Foo - Might need a new digital piano

My Korg that I bought ages ago while in college is probably near the end of its life. The internal speakers are so weak that even when I crank the volume up all the way, I can hardly hear anything coming out.

I don't want to say exactly how old it is because that would reveal my age. lol. However, let me just say that it is wellllll beyond the warranty period. In addition, for what it may cost to fix this one, it may be better to put that money into a new keyboard.

I've thought about just breaking down and buying a real piano, like a really nice yamaha studio upright or something similar. However, I probably won't be buying a place until later this year or early next and I'd rather spend the bigger $$$ for a real piano when I can more properly match the instrument with the acoustics of the room.

Besides, I think I will always want to have a full size high end keyboard. The most important thing is the touch response and overall sound quality of the piano. I don't necessarily need a ton of built-in instruments.

Any suggestions?

If it were me I'd open it up and check the solder joints, particularly those around the speaker.

If it were me I'd open it up and check the solder joints, particularly those around the speaker.

Yeah, I probably should open it up. It's not like doing so will void the warranty and it certainly can't get much worse.

Yeah, I probably should open it up. It's not like doing so will void the warranty and it certainly can't get much worse.
If you find something like this, you have an easy fix (cold/broken solder joint, center bottom).
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If it looks like this, you're screwed (the INSIDE of an externally clean relay)
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^^^ Would you repost the pics? They didn't make it through, but it sounds like they would be really helpful. :)

Well, a Korg keyboard might tell us how old you are, but an ARP 2600 would REALLY date you...

They are working at my end. Are they still not working for you? If not, PM me your e-mail address and I'll send them that way.

Thanks. I can see the photos now. I'm hoping what I find is more like the first pic.

You would need a lot of water to find the results of the second picture. Also, you might find corroded joints, those tend to stand out as well.

I see upright pianos for free on Craigslist all day long. People get the things as hand-me-downs and never use them, so when it comes time to move they want rid of the things. You just pay for moving and tuning. If you have a truck, even better (cheaper).

If a Roland Fantom X8 keyboard/work station sounds of any interest to you then well, I just so happen to have one for sale. This one is way more then just a piano but it's also got Roland piano sounds which are the very best. 88 note's with the progressive hammer action.

I love the Yamaha DGX-630 + LP-7 footpedal combo. IMO it's the closest thing to a grand piano in terms of touch & pedal operation. Amazon has a good price on the unit...

... can I play twinkle twinkle little star on it? That's the only song I know. That and part of "Catch a Falling Star" by Perry Como.

I see upright pianos for free on Craigslist all day long. People get the things as hand-me-downs and never use them, so when it comes time to move they want rid of the things. You just pay for moving and tuning. If you have a truck, even better (cheaper).Most of these are un-tunable pieces of $***. If you know how to examine a piano for problems & can determine if it's still tunable then this kind of "deal" may be worthwhile. At a certain point pianos need to be rebuilt which is an expensive proposition & only worthwhile if the piano will have value post-rebuild (i.e. a vintage Steinway, etc.).

I know nothing about pianos (and in truth am not an instrument guy). That said, what are the wear items on a piano? I'm assuming it isn't just a matter of the strings wearing.

I know nothing about pianos (and in truth am not an instrument guy). That said, what are the wear items on a piano? I'm assuming it isn't just a matter of the strings wearing.

I don't know piano's myself but I do build guitars which share a similar build, wires stretched over a sound board. It could be that the bridge and nut (as in a guitar), or more to the point, the stopping points of the wire strings relative to the sound board become warped, as does the sound board itself, and distorted and cannot be tuned properly relative to each other.

+1 for repairing the old one, at least get a cheap pair of speakers hooked up to replace the current speakers and give it a try. Hey does it have a head phone jack? (if headphone jacks were invented by then : ) Maybe try out something in the headphone jack and check IT for clarity.

Felts, pin block, and strings are the big things that get replaced on a rebuild. A competent rebuild will completely re-do the action as well (not just swap out felt & call it a day).

The felt gets compressed, the strings stretch up to a certain point and then they need replacing, and the pin block wears out.