If you saw Stevie Wonder at Live 8, hammering out 'Higher Ground' and 'Superstition' on a battered old Clavinet D6 and Boss AW-2 Auto Wah pedal, you'll know that we have a lot to thank Hohner for. The company was founded in 1857 and was the first to sell harmonicas. They made the harmonica Abraham Lincoln used to carry around, and gave Wally Schirra the tiny one he played on the Gemini IV spacecraft in 1965. But I'd never heard of Hohner's Guitaret. It was invented by Ernst Zacharias, who went on to develop the Pianet and Clavinet. The only English description I can find is this: "It's a kind of reed autoharp. It had buttons to select chords and a lever to activate the plectrum mechanism, and was intended to replace the rhythm guitar in dance bands" (via). It plugs into a guitar amp, and may sound a bit like an electric thumb piano. Now, one has turned up on German eBay item #7335307871. It comes in the original box, looks like it's in good nick, ships worldwide, accepts Paypal and is currently only €20. If you buy it, do let me know what it's like... UPDATE: Not THAT rare, perhaps: item #7337947775 is another one!