I think I am being taken advantage of, not sure, need advise

[janyaporn]

I purchased a Casio, Privia, PX-300, keyboard about ten years ago in Bangkok, Thailand. Now ten years later living up-country in Korat, Thailand I have three sticking keys to fix and though it would be a fast inexpensive job. NO, NOT SO - according to the only shop in this area. I was quoted a price of $250 plus to fix just the three keys. Much more if they did any other work. The piano works wonderfully except for these three keys. They suggested I junk this one and purchase a new PX-160 which according to them is only a little more than twice what it would take to fix this one. Please advise me.

[richard black]

Yes, I suspect they are trying it on. It's just possible that the only thing that can be done is to replace all the keys or something, but far more likely it can be fixed by replacing, at most, a small number of simple parts and it will probably take a couple of hours. That doesn't justify $250 by a long way.

[chopinlover01]

You're definitely being scammed. However, if it's the only shop in the area, you may try to haggle with them, or take the service and write a scathing review about how they're scamming people.

[1piano4joe]

Hi janyaporn,

In general, I don't believe in repairs. I had to learn this the hard way as I was too stubborn to listen to other people who would almost always say, "Throw it out"!

So, yes you could get the 3 sticky keys repaired. Ignore the cost for the moment but isn't there a chance that this 10 year old keyboard will only get more sticky keys and possibly other problems?

I've been burnt many, many times by repairs and/or repairmen and I'm fed up.

It helps me to look at it this way. If I spent $1000 on a keyboard that lasted 10 years. It only cost me $100 a year. This is only a little over 25 cents a day.

Would you spend that kind of money to fix your computer? I certainly wouldn't.

Well that's my opinion, Joe.

[dcstudio]

you have had a privia for 10 years?   geez... that doesn't sound even possible...lol  you must not have played it a whole lot.

it's not worth it to fix even at reasonable prices..  those are the worst keyboards... the keys will keep breaking, and the touch sensitivity will keep going out.   You can sell it as is on ebay... someone will buy it.  Get yourself a better brand.   For 250 bucks you can get a used, higher end keyboard.  

privias suck in general.   I have seen them go useless in as little as six months, especially with classical players. 

[janyaporn]

I agree that I should and will purchase a new piano. Digital because of weather in Thailand  and bugs that eat all wood.   However, I will not be able to do so until March or later. So today I am doing major surgery on this thing so I have something to practice on until the new one. I removed the bottom panel and both end panels. The problem is, how to get off the section that contains the selection buttons and speakers. This section starts at the rear of the black keys and extends to the back of the piano. I see no way to remove it. Is there any part that should just pop off? Like if a speaker popped off and expose screws that held it together or something like that.

Any ideas or suggestions, I sure could use them.

[dcstudio]

wow--you are brave and way out of my area of expertise.  Last week my friend fixed his car by watching youtube videos.    Amazingly enough there are many vids of Casio privia repair.   

my advice is start here....

[hfmadopter]

If I get ten years out of my Kawai stage piano I'll be thrilled.

[indianajo]

If you can get under the key buttons without finding parts glued together permanently:
The conductive rubber used by modern manufacturers is a common part.  Similar conductive rubber is used in televisions, and consumer audio devices.  Pressing the rubber with a plastic button lowers the resistance.  One of the reasons I won't buy one of these devices.
You could get new sheets of conductive rubber from an electronics supply house,  (in the US digikey is reputed to have it)  or perhaps your local electronics salvager can get you bits.  Whatever, you cut big sheets of the rubber into the shape required for your consumer device. If you have to cut lot of buttons, you make a "steel rule die" which is hacksaw blade material ground to knives, pressed in slots in wood boards.  
My 60's organs have palladium rhodium gold or silver plate over brass as a contact material.  Those can definitely be worked on, and midi encoded to interface to a PC playing synth or "piano sound" software.  
I'm experimenting to add a 13th contact to my Hammond, one that doesn't hit at the same time as the other 12.  That will give me a velocity input to a midi encoder.  The 13th contact will be magenetic or optical, since palladium over brass is no longer cheap.