If you own a Yamaha Clavinova from the early 2000s and you’re noticing some sticking keys or sluggish response, you’re definitely not alone. I get this call a lot. Unfortunately, it’s a design flaw from that era that inevitably catches up with these otherwise excellent instruments.
Why Are My Clavinova Keys Sticking?
The culprit is the plastic key tails at the back of each key. Yamaha used a particular type of key design during those years that tends to become brittle and crack with age and regular use. Once those key tails crack, the keys lose their smooth motion, become sluggish, and eventually stop returning properly — which is what you’re feeling as a “sticking” key. It’s quite rare for the key to fully separate, although that can happen.
Sometimes, all it takes is one enthusiastic kid sitting down to play, and within a few minutes several keys are cracked. I’ve gotten that call more than a few times, and it’s not the kid’s fault!
Can You Replace Just One or Two Keys?
Technically, yes — but I don’t usually recommend it unless you’re doing the work yourself. The problem is, once a few keys have gone, the rest are often not far behind. You end up chasing your key tail, so to speak, as more keys start cracking one by one. It’s frustrating and ultimately costs you more time and labor.
What’s the Best Fix?
In most cases, the better option is to replace all the keys at once or, better yet, to swap in a whole new keyboard assembly. Yamaha’s official recommendation is a complete replacement keyboard assembly.
Yes, it’s a significant repair, but it restores the playability and feel of your Clavinova. If the rest of the electronics are still in good shape, this kind of repair makes sense — especially when you compare it to the price of a brand-new Clavinova.
A full action replacement will get your instrument back to feeling like new again — no more sluggish or sticking keys, and you won’t have to worry about more breaking anytime soon. And, of course, it means you also have new felts and a freshly lubricated keyboard! It’ll quite literally play like new.
Is It Worth Repairing?
Most of the time, yes. A properly repaired Clavinova can serve you well for years to come. These are solid instruments, and other than the key issue, which is well known, the rest of the components typically hold up very well. If you love the feel and sound of your current Clavinova, repairing it is often a smart investment.
Should I Hire a Technician or Do it Myself?
Replacing the action isn’t very difficult. You can purchase Yamaha replacement actions yourself, either through Yamaha 24×7, or through Syntaur. Here’s a link to Syntaur parts for the CLP-150, for instance. If you’re purchasing them for DIY work, Syntaur is reasonably priced, and allows you to purchase the parts based on keyboard model: You don’t need to find a service manual or do any additional research.
However, technicians can obtain these parts from Yamaha for dramatically less. So much less that, in fact, paying a technician to replace the action may not cost much more than doing it yourself. I’d highly recommend getting a quote from your nearest Yamaha Service Center.
Need Help?
If you’re dealing with sticking keys and are wondering if it’s time to fix or replace, reach out and contact me. I can take a look, give you an honest assessment, and walk you through the options.
Known models impacted by this problem: CLP-920, CLP-930, CLP-950, CLP-130, CLP-150, CLP-170, CLP-300, CLP-500, CVP-207, CVP-305, P-120. There are many others, but this is a list I’ve personally repaired so far.