Re: Hammond J-122. Worth purchasing?

["Bruce A. Wahler" <bwahler@tiac.net>]

Colm McCarthy wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> My wife and I are considering purchasing a Hammond J-122 (sn 29530) 
> from a workmate.  Neither of us knows a darn thing about Hammonds and 
> we are wondering if the J-122 is a good model.
> 
> The organ is in beautiful condition and plays just fine.  The seller 
> is asking $300 for it.  Is this a fair price or are we being ripped 
> off? Incidentally, any idea when this model was manufactured?
> 
> Sorry to post this to everybody, but I surfed and surfed and found 
> very little info on the J-122 (which I presume belongs to the J-100 
> series - as I said we know nothing about Hammonds :-), and any 
> assistance would be much appreciated.

Colm,

The J-100 series is a completely different animal from what most of us
on the list are using/cloning/searching for.  I've played one, and I
second the motion to hear a tone wheel, drawbar Hammond before buying
the 'J.  The two sounds are completely different, and if you're buying
it because you've "always loved the sound of a Hammond organ," I think
you will be disappointed, sooner or later.

As for price, $300 is WAY (3-5X) too much for it.  Perfect condition
drawbar Hammond spinets, such as the M-100, go for $300-500 in the
Boston area, and I think our prices are above the national average. 
Those organs, while not the most sought after, still have "the Hammond
sound" and are desirable by many players, none of whom would settle for
a J-100.  I'm sure your friend has fond memories of his J-122, but the
reality is, if you give him $300 for it, you'll probably never recoup
your money, even if you hold onto it for 20 years.  If you love the
sound, buy it, but be aware of its low resale value.