Reply To: Some Thoughts On Vintage
Here are the pianicas. I see now that the Pianica 32 looks very much like a Clavietta. The Clavietta in Troy’s photos of Nat King Cole holding on make it clear that instrument with that look (i.e., having the general features of our present day melodicas) were around prior to NKC’s death in 1965. The earliest photo I’ve found (yet) for the “piano flute” Hohner is in a 1959 issue of Popular Science. I know some here are clearer about the stages of development than I’m am, but I’m feeling my way along. I’ll try to dig out the article with that photo — “piano flute” is the term used in the 1959 article.