Hammond-Leslie FAQ Version 1.25 - 15 Oct 1996 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to the Hammond organ and Leslie speaker FAQ - a source of information, myth and lore regarding all things Hammond and Leslie for seasoned elders, new converts, skeptics, and visitors alike. It is hoped that among the fanatical ravings herein will be found real, actual, useful information. Any contributions and/or corrections are solicited and welcome. Please address them to bbaker@digital.net. A text version of this FAQ is also available online. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Introduction The sound of the Hammond organ has been somewhat absent in popular recordings of the previous decade or so. There was a time though when its presence on stage was de rigueur for any self-respecting band - you simply weren't a real band without one. The sound of the Hammond organ is being heard once again in contemporary recordings. It has been carried to the surface recently by a "retro" movement in popular music. The Hammond/Leslie combination can be seen on stage at concert venues around the country and on late-night talk shows, usually being played by someone in a contemporary pop group. But occasionally a veteran can be seen holding court at the console, grabbing a handful of drawbars while the Leslie spools up. The Hammond - starting to rumble - a full-hand slowly ascending glissando - the expression pedal floored - feet pumping furiously - now the Hammond is a full-throated roar - the Leslie a screaming dervish - eyes closed - arms extended - clinching a two-handed altered dominant chord on both manuals... ... but I digress. What is it about the Hammond/Leslie combination that evokes zealous devotion in its advocates? Why do many of us consider the Hammond to be an instrument and other boxes with keys affixed to be merely poseurs? Well, of course, there's the sound... Some say the Hammond organ is an acquired taste. Perhaps this is true and no attempt will be made here to describe its bare-murmur-to- primal-wail-absolutely-righteous sound. But a serious listen to the best of the listed recordings in the accompanying discography should be sufficient to addict most of the uninitiated to that sound. These selections demonstrate the Hammond organ's ability as an instrument to evoke in the listener the emotion projected by the organist. That ability is the essence of the fanaticism some have toward the instrument. The Hammond/Leslie combination is an acoustic instrument, while more modern keyboards, controllers, and workstations lack this (ahem) organic quality. And then, there's the technology... The first thing you notice when you remove the back of a tone wheel Hammond and poke your curious head into its innards is... the smell of oil and wood. Behind the pre-amp lies the tone generator, the heart of the Hammond's sound. Comprising cogs, shafts, bearings, and wire, the tone generator is a classic example of American over-engineering circa 1940. The rest of the instrument is hand constructed of the same high quality. And you can still get parts. Try getting parts for your Rolakorgamaha BS-1 in the year 2030. But then, why would you want to? Working on Hammond organs can be a pleasure. Enough raving. The FAQ is organized as follows: Contents * 1.0 The Hammond Tone Wheel Organ o 1.1 What is Hammond Percussion? o 1.2 What is key click? o 1.3 What is Hammond Vibrato? o 1.4 What is the scanner? o 1.5 What drawbar registrations are common? o 1.6 What modifications are common for the Hammond? o 1.7 How often and with what is it oiled? o 1.8 When was my Hammond organ made? o 1.9 I've found a B-3 to buy - what should I look for? o 1.10 What is foldback? o 1.11 Repairs, Modifications, and Tech Tips + 1.11.1 How do I clean key contacts? + 1.11.2 How do I clean drawbar contacts? + 1.11.3 How do I adjust the preamp drive level? (B3/C3/A100/RT3) + 1.11.4 The Vibrato is making a chopping sound. How do I fix it? + 1.11.5 How do I lube the manual bus bars? + 1.11.6 How do I perform the percussion modification mentioned in section 1.6? + 1.11.7 My percussion doesn't decay. What should I look for? * 2.0 The Leslie Tone Cabinet "Pipe Voice of the Electric Organ" o 2.1 What the heck is in that thing? (The basic configuration). + 2.1.1 The Treble Rotor + 2.1.2 The Bass Rotor + 2.1.3 Amplification, etc. o 2.2 What accessories are available? o 2.3 What modifications are common for the Leslie? o 2.4 What are common mic'ing techniques? o 2.5 What Leslie is this and what is its pinout? o 2.6 How often and with what is it oiled? o 2.7 How can a single-speed Leslie be converted into a two-speed Leslie? o 2.8 What is the rotation speed of a Leslie's rotors? * 3.0 Miscellaneous o 3.1 Where can I buy reproduction cabinet parts? o 3.2 XB-2 Repairs, Modifications and Tech Tips. + 3.2.1 How do I fix loose keys on the XB-2's manual? + 3.2.2 How do I adjust the internal pots on the XB-2? + 3.2.3 How to EQ the XB-2. o 3.3 How do I connect this Hammond to that Leslie? * 4.0 Contributors to this FAQ * Appendices o A Hammond and Leslie model list. o C Bibliography (printed material, folklore, interviews, etc). o D Essential Discography. o E Parts and service suppliers list. o F Hammond and Leslie clones. o G Equipment Reviews, online schematic diagrams, other files. o H Digests from the Hammond Mailing List. