Hammond organ - worth buying?

[rubbersounds]

I could pick up a working Hammond organ for $75. The seller says the 2-speed Leslie speaker works, but some of the stops don't. Are the stops hard to fix? I'm wondering if it would be worth the hassle of moving it.

[Elk]

If you are talking about a B-3 or C-3 (B-3 in a cabinet) the answer is absolutely!

There are many people that know how to fix these critters and they are a hoot to play.

Make sure you know how to lock down the tone generators before moving it.

[drh]

For what it's worth, here in the DC area Hammond and Conn organs turn up every so often at my local thrift shop at about that price, and they tend to sit there for a long time. I'm guessing that a lot of them are out there and that the demand is pretty low, largely killed by the modern digital piano/keyboard. (Much the same way the digital camera/camera cell phone is killing the market for film cameras, at least at the low end.)

[Edit]

In light of the preceding post, which came through while I was writing mine, I guess my point would be "just don't spend much more than is being asked"!

[spudco]

The Leslie is worth more than that! Lots of parts are available if you are so inclined. Although you can get immitation sounds from almost any modern keyboard, they will pale in comparison to the real deal.

[B-Diddy]

YES! I picked up a C3 at a local church for $200. The tone wheel isn't spinning after oiling it to death. I spoke with the Local Organ Guy and he's familiar with my exact organ (insert organ joke here) and can get it going easily for about $150. Mine came with a Tone Cabinet. Tubes out the wooha! A leslie is prefered.

[XMIAudioTech]

If its not a B-3, C-3, M-3, A-100 or L-100, then NO- don't buy it- they are pretty much boatanchors, and none of the big national organ service places like Goff will waste their time with it. Parts will be difficult to obtain unless you have another similar model organ around to cannibalize from. Trust me on this, I have had the experience with my 1966 H-111.

Ditto for any Leslie that is not a 122 or 147 (the Leslies you hear on all the records)

just my $.02...

-Aaron

[rubbersounds]

They didn't know what model it was. I guess I'll have to drive over and look at it. If it isn't a B-3 or C-3 I don't think I'd be interested.

[Kent Teffeteller]

Hi,

The Leslie Speaker unit is worth much more than $75! I would get it. The older tube units, especially! Repairs can still be had!

[jt1stcav]

When I worked at the local Guitar Center in town, our store aquired two vintage '50s Hammond organs in very good condition; a B3 without Leslie (a stock Hammond tone cabinet without vibrato), and a B2 with a working Leslie. The B3 sold for $6500 and the B2 for $3200. I'd say certain classic Hammond tube-powered organs are definately worth it to get repaired. If the organ in question is a solid-state affair, then I doubt it IMHO.

[Mike in OR]

my gosh yes! Even if it is junk, depending on the model you will have a boat load of 6SN7s!! :righton:

[Jack Theakston]

If you're interested in an item for practice, any instrument in any condition is always welcome and can be improved upon later.

My advice to you is to check it out, decide if you like the sound that you CAN make from it, and if you like it enough and think the price is right, pick it up.

[RonInCRIA]

ANY tone wheel Hammond can be used with ANY Leslie with a little soldering iron work and moxie. As long as a Leslie has a bass and treble rotor and is not one of the junk later models with the "Mercotac" commutator and the drivers in the rotating element it will give good service.

There are other rotating speaker units besides Leslies too. The jazzbos disdain them but they can sound fine. Kinsman, Allen and a couple in Europe were made.

[Keim]

Heh-I bought a Hammond Chord Organ about 5 years ago. Don't remember the model. Got it for $10. I bought it for the tubes (It was chock full of rca cleartop 12au7's-for you tube heads). Anyhow, I decided to keep it whole for a while and play with it. I was having a lot of fun.

Then my wife started making jokes about me playing with my "little organ."

Thus ended my musical ambitions.

Took it apart the next day...

[RonInCRIA]

If its not a B-3, C-3, M-3, A-100 or L-100, then NO- don't buy it- they are pretty much boatanchors, and none of the big national organ service places like Goff will waste their time with it. Parts will be difficult to obtain unless you have another similar model organ around to cannibalize from. Trust me on this, I have had the experience with my 1966 H-111.



-Aaron

The other Hammond tone wheel organs are fine as long as you have the right expectations. If you look around the parts are there. Goff and a couple other big names are very oriented to touring rock bands and are to be avoided by hobbyists.