Guitaret

Guitaret

Other names	Guitareti
Classification	Electric lamellophone
Related instruments
Electric thumb piano, Cembalet, Pianet
Builders
Hohner

The Guitaret is an electric lamellophone made by Hohner and invented by Ernst Zacharias, in 1963.^[1] Zacharias also invented similar instruments like the Pianet, Cembalet and the Clavinet.^[2][3]

The instrument itself was not popular, and was dropped from the product line in 1965, presumably because it failed to excite the market. It was one of a number of experiments that Zacharias made converting non-standard musical instruments to modern ones.^[4] Guitarets that have survived have problems with the reed dampening system, which means that the instrument has come to be played with two hands.

Despite its obsolescence, its distinct tone has made it popular in both retro- and colourist settings, and it has experienced somewhat of a revival. It has been featured in soundtracks recently for this very reason.^[5]

The Guitaret's sound is that of a thumb piano. It is plugged into an amplifier, and sounds like an electric thumb piano.^[2]

Origins and playing

Scale view of the Guitaret notes.

The Guitaret is an approximately 30 centimeters long rectangular case of white painted metal, whose three rows of metal tongues, which ends protrude slightly above the cabinet. It contains a handle too, which also includes a button to operate the damper. The player takes the guitaret with the left hand to handle this common ground and brings the thumb of the right of the tongues flicker. By pressing the button to sprung damper felt pads to the soles Fri, by releasing the button, all tongues muted.

The vibration of tongues is recorded by a spool around which is wrapped all tongues together and act as electro-magnetic sensor. The coil is directly connected to the output to the amplifier, it has no instrument for amplification.

The tongues are arranged in a manner so that the uptake of three or four sounds easier. At the top of the cabinet, these agreements for the convenience of the player are depicted.

Famous performers

Warren Ellis in 2006.

• It is featured on Leo Abrahams`s work (he was given a Guitaret by Brian Eno. Leo plays the Guitaret on the soundtrack for "Searching 1906" "I ended up playing a lot of guitaret (the rare thumb piano-like instrument that Eno gave me."
• Warren Ellis plays Guitaret both on the Grinderman album and on the Soundtrack for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
• Max Eastley (creator of instruments) plays Guitaret according to the Lord Jazz Discography
• Lali Barriere plays Guitaret in Pad (Projecte Achmed Digital) and with Ferran Fages in a Barcelona experimental duet GRUS. Lali also plays guitaret in "My Pony", last track of "Press the Space Bar", by Chicks on Speed and The No Heads. Lali also started the Guitaret Fan Club on FaceBook.
• Saïd Zarrabi, the keyboardist in Les quitriches, a French beat band from Stuttgart, Germany and Quitriche-en-Auvergne, France doubles on Guitaret
• Aja West plays Gutiaret on Aja West & Cheeba's Flash & Snowball
• Plamo includes Guitaret in his instrumentation.
• Roland Wolff plays the Guitaret in his stage music
• Michael Peters played Guitaret in Tonlabor (2004–2006) as part of a collection of strange instruments
• Martin Schnur plays his Guitaret sometimes in his stage music with the Original Wammertaler Musikanten.
• Icelandic band múm have Guitaret on their latest album and the track Illuminated features it
• Abandon the Earth Mission features a Guitaret
• It is sampled in the MOTU Electric Keys, so the Guitaret sound is likely heard more than the Guitaret itself.

Recordings

• The Guitaret Album

References