I am an MMDer who also is a volunteer for the Arlington Historical
Society in Arlington, Texas.  The Historical Society has an unrestored
but apparently complete Hammond Novachord we have been trying to sell
for some time.

Recently we were approached by a young man who is head of the Audities
Foundation, a nonprofit group that collects and restores early elec-
tronic musical instruments.  He was also recently named curator of the
Chinook Keyboard Museum in Canada, and is interested in our Novachord.
He plans to recreate a performance of a piece commissioned for the 1939
World's Fair that required five (!) Novachords, and he needs one more.
(Where he found four, I'll never know.)

He is not concerned about the condition, which appears to be good,
but unrestored.  We are very interested in selling it to him, but have
no idea what a fair price for such an item might be.  As you are the
MMD's resident Novachord expert, I am turning to you for help.

I realize it is extremely difficult to determine value based on
my sketchy description, but any information you could give us would
be extremely helpful.  The Novachord, as I said, appears to be
complete, there are no places inside that I can see something is
obviously missing, although one part of the chassis behind the pedals
is loose, but will not come out.

It also includes two books with it: an instruction manual and a
collection of music arranged for the Novachord.  Also, inside the case
lid are various wiring schematics and a service record sheet that has
never been filled out.  Incidentally, the case is in a ebony finish,
which I hear is somewhat less common than the wood grain finish I have
seen in pictures.

I am sending a copy of this to the MMD.

Thanks for your help.

Bryan Cather
cather@flash.net