YAMAHA MODX 8 KEYBED MOD - GHS, Graded Hammer Standard to BHE, Ballanced Hammer Effect

Hi Guys n Gals.
A quick vid showing that this mod is not only possible but
in my oppinion it makes a much better playing experience.
But that's my oppinion..
Iv.e been a keyboard engineer for 32 years and done quite
a few of these mods on hammer effect keybeds, all with
glorious results.
HOWEVER - If my MONTAGE 8, MODX 6, HS7 MONITORS,
STANDS, LEADS Ect, Including my van which all this gear was in,
wasn't stolen, i would'nt have done the mod.
BUT, with no gear, no van, no money and a Lockdown, i wanted
a Ballanced Keybed..
TO BE CLEAR - If You Have The Money - BUY A MONTAGE.
MONTAGE IS SECOND TO NONE.

[@KyleofCarbondale]

How’s the mod holding up? It looked like the black keys originally had less weight on them than the adjacent white keys. I’m assuming that’s to make them feel balanced with each other. However, your mod looked like they’re all the same length metal bar. Does this not cause the keybed weight to feel off between white/black? Or is any discrepancy not noticeable?

[@waltscott5]

So you’re starting with a GHS keybed , but making it more like the BHE through your hammer mod? I’m tempted to try it if so.

[@tommy2nes]

the ammount of space in there! They could have made this so much smaller and cooler!

[@tonylancer7367]

So I played a Nord Piano 4 for the very first time in my life and I just love the way the keyboard feels. I started googling around to see if it's possible to replace the keybed on the MODX8 (which is what I want to purchase) because I've played a DGX-640 for a while (more than 5 years) and you are right, the action feels so sluggish. GHS feels good in the beginning (I played a P125 which felt good actually), but I want something close to the action of the Nord I played on the Yamaha MODX. I see you have here the BHE (which I've never played), so I'd like to know, is it possible to get such action (Nord or something similar) on the MODX8?

[@eazyfreek]

Hi Tony. Yes, the keybed can be moded. The GHS Keybed on the MODX is exactly the same as the DGX Keybed. I've done a few of these in the past for myself and others. I couldn't afford the MONTAGE, so I had to mod my own MODX. MAD, I KNOW, but it had to be done.

[@tonylancer7367]

@@eazyfreek What's the whole procedure like? Do I have to look for an extracted BHE keybed already?

[@eazyfreek]

Hi Tony. I just modded the MODX keybed. You could buy an extracted one and do it to that so you still have the original, in case you ever want to sell it. Striping the MODX down is quite simple. Turn the MODX over onto a carpet or even a bed, and extract every screw from it's back panel - all of them. Then the back panel simply lifts off. Everything inside the MODX is screwed to front panel. Lift the Back panel up from the front, near the keys, and fold it back. Then you'll see the power inlet-Line in/out-phones-foot switch- ect, all still connected to the inside of the back panel - once opened. The keybed is connected with one ribbon cable. Carefully pull the cable from i'ts socket, don't worry, it goes back in the same way, then lift the keybed out. Removing the hammers from the keybed also pretty simple. Unscrew the cross head screws(Philips) from the top of all the black n white keys and gently lift them from the screws side. Then you will see the hammers. Where the metal hammer is molded to the white plastic, take hold of the white plastic bit and give it a gentle pull towards you, these also go back the same way, they just pop back on. Use a small handle grinder to cut, only the curls off at the end of the hammers, leaving just enough to clear the sponges. Build it back up and were done. I wish you lived near me, id do it for ya. Hope this helps. Good Cutting and please be careful.

[@tonylancer7367]

@@eazyfreek OK, um I am a little bit worried about the BHE action fitting in because of the size of the keys and the body. Does it fit snuggly or do I have to do something to the body of the MODX to fit it in?

