Clavinet
- Date
- 1964 · confidence high
- Place
- Trossingen, Germany
- Credited to
- Ernst Zacharias
- Field
- Matter & energy
What it is
An electric clavichord in which rubber pads strike tensioned strings when keys are pressed, with the sound amplified electrically. Manufactured by Hohner, it became very popular in 1960s-70s funk, rock and reggae, especially through Stevie Wonder.
Manufactured by the Hohner company (Trossingen, Germany) from 1964 to 1982.
What it led to
- the characteristic sound of 1970s funk and soul
- emulation of the Clavinet in modern digital keyboards
- a grass-roots repair and maintenance industry for the instrument