Novachord
date: label: date made
content: 1939-1942
notes: label: Description
content: <p>This Novachord was made by Hammond Instrument Co. in Chicago, Illinois, around 1939-1942. It is a model H, serial #1173, with 72 keys (F – e), 3 pedals (volume and sustain), and 1 swell pedal (sustain by either foot). Sounds are generated by 12 oscillators using frequency division. There are 14 control knobs which can be set to produce various sounds:</p>
label: Description
content: <p>Deep Tone (off, 1, 2, 3)<br>First Resonator (off, 1, 2, 3)<br>Second Resonator (off, 1, 2, 3)<br>Third Resonator (off, 1, 2, 3)<br>Brilliant Tone (off, 1, 2, 3)<br>Full Tone (off, 1, 2, 3)<br>Balancer (soft bass to strong, bass)<br>Bright – Mellow<br>Attack ((1 (fast) – 7 (slow))<br>Combination – Percussion – Singing<br>Volume ((4 (high) - 1 (low))<br>Normal Vibrato (off/on)<br>Small Vibrato (off/on)<br>Starter (lift/release)</p>
label: Description
content: <p> and an On/Off toggle</p>
label: Description
content: <p>This instrument features the following patents:</p>
label: Description
content: <p>U.S. Patent #RE20825, dated August 9, 1938 by Gilbert Smiley for producing musical sounds electronically.</p>
label: Description
content: <p>U.S. Patent #RE20831, dated August 16, 1938 by Gilbert Smiley for an electronic musical instrument.</p>
label: Description
content: <p>U.S. Patent #2117002, dated May 10, 1938 by Laurens Hammond for a keyboard for musical instruments.</p>
label: Description
content: <p>U.S. Patent #2126464, dated August 9, 1938 by Laurens Hammond for an electrical musical instrument.</p>
label: Description
content: <p>U.S. Parent #2126682, dated August 9, 1938 by Laurens Hammond for an electrical musical instrument.</p>
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Illinois, Chicago
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Musical Instruments
label: See more items in
content: Music & Musical Instruments
label: See more items in
content: Electronic Musical Instruments
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Russell K. Gernhofer
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MI.71.10
label: catalog number
content: 71.10
label: accession number
content: 292941
objectType: label: Object Name
content: novachord
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 38 1/2 in x 53 in x 37 1/2 in; 97.79 cm x 134.62 cm x 95.25 cm