BACKGROUND
Ernst Zacharias was a musician and an inventor. During the 1950's he designed a portable amplified cembalo instrument, the Cembalet. From that instrument came later on the Clavinet.
DESCRIPTION
Hohner Clavinet is one of the funkiest instruments ever made. It is a mechanical instrument with strings and hammers, like a harpsichord. To the right of the keyboard are controllers for the pickups, comparatively with an electric guitar, creates different character on the basic sound. There are 6 switches for the microphones on the left hand of the Clavinet:
- A/B
- C/D
- Soft
- Mellow
- Treble
- Brilliance
On the right hand is a slide for damping the strings. On the rear of the Clavinet is a mono audio output and a jack for power supply (6V). There is a holder placed inside the Clavinet through open the top (D6) or a gap on the top (E7) for an internal 9V battery (if not using AC). To every key is a string. The string can be tuned by a screw, accessed when release the cover from the front of the Clavinet.
The sound is a clav sound, like a harpsichord, clavichord, slap bass or clean electric guitar - and it's funky. The sound is so popular so the most synthesizers have one or a number of patches called clav - and that's from the Clavinet sound. It's common to play rhythmic licks on the Clavinet or guitar style arpeggios. One classic example on Clavinet play is Stevie Wonder's "Superstitious"
CLAVINET MODELS
(Pictures and info from clavinet.com)
The Clavinet where created in seven different models:
-
Model I (1964). Developed as a Clavichord, for classic music. Equipped with internal amplifier and speaker
- Clavinet/Pianet Duo. Clavinet E7 and Pianet T (an electric piano) in the same instrument
CLAVINET MAINTAINCE
The Clavinet is an old instrument and as all older instruments it maybe need maintenance. One of the most common things for old Clavinets is that the keys makes a "clicking", "thunking" or "Popping" sound. That's when the hammer tips are too old and worn out. In that case the hammer tips needs to be replaced. That is normally a quit easy operation. New hammer tips can be ordered from Ebay or Clavinet.com.
When you have your new hammer tips, open up the Clavinet. Release the 4 screws at the frame of the harp and release the keyboard. Then pull of the old hammer tips and put on the new. Put the Clavinet together and you are done.
When we replaced the old hammer tips with new on our Clavinet it made a huge difference. The sound was much better. It was easy done and took less than one hour.
Other spare parts, such strings etc, are also available from places such Clavinet.com
SOFTWARE CLAVINETS
Emagic has made a software Clavinet D6 called EVD6. It doesn't sounds as filthy and funky as the real one but its OK. It has simulation for all the pickups, damper control and everything. New functions that are pretty nice are MIDI, stereo-spread, ability to sustain-pedal and built in classic fx. Smart with adjusting by software instead of the hard (-ware) way.
Very nice, but still not the real old beast. Sadly it only works with Emagic Logic.
CLAVINET MANUAL AND SCEMATICS
(from clavinet.com)
LINKS
- Clavinet.com
- Clavinet discussion forum at Yahoo
- Clavinet Parts
- Clavinet Refurbishment Project
- Clavinet Resources
- Clavinet Restoration Part I