Matt's Gearspace

Render from Modartt's Hohner Collection for Pianoteq, authorised by Hohner. Photo: © Modartt, via Modartt, trimmed and resized.

Hohner

Hohner Pianet N

Discontinued 1968
Released 1965

The Pianet most people mean. Electrostatic pickup, vibrato as standard and a folding lid, with Hohner's 12-watt valve Amplifier CP sold alongside it. This is the sound on a run of mid-60s British records, after which the instrument more or less disappeared.

Replaced by Pianet N II

Replaces Pianet C

Specifications

General

Manufacturer
Hohner
Status
Discontinued
Released
1965

Keyboard

Keys
61
Key action
Synth-action
Aftertouch
None
Keybed
61 lightly sprung unweighted keys, F1-F6; each key lifts a pad off its reed rather than striking it

Sound

Tone source
Reeds
Sound engine
Electro-mechanical: a sticky leather pad lifts off a ground steel reed as the key is pressed, plucking it, and the vibration is read by a variable-capacitance (electrostatic) pickup. There are no dampers, so a note rings until the pad drops back onto the reed.
Polyphony
Full polyphony (61 notes)
Features
Vibrato, Folding lid, Optional 12 W valve amplifier (CP), No sustain pedal

Connections

Outputs
1/4-inch unbalanced

Heard on

Artists and records that used it, as Hohner tells it.

  • The Zombies, “She's Not There”
  • John Lennon (The Beatles), “I Am the Walrus”

More from Hohner

  • Hohner

    Pianet

    Discontinued 1963
    Keys
    61
    Key action
    Synth-action
    Tone source
    Reeds
    —1962
  • Hohner

    Pianet C

    Discontinued 1965
    Keys
    61
    Key action
    Synth-action
    Tone source
    Reeds
    —1963
  • Hohner

    Pianet L

    Discontinued 1968
    Keys
    61
    Key action
    Synth-action
    Tone source
    Reeds
    —1963