[@tonylancer7367]

@@eazyfreek Also, this sounds silly but what do you actually search? Do you search ebay or reverb? I've been reading quite a lot on the GHS and I'm nervous that I'm going to get pissed off with the sluggish keys, maybe I should just save for the Montage.

[@yannic2248]

Did you just cut of all the "loops" at the end of the metal rod? Isn't a Graded Hammer Action better than a Balanced Action for Pianos?

[@eazyfreek]

Hi Yannic. Yes I cut just the loops off. I prefer this to the graded keybed. I've done this to many keyboards over the years, some for other musicians and a few for studios. I've also converted a Montage 8 to 88 key synth action for a very famous keyboardist.

[@yannic2248]

@@eazyfreek Cool stuff and thanks for the answer! As you seem to know a lot about all this, can you tell me how big the difference between the keybeds of the MODX8 (GHS) and the CP88 (GH3) is by any chance? I am quite new to all of this and I would prefer to get the one that's closest to a real grand piano.

[@eazyfreek]

@@yannic2248 Hi. The GH3 is a much more engineered keybed, and are fantastic to play. The hinge of the keys is set further back into the keyboard, which allows you to play at the back of the keys. Pure Class...

[@CentralScruteniser]

There appears to be differences in how much you have cut off. Some of the remnants are U shaped, the rest are L shaped. Is there a reason for this? Is the pile on the left from the bottom octave perhaps and the pile on the right from the Top Octave?. Is there a measurement you could state from the picture of the detached rod - perhaps from where the rod meets the Plastic, to the point at which the cut was made? Would you recommend a Dremel, perhaps for this task?

[@eazyfreek]

Hi. Yes it's a graded hammer action and the bigger curls are at the bottom end. A dremel would be fine but i always use a fine cut grinder disk. Cut the end curls off at the same point on every hammer, at the piont where the hammer just clears the sponges. After the initial cut is done, simply round the end off with the flat side of the grinder disk. Hope this helps you....

[@CentralScruteniser]

@@eazyfreek That's Great . . . Thanks for such a concise answer . . . . :-) . . . would just like to mention that your Video got posted on yamahamusicians.com forum (where I moderate, my "handle" is ) - there is massive traffic in the Montage and MODX sections, including discussions of the Keybeds . . . . ;-)

[@clem5251]

Any to just replace rods instead of cutting

[@eazyfreek]

Hi. There are no replacement hammers that are different from the original ones. I am a keyboard engineer and have done this a lot for myself and customers who prefer a balanced hammer keybed. Don't be scared of doing the job, it's very easy to do, just take a little pride in your work and it will be fine. Good luck. Any more help, just ask. I love to help...

[@swithin2443]

What song is this?

[@eazyfreek]

HI. I Used the MODX PERFORMANCE , PEARLY GATES, WITH A FM LEAD. Gonna strip the MODX back down again to replace felt strip. SO, I'll be making a full tutorial . Thanks For Watching ....

[@jeanlot]

It is in "klaus Shulze" style

[@clem5251]

And does this cost to have done?

[@clem5251]

Sorry how much does this cost?

[@eazyfreek]

@@clem5251 Hi. R u in the UK.

[@tommy2nes]

Hey there, I live in the uk, would you be able to do this to mine for a price? Does it still feel like a weighted action and not too slow to spring back or anything? I cud not do this on my own

[@tommy2nes]

I actually also have a Yamaha p35 which supposedly has the same action but to me the p35 feels slightly lighter and more playable

[@eazyfreek]

Hi Tom. We had the Montage 8 with it's BHE Keybed at the studio, and this feels almost the same as that and definitely less sluggish. Ive done quite a few of these GHS Keybeds for friends n colleges over the years including all my own stuff. I was a Yamaha and Technics service engineer for Dawsons Music in Wigan in my younger years. Oh, those were the days... I'm in Wigan, are you close ....

[@imandan1966]

Guy can take apart a keyboard and alter it, but cannot figure out how to run a microphone and tell us what he's doing? Weird