The life span of digitals

[R. Goodale]

Recently we have been tossing around the subject of "how long do
digitals last compared to real pianos". Here is a personal experience:

I purchased a 1 year old Yamaha PF-80 from a friend back in 1989. I have
used it exclusively for MIDI input on my computer for composing. As a
"playing" piano I find it to be particularly un-enjoyable. Now 1998, it
is exactly 10 years old.

6 months after I purchased the instrument, (then 1-1/2 yrs old), FM
synthesis was widely becoming replaced with digital sampling technology.
I walked into a music store and played a newer model and suddenly
learned the meaning of "obsolete". What a difference 18 months makes!

A few months ago I noticed that some hunks of plasic had broken off of
the front of a couple of keys. I hypothesized that perhaps I had bumped
into it with something and thought nothing of it, (other than a chorus
of colorful metaphors). I disassembled the action, patched things up
with a little epoxy, and it seemed good as new. This evening I noticed
that another key has split directly in half. After closer examination I
have discovered the problem. The plastic used in the hollow-constructed
keys is becoming brittle with age and disintegrating, not unlike old
plasic action parts from the 1950's. There is clearly no economicly
practical repair. My PF-80 is fast approaching "dumpster stuffing". So
there you have it, ten Years. About as modern as a "pong" video game and
no-longer mechanically sound.

Rob Goodale, RPT