Electric lamellophones are lamellophones (struck metal tongue instruments) that have been electrified with a coil, electrostatic or contact pickup.
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The Space Harp or Frankiphone designed, built and played by Phil Cohran is a famous instance of an electric lamellophone.
Ernst Zacharias created a series of electric lamellophones created by in the 1960s for Hohner. These instruments were based on the reeds made by Hohner (already employed in accordions, concertinas, melodicas and harmonicas). These instruments were the Pianet (plucked by a foam pad), the Cembalet (plucked by a rubber pad) and the Guitaret (plucked by fingers). The idea of a struck reed tongue had been pioneered by the Alexandre brothers in their Orgues expressifs (harmoniums) in the 19th century, where they were called percussion stops.
Lucinda Ellison has a wide range of her Embiras - solid body electric mbiras with piezo pickups, a design first conceived in 1981 and finalised in 1996.
David Bellinger has been making ekalimbas - kalimbas with piezo pickups - for 20 years.
The Array Mbira has been electrified by the addition of 2 channel stereo piezo cable pickup system. There is a special solid-body Array Mbira offered.
There are a range of other mbiras and kalimbas have been created by contemporary instrument makers. Neptune's Jason Sanford makes electric thumb pianos from scrap.
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