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**crossyinoz** · 12-23-2008, 05:34 AM

Re: Hammond 346 - 350 series. The "Laurens Hammond" organ that was never produced?

[quote user="hobberst"]

It was also planned a Leslie 751 Model,4-shannel speaker,[/quote]

G'day Kurt,

The 751 never made it past prototype stage, suffice it to say it was identical to the 750 except for the addition of 2 piezo tweeters.

Cheers,

Ian

**tonewheel1966** · 12-23-2008, 06:04 AM

Re: Hammond 346 - 350 series. The "Laurens Hammond" organ that was never produced?

There's a guy called Doug Irvine on the Hammondzone forum who worked for Hammond in the good old days. I have certainly read some excellent anecdotes by him relating to company politics in changing to LSI, and the demise of John Hanert and the tonewheel generator. I think he would be your best bet.

Dave

**W4KSR** · 12-23-2008, 06:48 PM

Re: Hammond 346 - 350 series. The "Laurens Hammond" organ that was never produced?

I saw the brochure of it, and the organ store I took lessons from had a pre-order for one. Someone actually wanted it. Was going to trade their Elegante for it. From what I can remember about it, it looked pretty much like the Elegante, but in the lower right corner, where the orchestral voices are on the Elegante, there was a whole section of synth voices (about 5 rows of 10 little buttons, like the ones used for the transposer, and Pro Foot). I think it had the 4 sets of drawbars also. I wonder what it sounded like. That's about the best I can do on a memory that's from 23 years ago.

Mark

**hobberst** · 12-23-2008, 10:40 PM

Re: Hammond 346 - 350 series. The "Laurens Hammond" organ that was never produced?

[quote user="W4KSR"]

I saw the brochure of it, and the organ store I took lessons from had a pre-order for one. Someone actually wanted it. Was going to trade their Elegante for it. From what I can remember about it, it looked pretty much like the Elegante, but in the lower right corner, where the orchestral voices are on the Elegante, there was a whole section of synth voices (about 5 rows of 10 little buttons, like the ones used for the transposer, and Pro Foot). I think it had the 4 sets of drawbars also. I wonder what it sounded like. That's about the best I can do on a memory that's from 23 years ago.

Mark

[/quote]

I know that in Chicago History Museum, Research Center, there is 65 cartons of Hammond History. There is also a user manual there for Hammond 346 - 350 Series. it has item no. 63 "Models 346-350, the Laurens Hammond, Owner’s Guide" in carton or in the libary.

Is there anyone who live there, who could get a copy? 

Was there realy sold any 350 organ? I guess that this organ also got MIDI...

**kkeys** · 12-23-2008, 11:53 PM

Re: Hammond 346 - 350 series. The "Laurens Hammond" organ that was never produced?

I was told of a new model Elegante at the store where I bought mine, however when asked no one could give me any details.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
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Thanks W4KSR for your recollections of the brochure.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
According to this page there was a 340 Elegante 3 with <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on">MIDI</st1:place> <o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
http://www.hammond-organ.com/product_support/cross_ref.htm<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>

**W4KSR** · 12-24-2008, 02:24 PM

Re: Hammond 346 - 350 series. The "Laurens Hammond" organ that was never produced?

Never saw an Elegante 3, just the 340107, and 340207. After that was supposed to be "The Laurens Hammond". I believe it's was Hammond's first foray into MIDI. I remember it being a complex looking organ. Like I said before, there was someone that pre-ordered it, but for some reason, it never made it into general production. I'm wondering if was the impending sale of Hammond to Suzuki that killed it.

Mark

**kkeys** · 12-24-2008, 08:05 PM

Re: Hammond 346 - 350 series. The "Laurens Hammond" organ that was never produced?