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.0 The Hammond Organ The Hammond tone wheel organ, first introduced by Laurens Hammond in April 1935, is the one against which all contenders are measured. For this reason its technology is outlined below, and not the technology used in more recently manufactured Hammond organs. A Hammond console organ includes two 61-key manuals; the lower, or Great, and upper, or Swell, and a pedal board consisting of 25 keys. The concert models have a 32-key pedalboard. The secret of the Hammond tone wheel organ lies in its method of tone production. The tone generator assembly consists of an AC synchronous motor connected to a geartrain which drives a series of tone wheels, each of which rotates adjacent to a magnet and coil assembly. The number of bumps on each wheel in combination with the rotational speed determines the pitch produced by a particular tone wheel assembly. The pitches approximate even-tempered tuning, (it's done with integer math after all). A note on the organ consists of the fundamental and a number of harmonics, or multiples of that frequency. In the Hammond organ, the fundamental and up to eight harmonics are available and are controlled by means of drawbars and preset keys or buttons. The setting at any particular time is applicable to one manual, either Great or Swell. (Harmonic content adjustment is provided for each manual independently.) The Hammond organ creates its tone colors through additive synthesis. 1.1 What is Hammond Percussion? Hammond Percussion is the name that Hammond gave to a patented circuit that changed the attack characteristic of a note. It does this by adding an additional tone, the Percussion signal, to the note that is depressed. The envelope of the Percussion signal is controlled to have a specific decay characteristic. The frequency of the Percussion signal is selectable to be either the 2nd or 3rd harmonic of the depressed note. The audible effect of this is that there is a chirp or ping at the attack of the note. In modern keyboard parlance the Hammond Percussion would be called "single triggered". The Percussion envelope amplifier is triggered only when a note is depressed from an all-keys-up state. After it has been triggered and as long as any upper manual keys remain depressed, no Percussion effect will be heard when additional notes are depressed. Thus to hear the percussion effect for every note of a run requires a technique that fully releases the currently pressed key prior to depressing the next one in the run. When Percussion is enabled, one of the harmonic busbar contacts from each key is used to trigger the Percussion amplifier. This removes one drawbar harmonic from the palette available to shape the sound. The stock setup removes the harmonic available at the 9th drawbar. The percussion circuit can be modified to trigger using any of the available harmonic contacts. (See section 1.11.6 for details of this modification. On the console organs equipped with percussion, it is enabled only on the upper manual, and only while using "B" preset. 1.2 What is key click? The sound produced by early Hammond organs differed from pipe organs in one characteristic way. There was an attack transient that sounded like a click or pop when a key was pressed. This was considered a defect. Considerable design efforts were made to reduce it but it could never be eliminated. Later rock and blues players found the key click characteristic to be desireable and some jazz organists consider it to be essential. Many Hammond organ simulators include a key click control to reproduce this characteristic. 