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Openwood

We bought a Yamaha U1 (silent version) for our school music room last year. The silent system has worked a treat until now, but today the middle two octaves wouldn't work in silent mode. We bought the piano from someone whose last name sounds a bit like 'Tenor Balls' last year so it should still be under warranty. Presumably I am within my rights to expect them to make it work again?

mdw · Persistent Poster Joined: 05 Jan 2008 Posts: 277

Yep and I recon even if the electric bit is outside the guarantee ( which may only be a year) turn on the pressure until they sort it. And if they dont, rip it out and you still have a working acoustic piano. I personaly would want at least a 5 year guarantee on the electrics as it adds such a lot to the price of the piano.

Barrie Heaton · Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 10:30 pm Post subject:

Silent system is only one-year warranty as you are a school they may extend it

A system reset may sort out your problems

Barrie,
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Barrie Heaton
Web Master UK Piano Page

sussexpianos · Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 10:28 am Post subject:

You will need a Yamaha techie trained for silent systems, but there are not many around. Could be a case of replacing the main unit. Electronics are only 1 year. Yamaha stock many parts in the UK.

Openwood · Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 12:15 pm Post subject:

Trouble is I'm in the freaking Channel Islands - when it comes to service this usually means I might as well be on the surface of Mars. Well, it'll be interesting to see what they come up with.

sussexpianos · Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 12:22 pm Post subject:

Will be a nice holiday for some lucky technician Smile

Barrie Heaton · Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 1:55 pm Post subject:

Openwood · Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 2:38 pm Post subject:

Gill the Piano · Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 4:21 pm Post subject:

Milton Keynes, I'm afraid... Wink

Openwood · Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 4:57 pm Post subject:

Ah right, concrete cows etc.

mdw · Persistent Poster Joined: 05 Jan 2008 Posts: 277

[quote="Barrie Heaton
The guys are very helpful at MK and will talk you though most problems on dis and silent over the phone

Barrie,[/quote]
You first port of call is the dealer as they are the ones you have the contract with. Even if its out of guarantee check in to what your rights are. He was happy to sell the piano to you and take the profit from you so im sure he will be just as happy to sort it out at his cost.

Openwood · Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 3:03 pm Post subject:

We only got it in September last year so it should be well within warranty. Sorry, can't spell garuntee.

PianoGuy · Persistent Poster Joined: 21 May 2005 Posts: 1529

In that case you'd expect them to sort it FOC.

Unlike Barrie though who appears to be rather more optimistic than me about warranties and schools, I reckon you may well find that there is an exclusion of warranty or reduced period for "institutional or commercial" use so you may well be on your own.

Pick up that phone and call 'em while it's less than 6 months old.

mdw · Persistent Poster Joined: 05 Jan 2008 Posts: 277

Unless its been damaged ie something poured in to it they should repair it FOC. If they turn round and say "not covered, its in a school" then they shouldnt have sold it to you in the first place if they knew its final destination when they took the order.

Grenache · Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 7:27 am Post subject:

If you've tried system reset already, from your description of the fault it sounds like some circuitry in the piano itself is at fault. I remember looking at the circuit of an electronic organ many years ago, and there were 6 identitcal sections of circuit board interfacing to the actual keyswitches, one for each octave. So on that basis, if only one section of the keyboard is not functioing, I'm wondering if that section is scanned by one group of components where something's wrong.

If you haven't already tried it, power off completely (from the mains), disconnect the connectors for the pedals and keyboard, reconnect them, power on, do a system reset and try again. If the fault persists, then it's a hard fault, and you'll need Yamaha to look at it.

Openwood · Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 9:11 am Post subject:

Thank you for your replies. I've tried switching off and resetting but without success. I will try the dealer again today. It's such a pity because the silent system is a real godsend in a school music room, I just wish the children could be fitted with it too.

Evil or Very Mad

Barrie Heaton · Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 7:51 pm Post subject:

Openwood · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:06 am Post subject:

athomik · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 2:03 pm Post subject:

Yamaha in the UK guarantees electronic products, including the electronic parts of Silent Series and Disklavier pianos for 2 years, so this piano should be covered. For Warranty repairs, the customer has to contact the original dealer.

Openwood · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:17 pm Post subject:

Thank you for all your replies. I'll let you know how I get on.

Openwood · Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 9:35 pm Post subject:

Update:

Last week the suppliers sent an engineer to work out why the middle section of the U1 wasn't working in silent mode. He reported that a new key sensor unit is required. Fortunately the piano is still under warranty (arrived in September of last year). The suppliers tell me that Yamaha UK don't have any in stock and therefore one has been ordered (from Japan?).

I was wondering - might the absence of the unit 'in stock' imply:

a) the sensor units are usually so efficient that it's considered unnecessary to keep warehouse full of the things.
b) they break down so often that they positively dance off those shelves?

Admittedly the U1 is in a school music room but access to it is strictly controlled, so it doesn't get seven shades of Sh*t knocked out of it every day like other school pianos.

Do other people have experience of similar problems with the sensor unit? It seems a pretty fundamental thing to go wrong so early so I guess it would have been flagged up by know if it was a regular occurence.

Barrie Heaton · Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 10:24 pm Post subject:

athomik · Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 11:47 am Post subject: