do digital pianos die?

[ada]

Do digital pianos wear out or get broken? And if so is it possible to fix them?

I have noticed my Casio (which I rely on as I can only practice in the dark early hours of the morning when everyone else in the world is asleep) is doing strange things when I hit C (I've only noticed it in the upper register). It plays the note but at a much too high pitch, and the note sounds thin and sick.

It's only about four years old.

Has anyone experienced this and what does it mean? Perhaps time to invest in a new digi?

[pianistimo]

you can tell by the warranty.  i think mine was for one year.  it's still playing nicely - but i wondered the same thing.  'how long?'  i notice that if i leave it plugged in too long -i hear a buzz in the earphones.  so , every so often - i'll unplug it.  i think it overheats at the power source.  not sure about the components in the digital piano itself.  can you have some components replaced?  and how much would that cost?  i have a casio px-310.

[ada]

i have a casio px-310.

I do believe I have the same model. Spooky.

I hear a buzz in the earphones too sometimes but I put that down to tinnitus from playing too long with the volume up too high.

[nyonyo]

Mine is the PX100 and I have had mine for 3 years. Lately, I started noticing that the keys are not as firm as 3 years ago. The sound is still the same, only the action start deteriorating.

[amelialw]

the easiest solution..those companies should make the silent piano's devices cheaper. You can install one in your piano but I dunno how much it would cost

[pianistimo]

i paid $100 to 150 about 10 years ago - to have a felt strip fall down between the hammers and strings by pulling a 'throttle' on the right side under the keyboard.  it worked well in apartment playing - but doesn't give the full sound (therefore - you don't know exactly what you are doing - and cannot replicate it the same way when playing without it).  i used it when i was practicing something technical or didn't care about dynamics as much as finger action.  it worked as a good practice piano - but i'm not sure if it's that good for the hammers.  it didn't seem to hurt them.  but, i just don't know if it's particularly good for them to hit a strip of felt.  it was a very thin strip - but did the job.  he cut holes where the frame cuts through - and the strip was attached to a long metal clip/strip which would fall down when the throttle was pulled.  to push it back up - you simply pushed the throttle back in.

[bench warmer]

 

...is doing strange things when I hit C (I've only noticed it in the upper register). It plays the note but at a much too high pitch, and the note sounds thin and sick.

Check your manual to see if you can do a "Reset" when you turn it on. (It will tell you do something like "press the mode  & volume keys simultaneously when you power-on" for example). If the problem is in the EPROM or similar chips the reset will load the Factory settings back in.

Good Luck

[ada]

ah genius. This is why I am not a techie person. Tks, will try

[richard black]

Yes, they die, in all sorts of ways. They may look economical as a short-term investment but long term a wood'n'metal piano will see them off. I speak as someone qualified by training to design, build and fix them.

[ryanyee]

well, the piano's still the best keyboard instrument then. except you need a heater for that.