1.3 What is Hammond Vibrato? Provided on the organs so equipped are vibrato and chorus settings V1,V2,V3 and C1,C2,C3. Vibrato is the periodic raising and lowering of the pitch, and is thus fundamentally different from tremolo which is a variation in only the loudness of the pitch. The hammond vibrato is implemented using a tapped delay line, really a low-pass filter. The signal is applied to the delay line and a rotating scanner, attached to one end of the tone generator assembly, picks the signal off of the delay line at the tap points. The scanner, a single-pole 16-throw air-dielectric capacitor switch, is wired so that the tap point will traverse the entire delay line twice, once up the delay line and once back down, for each scanner rotation. As the delay line is traversed phase is added-to and then subtracted-from the signal. The chorus signal is produced by adding non-pitch-shifted signal to the pitch-shifted signal. The three settings each of vibrato and chorus correspond to different amounts of total delay thus different amounts of total pitch shift. In addition to the pitch shifting function, the vibrato, as implemented in the Hammond organ, also acts as a sweeping low-pass filter. There is some frequency response and amplitude variation as the tap point of the filter is swept. 1.4 What is the scanner? The scanner is used in the organ as a single-pole 16-throw rotary switch. It is constructed as a multi-plate air-dielectric capacitor with 16 stator poles and one rotor. It is used, in conjunction with the vibrato delay line, to create the chorus/vibrato. 1.5 What drawbar registrations are common? Listed here are tables of drawbar settings reported to have been used in recordings of which you may be familiar. Also shown are the presets' registrations and their names as they appear in an A-102 owner's manual (contributed by Steve Blau ). --------------------------------------------------------- Popular Settings Gospel: 88 8000 008 Blues: 88 5324 588 Rod Argent (Argent) 88 0000 000 Brian Auger: 88 8110 000 2nd Percussion, C3 Vibrato Tom Coster (Santana) 88 8800 000 Jesse Crawford 80 0800 000 Setting (theatre organ sound) ELP (Keith Emerson) 88 8000 000 88 8400 080 Joey De Francesco 83 8000 000 C3 Vibrato Booker T Jones: 88 8800 000 (1st chorus) (Green Onions) 80 8800 008 (2nd chorus) 2nd Percussion Jon Lord: 88 8000 000 2nd Percussion Matthew Fisher (A 68 8600 000 Whiter Shade of 2nd Percussion, soft Percussion, Pale) short decay Jimmy Smith: 88 8000 000 3rd Percussion, C3 Vibrato 84 8848 448 Steve Winwood: 88 8888 888 80 0008 888 J.Smith can be heard playing this Errol Garner style registration on Crazy Baby, "Mack the Knife", "Makin' Whoppee". ------------------------------------------------------ Hammond Presets Standard Voices Upper Manual Lower Manual Key Registration Name Key Registration Name C -- ---- --- Cancel C -- ---- --- Cancel C# 00 5320 000 Stopped Flute C# 00 4545 440 Cello D 00 4432 000 Dulciana D 00 4432 220 Flute & String D# 00 8740 000 French Horn D# 00 7373 430 Clarinet E 00 4544 222 Salicional E 00 4544 222 Salicional F 00 5403 000 Flutes 8' & Great, no 4' F 00 6644 322 reeds F# 00 4675 300 Oboe Horn F# 00 5642 200 Open Diaposon G 00 5644 320 Swell G 00 6845 433 Full Great Diapason G# 00 6876 540 Trumpet G# 00 8030 000 Tibia Clausa A 32 7645 222 Full Swell A 42 7866 244 Full Great with 16' A# 1st Group Drawbars Upper A# 1st Group Drawbars Lower B 2nd Group Drawbars Upper B 2nd Group Drawbars Lower Theatrical Voices Upper Manual Lower Manual Key Registration Name Key Registration Name C -- ---- --- Cancel C -- ---- --- Cancel C# 00 8740 000 French Horn C# 00 4545 440 Cello 8' 8' D 00 4432 000 Dulciana 8' D 00 8408 004 Tibias 8' & 2' D# 00 4800 000 Vibraharp 8' D# 00 8080 840 Clarinet 8' Vox 8' & E 00 3800 460 E 08 8800 880 Novel Solo 8' Tibia 4' String F 60 8088 000 Theatre Solo F 00 6554 322 Accomp. 8' 16' F# 00 4685 300 Oboe Horn 8' F# 00 5642 200 Open Diaposon 8' G 60 8807 006 Full Tibias Full Accomp. 16' G 43 5434 334 16' G# 00 6888 654 Trumpet 8' G# 00 8030 000 Tibia 8' A 76 8878 667 Full Theatre A 84 7767 666 Bombarde 16' Brass 16' A# 1st Group Drawbars Upper A# 1st Group Drawbars Lower B 2nd Group Drawbars Upper B 2nd Group Drawbars Lower ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.6 What modifications are common for the Hammond? Reverb and percussion retrofit: Kits are availble from the usual vendors that allow the retro-fit of reverb and percussion to organs not originally equipped with them. MIDI retrofit: Kits are also available that allow the Hammond keyboard to be used as a MIDI controller. These are available both with and without velocity sensitivity. Some kits remove one set of contacts from use while others provide a separate keying mechanism, keeping the original key contacts fully functional. Preamp replacement: Solid-state amplifiers are available to replace the tube preamp in the stock Hammonds. These are used often when a Hammond is removed from its stock cabinet and re-packaged to make it "portable". Percussion modification: A modification to the percussion circuit changes the percussion amplifier's trigger source from the 9th harmonic busbar to some other source, usually the 8th. When Percussion is enabled, one of the harmonic busbar contacts from each key is used to trigger the Percussion amplifier. This removes one drawbar harmonic from the palette available to shape the sound. The stock setup removes the harmonic available at the 9th drawbar. Some players prefer to have the top-most drawbar available at all times, even when Percussion is enabled. 