I too never saw an Elegante - 3 w/MIDI and this was never mentioned at the store where I bought mine. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Your dealer had more info on the new Laurens Hammond than mine did. Any idea of the price?<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
I don’t think there was a direct acquisition of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hammond</st1:place></st1:City> by Suzuki. I remember reading that Noel Crabbe from <st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region> bought <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hammond</st1:place></st1:City>. There may have been a bankruptcy of that company. There were some organs built in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region> as I recall. Itryed a spinet and was not too impressed with it. <o:p></o:p>

**W4KSR** · 12-25-2008, 06:52 AM

Re: Hammond 346 - 350 series. The "Laurens Hammond" organ that was never produced?

That's right. I now remember Noel Crabbe bought Hammond out. I do remember a new console coming out from the "new" Hammond, and trying it out. Made the LSI units look like B-3's. They didn't have the height right - kept rubbing my legs under the console's bottom manual - It was too low. you changed drawbar settings, and the organ lagged with the change. I also remember the pedals used one Molex connector to interface with the organ. The store ownergot so incensed at these sub-standard instruments, that he dropped the Hammond line, and went Technics!

I wished I could've gotten the brochure on that Laurens Hammond. It was a few pages thick. I wonder what ever happened to the prototype?

**crossyinoz** · 12-27-2008, 05:21 AM

Re: Hammond 346 - 350 series. The "Laurens Hammond" organ that was never produced?

G'day guys,

In defence of my fellow countryman, it should be noted that when Noel Crabbe purchased Hammond, all he got was the name, Hammond Corp. had gone bankrupt in 1985. Consequently the 350 model that was in prototype stage never saw the light of day along with the Leslie 751 that I mentioned in an earlier post.

During Crabbe's time all the organs were made in Japan, and Leslie was licensed to Calo Corp, Illinois, until the purchase by Suzuki Japan in 1988.

Cheers, Ian

**geoelectro** · 12-27-2008, 06:07 AM

Re: Hammond 346 - 350 series. The "Laurens Hammond" organ that was never produced?

Here's a picture from a brochure. My understanding was that two were made. One was destroyed and the other may actually reside somewhere, saved by a Hammond employee.



George

**tonewheel1966** · 12-27-2008, 08:44 AM

Re: Hammond 346 - 350 series. The "Laurens Hammond" organ that was never produced?

They could have got an AGO pedal clavier under that [;)]

**hobberst** · 12-27-2008, 02:08 PM

Re: Hammond 346 - 350 series. The "Laurens Hammond" organ that was never produced?

Thankyou George!

Now we have got something. But have anyone any spesification of the organ? Is it midi? I can see that all the percussion tabs are different than on my elegante, and the same to the piston presets.

I Know that the combo-organ B-400 was the first with midi, and have a different rythm unit, maybe with pcm sound.... Maybe the same with the 350 organ?

And to you George, do you have any clue how to midifying my elegante? It is maybe more easy to by a XK3 system... But I love my elegante...

Regards, Kurt

**andyg** · 12-27-2008, 02:15 PM

Re: Hammond 346 - 350 series. The "Laurens Hammond" organ that was never produced?

Flippin 'eck! as we say over here.

Why not re-use the X66 style console for a new 'flagship'? Now I suggested that to the Hammond guys over here twice. Once during the Elegante era and again when the XT and XH models came along.

Does look rather nice, though I'd have preferred the walnut/ebony look of the X66 and X77. And of course the pedestal style explains the need for a matching speaker system. I think this would have sold OK, and if it was basically an Elegante in another skin, then not too much development cost for the company. 

Andy

**W4KSR** · 12-27-2008, 03:32 PM

Re: Hammond 346 - 350 series. The "Laurens Hammond" organ that was never produced?

From the brouchre I saw, it did not have THAT ugly cabinet. It looked more like a normal home organ.It was the start of Hammond getting into some form of digital sound. I do remember those split preset pistons. Too bad we can't find the close up views of the console. I wonder how it sounded?

Mark

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Hammond 346 - 350 series. The "Laurens Hammond" organ that was never produced?

Hammond 346 - 350 series. The "Laurens Hammond" organ that was never produced?

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