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I've had my Celviano AP450 since 2014 and I love it, but now the keys make a noise when released, kind of a dull clunk with a bounce. Is there anything that can be done to tighten up the keybed?

I have an AP-650 that's about the same age that I use every day and haven't seen that problem here yet.

Which isn't of much use to you, I know.

If it's on the release, I wonder if that felt across the top of the keys has gotten flattened and lost its springiness.

Just linking a couple of vids. Hard to say what the noise is due to.

Maybe not helpful, but related anyway: https://forum.pianoworld.com/ubbthre...ing-to-silence-a-noisy-casio-action.html

That action is slightly different, but the overall mechanism is very similar.

Yes, the felt strips may have an effect as suggested above. It's also possible that the "hammer caps" i.e. those small black pieces of plastic where the key and the hammer meet are worn out or displaced which then adds some looseness to the system. They are available as spare parts and I'd rather just replace them instead of using a teflon tape trick. It was just an experiment.

You can detect the looseness -- if any -- by wiggling the key or by tapping it lightly.

People also sometimes say that the grease in digital piano actions can have some effect on the noise.

Some AP-450 spare parts are available: https://www.pacparts.com/part_model...1&src_model_id=&action=list_part

Good post clothe ----- this accumulated information definitely helps.

Thanks for the link. Unfortunately I'm in the UK

Yes that's the noise mine make, especially that G key in the video.
I asked this on another keyboard forum and just got told to look on google. Thankfully the guys here are a lot more helpful!

You may try contacting Casio service in UK. There is a German online store I bought parts from for my ES8,
https://www.synth-parts.com/en, you may try contacting them if you are unlucky finding parts in UK. I had a quick look at their site, they do not carry many Casio spare parts but it might be worth contacting them just in case.

Here is a short video showing the key noise. Some are worse than others.

https://youtube.com/shorts/48MYeE27Qqs?feature=share

Larry, I listened to your YT video, and what I hear is mostly hammer return noise. The down stroke noise, if you want to call it that, sounds normal to me. Or, at least I hear the same noise/sound on my Casio PX-360. Your hammer return noise may be a bit louder than my PX-360, but not by a lot.

That said, if you want to improve it, putting another strip of felt on the panel/cover above the keys should help. You could take a small strip of felt, or cloth, or whatever you have, and temporally slide it between the key top and cover at the back, and see if it helps.

Good luck!

Rick

How do I get to the keybed though?

The only way I know to get the stripped keybed is to disassemble the cabinet of your Casio, but I'd let that be a last resort. Like I said, try the experiment of loosely placing some felt, or cloth between the top rear of a key and upper shell of the cabinet. If that quietens down the return noise any, you can decide if it is worth it to try and add some rebound felt/cloth there.

In fact, it may be possible for you to add some felt/cloth without disassembling the unit, I'm not sure. If not, there should be some YT vids showing you how, but I know you didn't want someone suggesting that you watch a YT vid. As someone else suggested, contacting Casio (or trying to) and talk to them about it might be a good first step.

Again, my Casio Privia PX-360 (which hasn't been played that much) sounds very similar, while playing the keys without the unit turned on and sound coming from the speakers or amp.

Wish I could be of more help.

Rick

At least in my experience with a slab, the top felt (responsible for key return noise) was pretty easy to replace. No rocket science. No special tools. Slab was easy open. If you can get the felt from a dealer it would be a lot easier. The old felt should peel off and the new felt should have adhesive on the back and will just stick on.

Adding additional felt to a DP that already has felt is harder. It's hanging upside down, so you need to find a way to secure it, otherwise it'll fall off after a while.

One time I paid $200 for a repairman to get a quarter out of a keybed. After I found out how easy it was to do I was rather embarrassed.

Actually $199.75, assuming you got your quarter back.

Or, if you want to go the "cheapo route", you can stick back the old felt strip with a slight lateral offset (you might need some thin double-sided tape).
So that the hammer will not touch the worn out area of the felt strip anymore but the area that is not worn out and still soft.

+1 to everything here. ESPECIALLY paying for something you find out is trivial. Many a time I've done that, but I never feel bad about it, because I try to think of it as an educational experience. Now I KNOW I can do something on my own, and I didn't have to risk making things worse to find out

Regarding adding felts, it's sometimes easier to find and replace with a thicker foam strip than to add on to an existing, uneven/compacted one. Also, you have to consider the key travel and feel, and make sure you are not creating an uneven resting position, or impacting the velocity/dynamics in part of the keybed by modifying the keydip and aftertouch...honestly, I find replacing the foam strips with new factory foam every 2-3 years is a better course of regular maintenance than trying to cram in thicker strips.

I think I'll just put up with it