1.7 How often and with what is it oiled? The service manual states oiling should be performed once a year using Hammond oil, available from aftermarket suppliers (GOFF Professional, Organ Service Company Inc.). Many warnings have been issued about over oiling, however. According to Organ Service Company Inc., people over oil the scanner by filling its oil cup all the way up when actually only the wick in the cup should be saturated. The main generator is best oiled by directly filling the two funnels directly on top of the generator a couple of times each per oiling. 1.8 When was my Hammond organ made? This is one of the most common questions asked, and unfortunately, due to the lack of available factory records on production dates, one of the most difficult to answer. There is some help available however. The Hammond Age Determination List, currently maintained by Bevis Peters, is an ad hoc effort started by list members expressly for the purpose of helping individuals date their Hammond Organs and Leslie speakers. You can find a local mirror of it here. In addition to dates and model serial numbers, it provides guidelines to determine generally the age of a Hammond, based on certain features and characteristics that changed throughout the model history. Since many of the dates were delivery dates, and organs often sat on dealers showroom floors for years, it is not a definitive reference. But with it you ought to be able to get within a few years of the actual production dates. 1.9 I've found a B-3 to buy - what should I look for? Some considerations for a typical B-3 purchase (submitted by Al Goff): * If you happen to find a B-3, remember that it is at least 20 years old, with a last-model-year (1974) organ, among the hundreds of thousands sold throughout their 30 years of production. The average B-3 found in the used-organ market is around 30 years old. The average B-2, C-2 and other older model Hammond approaches 40-50 years old, regardless of the cabinet condition. * Be sure of what you are buying. Often a naive seller will not really be aware of what is he or she is selling. What's advertised as a "B-3 with Leslie" may end up being a BV with a Hammond tone cabinet. Check the data on the manufacturer's plates. Compare the features of the organ you are looking at with those features you know to be present (or absent) in that model. * Examine the overall cabinet as a good indication of the organ's treatment in life up until now. If it's in poor shape, with missing wooden parts, broken keys, etc., consider this in your assessment of the use/abuse to which the organ has been subjected. * Start the organ (see below). Test each drawbar on each manual. For B-3 or other console organs use the A# and B preset (reverse color) keys, and their corresponding sets of nine drawbars. The far left set is for the Upper Manual "A#" preset, the second set is for the Upper Manual "B" preset, the two drawbars in the middle are for the pedals, the third set is for the Lower Manual "A#" preset, and the fourth set is for the Lower Manual "B" preset. Hold a key down on the manual and try each drawbar to be sure they sound, making sure it's corresponding preset is pressed. Then, pick a preset and drawbar group and pull out the first drawbar from the left in that group (brown) and play from the first "C" note to the last "C", a total of 61 notes. It is normal for the first octave of tones to repeat on B-3 and similar organs due to the manual wiring. (This is not the case in some very early models) Then, push in the first brown drawbar and pull out the last white drawbar and starting from the second "C" (notice it's the same tone as key #61, last "C" was with the first brown drawbar out) on the same manual, play all remaining notes up to F# an octave from the end where the notes will again begin to repeat. This repeating is called foldback and is very important to the classic B-3 sound. * Repeat this procedure with all drawbar groups and both manuals. You can also try every note on every drawbar to be sure they all sound. If you have missing tones, this may be simply a broken wire on the tonewheel generator, or in the harness