Yamaha C3 yellow keys

[sussexpianos]

Hello all,
Been to see a 1988 Yamaha C3 mahogany grand which is imaculate except for yellowing of the plastic keys. I have not seen plastic keys on a young piano with this amount of yellowing. Question is, can they be scraped and re-buffed or would the yellow be quite deep and thus replacment is nessasary?

[vernon]

take one out. Rub down with fine paper, polish with pumice, then tripoli powder then buff on machine.
See what is the result. If it doesn't cure the problem then you will still have a yellow key. If it cures the problem, do the rest.Job done.
£15 please.

[sussexpianos]

Thanks Vernon, was thinking of replacing. Does Yamaha sell replacement tops?

[Barrie Heaton]

Thanks Vernon, was thinking of replacing. Does Yamaha sell replacement tops?

yip and at very inflated prices if you are not a Yamaha main dealer - they sell them in one octave packs just tops

Barrie

[athomik]

At retail prices, you might be able to get a set of Ivorite key tops for £350-400, + labour

[chrisvenables]

The early Yamaha C series 'Ivorite' naturals did have this problem. Indeed they would turn yellow within a couple of years as the material composition was too porous, so even small amounts of perspiration from your fingers would travel deep into the keytop, eventually yellowing.

So scraping and buffing doesn't work. If your not fussed about having Ivorite, Fletchers do a decent recovering service or if you're doing it yourself, buy Yamaha naturals of the non Ivorite type.

Yamaha Ivorite from the early 90's onwards has no 'yellowing' problem at all.

It's always a good idea on any piano to wash your hands before playing and wipe down the keys with a clean cloth afterwards to keep the keyboard and wooden sides of the keys in good order.

[sussexpianos]

thanks Chris, thought it might be something like that.

[rxd]

I scraped n polished a set 7 years ago. Institutional c7. They're still white.
This set was more dark gray than yellow. I Finished them with antiquing wax as I remember.