The Yamaha CP-70 is an electric grand piano made by Yamaha Corporation from 1976 to 1985. It was built using earlier electric piano technology, but it used better pickups and the company’s long experience in making acoustic pianos. The new technology and the absence of a soundboard helped it copy the sound of an acoustic piano more accurately than earlier models. Many musicians in the late 1970s and early 1980s used it, including Keith Godchaux of the Grateful Dead and Tony Banks of Genesis. It is still used today by some artists, and replacement parts can still be purchased.
Features
The CP-70 uses the same key mechanism as an acoustic piano, with wooden keys that move hammers to strike strings. However, it does not have a soundboard. It has fewer specially made strings, which makes the instrument lighter. The bass strings are much shorter than those in an acoustic piano, measuring 26 and 3/4 inches (67.9 cm) instead of about 7 feet (213 cm). The strings are amplified by piezo-electric pickups attached to the harp casting, which create an electric current when they vibrate, similar to how pickups on an acoustic guitar work.
Choosing piezo-electric pickups and placing them correctly solves problems that earlier electric pianos had, where magnetic pickups could only pick up sound from a specific part of the string. Without a soundboard, the instrument is less likely to produce feedback. The signal from the pickups goes to a preamplifier, which sends a stereo balanced line signal through two XLR jacks, as well as through the common quarter-inch jacks.
The CP-70 is designed for touring. The harp can be removed from the key assembly and stored inside the lid of the key assembly. A road case is available as an option. The instrument’s flat top allows other keyboards and synthesizers to be stacked on top of it.
Background
Many people tried to make a portable piano that sounded like a large acoustic piano. Benjamin Miessner studied ways to capture and amplify piano sounds since the 1930s. He found that recording the detailed qualities of a piano's sound was difficult because the sound changed depending on where and how the pickups were placed. Yamaha began working on pickup technology during World War II. At that time, Japanese culture allowed companies to share research without worrying about legal issues, unlike in the United States. Using this knowledge, Yamaha created strong piezo-electric pickups and combined them with their experience in making acoustic pianos to build an electric instrument.
The CP-70 was made in 1976 and cost $4,000. Yamaha asked a group of pianists in Los Angeles to test the instrument before it was made. After trying it, they were very excited about it. The first model had tuning problems, so an improved version, the CP-70B, was released in 1978 at the NAMM Show. The CP-80, which had a full 88-note keyboard, was also introduced at the same time. It included an effects loop. Later models, the CP-70D and CP-80D, added a graphic equalizer. The final models, the MIDI-equipped CP-70M and CP-80M, were released at the end of 1985.
Maintenance
The CP-70B and later models have very consistent sound tuning, which is better than many other electric pianos. Without a soundboard, changes in temperature or movement are less likely to affect the sound.
The CP-70 uses special strings that are not commonly available. Finding new strings for this instrument can be difficult. Each version of the instrument used a different kind of string, though some of the high-pitched strings can be replaced with regular strings from an acoustic piano. In 2019, two companies in the United States provided the correct custom strings for the CP-70.
Notable users
The CP-70 was used by several well-known keyboardists, such as Keith Emerson, George Duke, Charly Garcia, Little Feat's Bill Payne, Heart's Howard Leese, Patrick Moraz, Michael McDonald, Magne Furuholmen of A-ha, and Billy Joel. During Cold Chisel's live shows, singer Jimmy Barnes jumped onto keyboardist Don Walker's CP-70. The Grateful Dead's Keith Godchaux started playing a CP-70 because it was easier to carry to performances than an acoustic grand piano. His replacement, Brent Mydland, briefly used it in 1982 before switching to digital synthesizers. Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones placed a CP-70 inside a white case to look like an acoustic piano. Genesis's Tony Banks used the instrument often, including on the songs "That's All" and "Taking It All Too Hard," and preferred it for recordings over an acoustic piano. Former Genesis singer Peter Gabriel also frequently used the CP-70, including on his hit single "In Your Eyes."
The CP-70 became most popular during the arrival of MTV and was often shown in music videos. Keane's Tim Rice-Oxley uses a CP-70 as his main instrument with the band. Alicia Keys used a CP-70 as her main touring piano, which she painted by hand. During the tour for The Element of Freedom, her CP-70 had the words "Freedom" and "Love" painted on its side.