between the manuals, or it may be a broken resistance wire within the manuals or other problem. Some are an easy fix, some are very difficult. * Check the percussion on the B-3 and similarly equipped organs keeping in mind it only functions on the upper manual with the "B" preset. It does not work on the lower manual, or with any other preset down. Push all drawbars in, press the "B" preset for the upper manual, turn the percussion "ON" and play a note, listening for decay. Check the decay and "SECOND/THIRD" harmonic rocker switches. The "NORMAL/FAST DECAY" should function in this manner - the FAST decay should decay in about one second, the NORMAL decay should decay in about four seconds. There is an adjustment on the preamp for setting the decay. If you have no percussion, be sure you are checking it correctly. It may be simply a dead 12AU7 tube, or it may be a bad percussion transformer or other problem in the organ. * LISTEN to the START and RUN motors when you start the organ. Be sure both are functioning normally when their respective switches are set to ON. - Hammond organ starting procedure - Hold the START switch ON for eight seconds, then while still holding the START switch ON, turn the RUN switch ON and hold both switches ON for four more seconds. Let go of both. The START switch will spring to the OFF position, and the RUN switch should remain ON. * Try the pedals. Pull out one of the pedal drawbars (two in the center of the organ between the sets of nine manual drawbars) and play each pedal. Then push the first in, pull out the other and repeat the test. * Check the vibrato for each manual. The SWELL vibrato switch is for the UPPER manual, the GREAT is for the LOWER. Check all positions of the Black Vibrato knob - V1,V2,V3,C1,C2,C3. If the chorus or vibrato sounds choppy, or is dead, problems exist which require repair. A very common problem in older organs is choppy or "motorboating" vibrato and chorus, which requires vibrato scanner rebuilding. Other possibilities include preamp component problems, bad tubes, bad vibrato line box components, etc. None of these are particularly easy to fix for most owners. * If a Leslie is included be sure of the model and the Leslie's operation. Do not rely on the cabinet condition. Plug-in the cable to the Leslie, be sure the Leslie changes speeds, sounds good from both the upper horn and woofer. If the Leslie is being offered with an A-100 or other organ with an internally powered speaker, listen to the organ driving just the Leslie. The presence of sound from the organ's internal speakers can mask certain defects in the Leslie's sound. A complete Leslie comes with wood back pieces (three on 122/142/147/145 models). * Many organ deals go sour due to bad Leslie's, so don't be surprised if something is amiss. Not all organs are B-3's, and not all Leslie's are 122's or 147's. If it turns out that one or the other is not as advertised, is incomplete or is otherwise deficient, reduce the offered price, and hold your breath. Walk away if the negotiation gets nasty, or if something doesn't seem right to you. And to help you when you ask on the Mailing List about some organ you want to buy, here's Bob Schleicher's Used Organ Rating Scale... Used Organ Rating Scale OUTSTANDING Looks and works like new or better. Original finish with no blemishes or sun fade. No apparent wear anywhere. This is the one the maid polished every day and the owner made you take your shoes off to play after you serviced it yearly. EXCELLENT Slight cabinet imperfections, but original finish. Minor touch-up O.K.. Works perfectly and well maintained. VERY GOOD Same appearance as excellent, but may need busslube, scanner & other minor repairs. May have been professionally refinished. GOOD Moderate cabinet defects which are repairable. Normal wear for it's age. no major problems with keyboards or generator. FAIR This one has seen commercial service. Keyboards need key combs, upstop felts & busslube. Cabinet too far gone for restoration to good appearance. Organ is complete and has pedals and bench. POOR Major cabinet and mechanical defects. Not a practical restoration project. May or may not work, but is complete. This one was on the road for years, or killed in a church. PARTS At least some useable parts. Good for training project. Probably has shot keyboards, frozen generator, bad scanner and missing parts. With the increasing popularity of Hammonds, owners think they are all 24k gold. Fact is, it's easy to put more $$$ & time into a poor specimen than you will ever recover. Buyer beware !! 