How Long Does A Yamaha Clavinova Last?

Photo of author
Written By Sarah Barlow

Chief Music Officer

There is no specific number of days to identify how long any digital piano lasts. However, the average lifespan of a digital piano is between 20 and 50 years. 

Although this estimation depends on whether the piano was bought brand new or is preowned, one thing is certain, digital pianos generally last longer than acoustic pianos. 

Factors That Help Determine How Long A Yamaha Clavinova Lasts

Certain factors can help you determine how long a digital piano lasts. These include condition bought, materials used, proper maintenance and prevention, brand, and quality.  

Condition Bought

A digital piano’s life limit can be determined by the condition you’ve bought them. Whether the piano is bought brand new or used by a previous owner, its lifespan certainly decreases. 

You don’t assume a used digital piano bought way back in 2002 to last for 20-50 more years if you just recently bought it now. Of course, its durability, functionality, and performance have decreased throughout the years. 

To put it in another way, similar to cars or any land vehicles that have been used, they won’t perform as perfectly as when they were brand-new since they have undoubtedly already been through some wear and tear with the previous owners. 

Materials Used

In any product, the material being used helps determine whether the product would or wouldn’t last long. This specifically also implies with digital pianos, most of them are made from plastic which easily breaks when dropped or bumped. 

However, with improving technologies and durability of materials, some piano manufacturers have thickened the plastic materials they’ve used in digital pianos and sometimes even use wood instead of plastic. This was a huge breakthrough in the history of digital pianos. Before, when the piano’s plastic body breaks, it isn’t likely to be repairable and would probably require a replacement. But this innovation has stopped the issue of digital pianos from easily getting broken. 

Brand and Quality

Brand and quality are two of the most essential things to remember when looking for a great digital piano. Manufacturers such as Yamaha, Casio, Roland, and Korg have all established and excelled in producing high-end, premium digital pianos. These brands don’t simply make high-quality durable digital pianos but also equip them with desirable features. It is expected that these expensive high-quality digital pianos will last longer than cheap and brandless digital pianos, Therefore, making it highly advisable to invest in a good quality piano.

Proper Maintenance and Prevention

Of course similar to all other products, digital pianos also have their proper maintenance and their corresponding do’s and don’ts. Here is a list of “Dos” and “Don’ts” to prolong your piano’s lifespan. 

Do’s

  • Do have and use a dust cover on your digital piano. This will help prevent and eliminate any dust accumulation on your piano especially in between keys, buttons, and plugs. 
  • Do wash your hands before using your digital piano. This helps prevent any dirt, oil, crumbs, and germs from building up on your piano.
  • Do organize your digital piano chords. This prevents hazards such as tripping over wires and helps you avoid damaging both your piano wiring and wire inputs. 
  • Do use a good power source. This will help protect your digital piano against any power surges that may occur.
  • Do invest in a good piano stand. Investing in a good piano stand ensures that your digital piano is always stable and sturdy. 

Don’ts

  • Don’t place your digital piano near doors. This is to prevent the door from smashing into the corner of your piano or worse, knocking it over and causing serious damage.
  • Don’t place your digital piano near windows. This is to prevent dust build-up on your piano. Another reason for this is to prevent your piano from having sporadic exposure to sunlight, which, if exposed for a long duration, may cause the plastic material to weaken. Lastly, this serves as a precaution in case you forget to close your window and a rainstorm occurs, which may soak your digital piano in water and cause major electrical problems.
  • Don’t place your digital piano near shelves or below possible falling objects. This is to ensure nothing comes falling into your digital piano that may cause hazards and damage.
  • Don’t have food or drinks near your digital piano. This is to prevent any spillage of liquid onto your digital piano which will certainly cause electrical damage and may put you in danger of getting electrocuted. 

How To Properly And Safely Clean Your Yamaha Clavinova?

Cleaning your Yamaha Clavinova or any digital piano prolongs its life and helps it function properly. Here is a list of things you will be needing and steps when cleaning a digital piano. It is crucial to follow these steps to ensure that your digital piano doesn’t acquire damage both externally and internally. 

Equipment:

  • Hand-held vacuum

Materials:

  • Two pieces of cloth
  • A few cotton buds/Q-tips

Steps In Cleaning Your Digital Piano:

Note: Before doing all these steps, ensure that your digital piano is unplugged.

  1. First, run the vacuum all over the piano to ensure that it sucks the dust resting on your digital piano.
  1. Get one (1) of the cloth and put a scant amount of water (the cloth should still be damp, barely wet), and gently wipe the surface of your digital piano. 
  1. Use the second (2) cloth and dry the areas you have wiped using the first damp cloth.
  1. Using a Q-tip, wipe areas that are hard to reach such as in between keys, buttons, audio inputs, and tight spaces where dust may accumulate. 

Can Digital pianos be repaired?

Yes, digital pianos can certainly be repaired. However, its parts are not accessible compared to those acoustic pianos. If the model and brand are well-renowned, then certain replaceable parts might be available in instrument shops or piano dealerships.

But, if the model is old or the brand is unknown, certain rare parts may only be available with broken pianos of the same model. 

In addition, unlike acoustic pianos which are easy and simple to fix, digital pianos would require you to hire a good piano technician especially since every part and mechanism are interconnected with one another and are usually complex.

If one part starts to fail, it must be replaced or checked immediately to prevent any spread of damages. 

There are also instances in which digital pianos are better off replaced than repaired. For instance, if your piano gets damaged after 15 years, the cost of repair may be the same price as getting a replacement piano.

This is primarily because the piano manufacturer may have stopped the production of your piano’s model, making it difficult to find its parts, as compared to simply buying a new one and saving you time or effort.