Sunday, July 19, 2020

The Moody Blues' Hohner Pianet

Back in March, Denny Laine posted an early picture of the Moody Blues:


I was very surprised to see Mike Pinder playing a Hohner Pianet (although it could be a Cembalet; it's difficult to tell without seeing the range of the keys).

While these don't seem to be the original legs (they're at a sharper angle, apparently to raise the Pianet higher for easier playing while standing), the spindle style does indicate that this is a Mark 1, C, or CH model.  The cord coming out of the bottom shows that the connections are underneath - an-other identifying feature of these models.

I have The Magnificent Moodies (this specific re-issue, which includes a few bonus tracks), the only album that this incarnation of the Moody Blues recorded, but the Pianet doesn't appear in any of the songs.  Pinder always uses acoustic piano.  Later, the mellotron was his keyboard of choice.  As far as I can tell, then, he used the Pianet only for live appearances and only very early in the Moody Blues.