What it is and what it was built for
The Pianet N is a model of the Hohner Pianet, an electro-mechanical piano designed by Ernst Zacharias and built by Hohner in Trossingen, West Germany. The Pianet line began as a variant of his reed-based Cembalet and was intended for home use. The N was made from about 1965 to 1968, then in a second variant, the N II, from 1968 to 1977. The “N” stands for natural wood finish, and it was the most popular Pianet.
How it works, in terms a player would use
Each key is a single lever pivoted on a fulcrum with a spring to return it to rest. A pad sits over a tuned spring-steel reed and adheres to it at rest. When you press the key, the pad lifts and releases the reed, which vibrates, and a pick-up converts the vibration to an electrical signal. The first group of Pianets, which includes the N, used ground stainless steel reeds, variable-capacitance pick-ups and leather-faced pads. The sound is a complex mixture of harmonics when the reed is first struck, which later reduces to a cleaner sustained tone. It has to be connected to an amplifier to be heard.
What it does better than anything else
The N is a complete playing station. Its folding top protects the keys and doubles as a music stand, and its inverted-V legs mount at the ends of the case. A transistorised pre-amplifier, a floor-pedal volume control and a vibrato effect are standard. An optional Amplifier CP was a 12-watt valve amplifier with two speakers that mounted underneath the keyboard between the legs. It had two inputs, one for the keyboard and one for a record player.
What it does badly
There is no built-in amplifier as standard, so a player needs the optional unit or an external amplifier. The bigger problem is age. The pads on 1960s models used a urethane foam damper behind the leather that decomposed, which made them unusable, and the spares ran out after production ended. Players and restorers had to make their own pads until businesses began to offer replacements in the 2000s. The silicone pads of the later T and M models are not suitable for the 1960s Pianets.
What people made with it
Early Pianets were on many hit recordings of the 1960s and 1970s, including “She’s Not There” by the Zombies, “Louie Louie” by the Kingsmen, several Beatles songs including “I Am the Walrus” and “Getting Better”, and “These Eyes” by the Guess Who. Billy Preston played one on “Family Affair”. Bryan Ferry used it on early Roxy Music albums, and Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks played it through a homemade fuzz box. Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac was a noted proponent of the N and Combo Pianet for live use, and said why she preferred the sound of the 1960s Pianets on stage.
Who should use it, and who should not
It suits players who want the 1960s reed-piano design as it was, with the pedal, the vibrato and the home-use build, and who are happy to fit new pads. It does not suit anyone who wants an amplified instrument in one box, or one built to travel. Hohner built its later T model with a hinged lid that makes its own carry case.
Is it worth your time
Yes, if you want the most popular of the 1960s Pianets and can source replacement pads. If you need an instrument that works as it left the factory, look at the later models.
