The Organ Forum

Hi there - I am looking for information on the J-322 Hammond organ without any luck.  Does someone here have any info to share?  I'm hopeful to find some information for my mom since she is the the owner of the organ.  This one has the leslie control knobs, but I gather it needs some type of tone cabinet since it doesn't seem to play exceptionally loud when the volume is turned up all the way.  The serial number looks to be #29336.  It reminds me of a spinet style piano, although when it comes to organs it may be different.  Don't know if this makes a difference but it comes with a lift-up seat bench.   She is debating on whether to keep or sell it.  Either way she would like to have a bit of knowledge on when it was made, features, and possibly what the value may be in good condition.  Thanks to anyone who has info.

As far as the value, here's a similar organ currently for sale on Ebay (a model J-111):

http://preview.tinyurl.com/599bjm    (= Ebay item #160299724237)

If you watch & see how this one does, it may help to determine what dollar value you might ask for your J322.  I'm not familiar with this model, so I can't speak to its features, provenance, etc.  Best of luck with it though.  cheers, Scott

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"The Commander-in-Chief answers him while chasing a fly,
Saying, 'Death to all those who would whimper and cry';
And dropping a barbell he points to the sky,
Saying, "The sun's not yellow - it's chicken."
-Bob D.

A little info on your mom's organ, then. No problem. The J series dates from the mid 1960's, Hammond's attempt to make a low-cost transistor spinet organ, which they did by associating with another company that made a little organ called the Everett. This became the 'Everett by Hammond', then 'Hammond Everett'. It then became branded as the Hammond J100, with a few more keys (44 per manual as against 37) and slightly different shaped switches. The 200 added a Leslie unit and the 300 added coloured tabs in 1967, but otherwise they are the same as the J100 series. The series ended in the early 1970's, with the almost identical 400 and 500 series, which had a small rhythm box.

As for value, the home organ market is practically non-existent these days and prices are as low as they've ever been. A fully working J is perhaps worth $10-25. Ebay prices are often ridiculously high, with no bidders, so don't take any notice of them. A non-working J of any type is worth zero, sorry. Your mom's comes into that category as there's obviously something wrong. It doesn't need a tone cabinet of any kind as all the speakers are internal and it should be loud enough for home use. Sounds like it's got power supply or amplifier problems. It would cost more to fix than it's worth.

Keep it, and enjoy it as a musical instrument or piece of furniture.

Andy

 

 

 

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It's not what you play, it's not how you play. It's the fact that you're playing that counts.

Thanks so much for the great info...much appreciated!

 Lynnie