What it is and what it was built for
An electromechanical keyboard invented by Ernst Zacharias and manufactured by Hohner from 1964 to 1982. Built to emulate the clavichord’s expressiveness using rubber pads, steel strings, and electromagnetic pickups.
How it works, in terms a player would use
Pressing a key forces a rubber pad to fret and strike a tensioned steel string at an anvil point. An electromagnetic pickup converts the vibration into electric current. The keyboard is weighted, delivering dynamic volume per note and aftertouch from string stretch.
What it does better than anything else
Nothing else delivers that immediate, clattering, fretted-string attack with aftertouch-induced pitch bend—like a clavichord crossed with a guitar played through a fuzz box.
What it does badly
It lacks sustain and harmonic depth. Notes decay quickly. The 60-key range (F1–E6) cuts off bass below F1 and treble above E6. No built-in tone shaping beyond the pickup’s fixed response.
What people made with it
Funk, soul, and gospel players used it for staccato rhythmic hooks and biting lead lines. Its sound became inseparable from mid-1970s groove-based music.
Who should use it, and who should not
Players who prioritise physical feedback, dynamic nuance, and raw timbral character over tuning stability or quiet operation. Not for studio composers needing clean, editable, long-decay tones.
Is it worth your time
Yes—if you need a percussive, tactile, string-driven keyboard that responds to finger pressure and invites aggressive articulation. No—if you need polyphonic stability, tonal consistency across registers, or silent practice capability.
