via this auction
"An extremely rare and historically important instrument, the RCA Storytone piano was built in 1939 in a joint venture between Story & Clark and RCA. It is the world's first electric piano, and it debuted at the 1939 World's Fair, which was truly a great event for musical instruments -- the similarly famous Hammond Novachord, the world's first polyphonic tube synthesizer debuted there in 1939 as well.
The piano has normal strings and action but no soundboard -- the sound is amplified through electromagnetic pickups, circuitry and a speaker system, making it the world's first commercial electric piano. It works especially well for sustained styles of playing, as notes can last up to a minute or more with its unique form of resonance. It sounds more authentic and much more like a real piano than a Rhodes, Wurlitzer or Helpinstill, and sounds richer, fuller, and thicker than a Yamaha CP-70 or Kawai EP-308. It really is the king of all electric pianos, save for transportability.
Even better, it has an art deco/streamline design that rivals that of the finest furniture of the era. This piano has been refinished and restored and is in excellent functional and cosmetic condition. It also comes with its original bench, which has also been refinished, reupholstered, and restored. Please note that we did not replace the keytops, which are original, because they look better than new keytops would.
Please note that the shipping cost is an estimate and that the actual shipping cost to the buyer will vary based on the buyer's location. For instance, moving this to the east coast would cost $590, while moving this within the Los Angeles metro area would cost $125."
via @AtomicShadow
I have a slight issue with Novachords being called synthesizers: they truly have nice controls, but so do many other organs that are not synthesizers either. It's also true that the Storytone is probably the first commercial electrified piano, but it would not be the first made. There are patents for earlier designs that worked. I have a Storytone - it does sustain some, but it's a by-product of the loudspeaker, accidental resonance/feedback makes the strings sustain, like putting an acoustic guitar with a pickup near a speaker. It sure is a cool effect to hear on an "acoustic" piano!
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