Hohner Clavinet/Pianet Duo

As easy as you can imagine. It has the mechanics of a clavinet and a pianet in one solid box. You can play either on its own or in various combinations. The clav's strings can be damped for a more pizzicato sound. The clavinet is pure funk -- the pianet sound adds a roundness for more piano-like applications, but is undistinguished on its own.

Full polyphony over a 5-octave board. No expansion, no MIDI, no sequencer -- just a lot of copper wire and bits of metal. This is a real keyboard.

This (and the dedicated clavinet) is *the* funk keyboard. It's also quite nice for playing harpsichord and old-fashioned classical keyboard music. I used it in a bluesy rock band (having noted that my hero Jon Lord also used one)

I sold it after failing to tune it. And after lifting it into the back of a car ruptured a disc in my back necessitating surgery and extensive physiotherapy. I think these things will last longer than people.

.... I don't know if Hohner provides customer support for these ancient creatures. I dodn't ask them for surgical support for *me*

Like all old-fashioned keyboards based on widgets vibrating in magnetic fields, it has a character all its own. I think you'd have to be a real fan to want one, though... nowadays there are plenty of clav samples that suffice for most things and would deceive all but a purist. I have great clav sounds in my Korg M1, Korg SP200 and, heck, even my Korg DS8 synth. Not as great as the real thing but, as with real Hammonds, clavs are lovely until you have to move them. One more thing -- sound engineers hat them because the miles and miles of copper wire that these things contain acts as a aerial and picks up all kinds of hiss from lighting rigs and so on.

once the clavinet/pianet is lugged to where you want it, it is very easy to use.

the action on this keyboard is quick and funky. A big old analog beast that is quite simply one of its kind. The hammers in mine were like bubble gum on a hot summers day and at first I cut up school erasers and epoxied them on. Eventually these sucked too, so I went for the replacement tips on speakeasy vintage. (cheaper than clav.com)There really is only 2 cool features on this keyboard and the pianet is NOT one of them. It is the tone switches and more exclusively the sliding damper on the right. This really funks it up a notch.

This is strictly a funk keyboard and not meant for wussy applications. I think new strings could help the tone but dont want to take the time to restring it. It takes forever Im sure. I havent tried to re-yarn it yet either due to the fact im not a fan of tedious tasks. I dont really think it sounds like a guitar but more like an x-rated jack-in-the-box!!!

This thing is more reliable than rain. The only time ive had trouble was with keys sticking due to the old hammers or an old battery.(keep a tester or a human tongue on hand!)

I dont deal with hohner but have dealt with speakeasy vintage and got a plethera of useful informaton from clavinet.com.

A midi or clav synth is just a slap in the face to me. Use the real thing or nothing at all sucka! Ive had it for 5 years and medeski martin and wood and Phish really made me appreciate THAT sound! (Of course Herbie!) I love the way this instrument send chills up my spine and makes me want to yell at the top of my lungs! A vox wah is definately my choice effect for this instrument and maybe a ibaneztube screamer for aggressiveness. Add reverb for the ultimate SOUND! The only thing that is a downfall is the weight and the duo is more heavy than the d6 or e7. This is common with all keyboards worth playing, ie clav, rhodes, B3 etc.

The Duo is basically a Clavinet E7 and Pianet T combined into one heavy (extremely heavy) unit. Most are black steel w/black tolex bumpers on each end. There is a lid which latches on top an has 3 handles. Like I said, this unit is big and damn heavy. It is heavier than my Rhodes Stage 73, and is best carried by two people.

The Clavinet side has 4 tone settings (brilliant, treble, mid, and soft) as well as two selectors with two each of presets. For those who do not know how a clav works, refer to the other clavinet post which goes into great length. By the time Honer got to the E7, they had the action and electronics down pat - as this thing funks hard. The tips had to be replaced and that is a hard part to come by. I got mine from Richard Goodsell at Numerous Complaints Music in Atlanta. There is a knob to split the keyboard in different formations between the Clav and Pianet. Also a damper slider. The strings are accessed in the front for tuning, which is very easy. Output jacks in the back for Clav, Pianet, Clav/Pianet Combo. The unit uses a small amount of power which can be attained from 9v battery or adapter.

The Clav is funky as hell if you have the right touch. Most people use the sound straight from the unit, but add a wah pedal and you get a sick groove. Herbie used a wah on his D6 and it sounds almost like a guitar. I also like to use an overdrive for some grit and harmonics. The Pianet I am sort of indifferent to. Is has a Lo-Fi quality, sort of a bad rhodes with more bell. But Honer made these for home use, so I guess germany in the 70's was looking for a Harpsichord and Piano combo you could prop in the living room next to the bratwurst.

This thing is a tank. But be prepared to replace the tips.

N/A. Honer makes harmonicas now.

If you like the Pianet T and are also looking for a clav, this is the unit to buy. If you just want to groove, find a D6 or E7 as the extra weight will kill you. These things are getting pretty rare lately. Everyone wants the retro boards.