READ BELOW TO SEE WHY.
[......]
"Yamaha are aware of this problem and are dealing with it in their usual professional way. Currently, for the models and serial numbers concerned, Yamaha supply the replacement parts F.O.C. (free of charge) to a recognised service engineer or service centre such as myself.
"Portable pianos affected by this problem normally are required to be brought to the service engineer or service centre. Note - your music shop is very unlikely to be a service centre - do not take the portable piano to your music shop unless they agree to take it to and collect it from the service centre. Check to see if they will make a charge for doing this.
"December 2010 update: Although the models affected are now about 7 to 10 years old, amazingly Yamaha are continuing to supply the parts F.O.C. for the time being. Now that's what I call service!"
The problem-description and age-range fit well with my problematic Clavinova. The description of the service doesn't. I bought my Clavinova in Sweden, from a shop that now doesn't exist. Several attempts to get an answer from Yamaha have directed me to a webpage for customer support in Sweden, where attempts to find customer support have pointed to a web-form: if full details of model, serial and place of purchase are filled in, one might get a reply ... but all I've got from several attempts is a single reply telling me a catalogue-number that I could order (web-searches for this number suggest a price about half the new cost of the Clavinova when I bought it), and ignoring the question about whether the serial number is known as defective and whether they can provide a replacement that works.
I'll make more attempts at this when I've time, starting by trying to contact the apparently (from the above site) more responsive support in the UK.
How good it would be to be able to use this thing.
Page started: 2011-07-27
Last change: 2011-07-27