Hello all, key replacement procedure please

[Alanwilder]

Hello everybody,

I've received lately a perfect working order Eii with a nice new screen/sd FD emulator . The only thing which is damaged is the very left C key.

I  read kawai K1 is a nice replacement and there are some available on ebay, how is the procedure to swap a key ? Please see pic attached, damage is on the branch left of this key.

Thank for your support,

[PFM]

Hi,

Yes, the Kawai K1 keys are identical. The key-swapping is easy. I've replaced two separate EII machines with K1 keys, and the procedure is easy. Support the front of the key (edge facing towards you) and press down on the back of the key (edge tucking into the top of the chassis / control panel). The bottom and top 'C' keys are notoriously easy to damage, so stock up on those spare parts!

[Alanwilder]

thank you very much for your support, very appreciated !
 

indeed I bought both top C and very low C in case it happens again with other emu I'm planning to get.

but why top C and very low C are more easily candidate to break  

Cheers,

[PFM]

It makes sense (sort of) that the top C key is venerable, as the two plastic prongs at the back, which clip under the rear of the keyboard's metal frame, are further apart, giving more stress on each ome. But the bottom C should have more strength (the two prongs are closer together). Do we just place triggered drum samples / hard kick drums on the bottom key more often?? Anyway, good old K1 keyboards are fairly common, and fairly cheap to get hold of. I believe that some of the Akai AX keyboards use the same keys, and so does a Korg model from around the mid-1980s (can't remember which one I'm afraid).

[Alanwilder]

 
Thank you again for your explanations , I was able to replace easily this key (k1 works indeed perfectly)
All the best