Japanese Yamaha Disklavier Piano is Randomly Stopping

Kevin Busse Nov 28, 2024

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Japanese Grey Market Disklavier Power Supply

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Why does my Japanese Disklavier randomly stop?

Is your Japanese Yamaha Disklavier Piano Randomly Stopping in the middle of a piano performance?

Hold your horses before you go and get the power supply repaired for your Player Piano!

Rule this out before assuming the power supply must be fixed.

Plug in a transformer before plugging in Old Japanese Disklaviers

Transformer

These Yamaha Disklavier acoustic pianos from Japan are meant to receive less voltage/current than what is provided in a typical wall outlet in the United States.

It is necessary to change the power source from 120 Volts down to 100 Volts of electricity so that the player piano is not overwhelmed with too much current, thus automatically powering down.

Japanese Disklavier Power Supply

Above: Power supply in a Yamaha Disklavier for the Japanese and Asia Market.

How do you tell if you have a Piano for the Japanese/Asia Market?

Typically, the control unit will have words in Japanese on the face of the control box.

This is a tell tale sign that the piano should receive a lower voltage than what is provided in a wall outlet in the U.S., which is higher in voltage than in Japan.

The Japanese Disklavier Pianos I have come across, whether an upright piano or grand piano, typically have a floppy drive attached to the Disklavier Piano.

Does it have a model number similar to MX100A or B inside of the upright? Not all of these models of pianos are Japanese, instead this is the type of pianos that I generally find that need a transformer to work properly.

Even a Japanese Yamaha Grand Player Piano is a candidate for having a transformer if the piano has been moved from Japan.

What are symptoms to have a transformer for a Japanese Disklavier?

The piano will stop playing intermittently

Yamaha Disklavier in Japanese language from Japan

If the power totally goes out and all you hear is "click" then Google "Power Supply Repair Tap Electronics"

Yamaha Technician: Resource Articles