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25th Anniversary on providing these rare parts for vintage keyboard collectors!
HOHNER CEMBALET PLUCKERS NEW & UNUSED!! 65 PLUCKERS (61 + 4 spare). FITS ALL CEMBALET MODELS.
Hohner discontinued replacement parts for the CEMBALET decades ago. With renewed interest and enthusiasm in recent years, vintage electromechanical and other analog keyboard instruments have been making their presence known in both live and recorded popular music, adding much needed warmth and nostalgia to today's often dry and exceedingly compressed digital music. Players have been hunting down old Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzers, RMIs, Clavinets, Pianets, and combo organs to give their sound that organic presence and vintage vibe.
These instruments have also been increasingly represented in modern digitals and software samplers, with varying degrees of success. However, few who have played the originals are truly satisfied, and few have dedicated much attention to the lesser known electromechanical instruments such as the Hohner electric pianos, namely the Pianet and CEMBALET. Perhaps due to their Beatles and British invasion connection, or due to their unique sound and appearance, there has been far more interest in these old Hohner keyboards recently. People have also discovered that they are not as easy to come by as the other more ubiquitously manufactured instruments. With worldwide platforms like , however, they have been coming out of the woodwork and have been reborn.
Often, when people manage to find a CEMBALET or Pianet, they are disappointed to discover that the pluckers are kaput, rendering the instrument unusable. Some desperate players have attempted to fabricate their own makeshift pluckers, only to encounter the inevitable problem of silent notes after only a few strikes. The reason is simple: the pluckers require precise thickness, angle, material composition, hardness, and groove geometry for the keyboard to function and sound properly and consistently.
With the availability of these replacement parts, the CEMBALET has effectively been reborn. Instruments long thought to be beyond repair have been restored to their original voice and character, finding their way back into both live performance and studio work. This resurgence has not gone unnoticed, as the CEMBALET has since been captured in digital samples and third party software, and has even reappeared in the hands of UK Top of the Pops acts
Keyboard Magazine's Mark Vail showcased the CEMBALET in his book Vintage Synthesizers: Groundbreaking Instruments and Pioneering Designers of Electronic Music Synthesizers (2000).
My colleague Alan Lenhoff also featured the CEMBALET in Classic Keys: Keyboard Sounds That Launched Rock Music (2019), presented in exceptional detail and beautifully photographed. This is a must have book for any serious vintage keyboard collector.
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS ARE INCLUDED with these CEMBALET pluckers, though installation is quite straightforward. These pluckers are guaranteed, with a full money back guarantee if they do not perform as promised. There is also a ONE YEAR WARRANTY. Any plucker that is defective or breaks will be replaced at no cost to the customer.
Payment must be received within 7 days of purchase or the items will be offered to the next buyer and negative response may be submitted.
FREE standard shipping and handling within the continental USA and $19.95 for international shipments. Additional cost applies for expedited shipping or special tracking options. I reserve the right to remove or cancel buyers with suspicious profiles during or after the sale.
NOW FOR A NOT SO BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CEMBALET
Introduced in 1958, the Hohner CEMBALET was one of the earliest production electric pianos, appearing shortly after the Wurlitzer 100 series and years before the Fender Rhodes. The CEMBALET was a predecessor to the Hohner Pianet, together creating many of the classic timbres of the 1960's.
Hohner electric pianos can be heard on recordings by the Beatles, the Zombies, Manfred Mann, the Guess Who, Burt Bacharach in "This Guy's In Love," and early Ian McLagan of the Small Faces before he transitioned to the Wurlitzer. John Cale of The Velvet Underground utilized theCEMBALETon early Velvet Underground recordings.Richard Manuel (The Band) occasionally used theCEMBALETlive, notably playing one alongside his typical Hohner Pianet.John Mayall (i.e., John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers) was also creditedwith playing theCEMBALETon the albumJohn Mayall Plays John Mayall. 1970's punk era UK bandthe Stranglers, whose keyboardist Dave Greenfield helped define the band's signature sound using theCEMBALEToften straddling his Hammond organ (see YouTube link below bringing his instrument back to life). The CEMBALET can also be heard in the Elvis Costello composition "Veronica" from 1987.
Many listeners assume they are hearing a Pianet when in fact they may be hearing a CEMBALET. Contrary to popular belief, the CEMBALET was not replaced by the Pianet. The Pianet, introduced in 1962, was an addition to the Hohner keyboard line, as was the Clavinet in 1964. The CEMBALET remained in production for nearly a decade afterward because demand persisted.
The instruments differ in range, feel, and tonal character. The CEMBALET spans C to C, while the Pianet spans F to F. Both use accordion style reeds, but they generate sound differently. The CEMBALET, properly pronounced "Chem ba let," uses rubber plectra, or pluckers, to excite the reeds, producing a percussive, yet rounded, reedy tone. The lower and midrange resemble the Pianet, while the upper mid range becomes more flute like, lending itself well to nuanced tonal color.
The Pianet, in comparison, used impregnated sticky pads that adhere to and release the reeds, creating a more piano like tone reminiscent of a Wurlitzer. Its sound is more aggressive and percussive, producing the familiar blurbing chords heard in many 1960's recordings, particularly in the lower registers. However, the sticky pads deteriorated over time, often quickly, resulting in uneven response and inconsistent tone. The keyboard action can also feel slightly delayed due to the adhesion and release mechanism.
The CEMBALET, by contrast, offers superior attack and articulation. Voicing is more consistent and easier to adjust. Like the harpsichord, however, it lacks true dynamic response, though tonal variation can be achieved through playing style and internal adjustment.
The CEMBALET was more popular in Europe than in the United States, where the Pianet dominated AM radio. The CEMBALET pluckers, like the Pianet sticky pads, were prone to failure and required occasional manual adjustment. It was not uncommon to see 1960's players performing with the lid removed for access. Over time, pluckers deteriorate, altering tone and eventually producing silent notes. Most surviving CEMBALETS are unplayable for this reason.
A notable feature of the CEMBALET is its adjustability. Both tone and action can be tailored through pickup distance and plucker positioning relative to the reed. Greater distance produces a softer, more delicate sound, while closer positioning yields a sharper, more percussive response.
The first CEMBALET in 1958 was tube based with wooden keys and coffee table legs, available in ash or walnut. It featured an underbelly wooden volume bar and pear shaped toggle switches. Its rectangular sides gave it a boxy appearance, and with the lid closed it could pass as a coffee table. Many players consider this the best sounding version due to its wooden key action and warm tube tone.
Around 1960, the CEMBALET I and II were introduced. These remained tube based but used plastic keys. The Model II added a built in speaker in a console configuration.
By 1962, the C series introduced tapered sides, slider switches, and solid state circuitry. These models retained the volume bar, now now in metal. Variants such as CF and CH reflected incremental refinements in solid state performance.
In 1966, the CEMBALET N was introduced. It featured side mounted legs, improved controls, optional amplification, rear mounted connections, and a proper volume pedal. The N series also demonstrated improved output, faster action, and reduced noise. It was the best electronically of the solid state instruments in reliability and sound, though its sound was notably different than the early tube variants which had more complete harmonics. The Cembalet N was produced only in darker finishes and later transitioned to a smoother veneer lacking wood grain texture. Production of the Cembalet ended around 1971.
FYI No part of this historical narrative may be used without the written consent of this er!
Enjoy some inspiring performances from customers' Cembalets:
Enjoy the restoration and rediscovery of Dave Green of the Strangler's infamous Cembalet:
