keyscape-header

Weltmeister® Claviset

This 1960s Cold War collector's item was made in East Germany by the accordion manufacturer, Weltmeister (which means "World Champion”), and is the only known Eastern European electric piano. Although the Claviset has a somewhat similar sound to the Hohner® Pianet, the metal reeds are plucked by rotating rubber discs with small lips rather than being pulled by sticky pads. The instrument tone tabs on the front refer to the tonal qualities of the filters, rather than emulations of acoustic instruments. Difficult to get in the West until the Berlin Wall came down (and still rare to this date), the original Claviset was famously used by Joe Meek.

This 1960s Cold War collector's item was made in East Germany by the accordion manufacturer, Weltmeister and is the only known Eastern European electric piano. The instrument tone tabs on the front refer to the tonal qualities of the filters, rather than emulations of acoustic instruments. Difficult to get in the West until the Berlin Wall came down (and still rare to this date), the original Claviset was famously used by Joe Meek.