1.10 What is foldback? A Hammond console model manual has 61 keys. The number of tonewheels necessary to produce all 9 harmonics for all 61 keys is 109. Since all console models have either 82 or 91 frequency generators, certain outputs are reused for the upper harmonics of the keys at the upper end of the manual. This characteristic of repeating, for the harmonics of an upper octave, the harmonics used for a lower octave, is called foldback. Most of the console organs also have foldback of drawbar 1 of the lowest octave of the manuals; it repeats the harmonic used for drawbar 1 of the next octave above. The earliest console organs with 91 frequency generators have no foldback of the lower octave; the bottom twelve tone generator outputs are available on the first drawbar of the manuals' bottom octave. On other console organs, the lowest twelve outputs of the tone generator are available only on the pedals. Since no legitimate (Hammond authorized) explanation has yet been found as to why foldback of the lower octave was introduced, the likely explanation seems to be given in the service manual's description of the various models of tone generators. The first tone generators were 91 frequency generators. In these generators, the lowest twelve frequencies were produced using twelve wheels with two teeth each. When, subsequently, the 82 frequency generators were introduced, the lower octave foldback was implemented. The Service Manual states that the lower nine frequencies were omitted and manual and pedal rewiring made them unnecessary.(!) When the wide version of the 91 frequency generator was introduced, (from the Service Manual) "...the original twelve two-toothed wheels were replaced with twelve two-toothed complex tone wheels, which supply a fundamental tone that is enriched with the odd-number harmonics." Thus these lower twelve frequencies have a different harmonic content from the, allegedly sinusoidal, remaining seventy-nine. A narrow version of the 91 frequency generator with complex tone wheels is the one that is used in the B-3, C-3, RT-3, A-100, D-100, and some of the earlier models. The Service Manual lists the breakdown of the models that do by serial number. Incidently, there is an audible difference between the complex tone wheels and the regular tone wheels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.11 Repairs, Modifications, and Tech Tips The following methods and procedures are for those individuals that want do technical repairs on their organ. They vary in complexity from the relatively benign drawbar cleaning procedure, to the potentially damaging bus bar lubing procedure, a procedure probably best left to those with previous experience. 1.11.1 How do I clean key contacts? Three steps are mentioned in the Service Manual for progressively bad cases. 1. First, try striking the offending key 15 to 20 times in a rapid staccato manner to dislodge the dust particles and to clear the contacts. 2. If this procedure does not dislodge the dust particles, adjust the bus bar shifters. The bus bar shifter for the upper manual is a slotted shaft about 1/2" in diameter, protruding about 1/4" from the rear surface of the upper manual assembly. It is located behind the mixing transformer. The lower manual adjuster is located in the corresponding location on the lower manual. The shifter for the pedal assembly is located at the low end of the pedals. Turn the proper bus bar shifter about two turns in either direction. This operation permits the key contacts to strike a new position on the bus bar and should free all contacts of accumulated dust particles. 3. If, in extremely stubborn cases, the procedure above does not dislodge the dust particles, use a board to depress one octave of notes (or the offending key) and then adjust the bus bar shifters holding the key(s) down. A warning about procedure (3) was issued in a Keyboard article, Nov. 1991: "... 'This is extremely dangerous,'... 'and should never be done by anyone except a technician who knows that the buss bars are in absolutely perfect condition. If the keys are worn enough to have notches in their contacts, running the buss bar back and forth against depressed keys can saw those little contact wires in half.'..." Also, the preset keys are implemented similarly to regular keys, with the same type of key contacts and so forth. So if you choose to adjust the bus bar shifter, as (2) and (3), be sure that no preset keys are latched down, else the same damage could occur as in number (3) above. 1.11.2 How do I clean drawbar contacts? One suggestion... "First, pull out all the drawbars to their full 'on' position. From the rear of the organ, spray Cramolin R-5, Contact Clean, or another spray contact cleaner into the back of each drawbar, using the spray nozzle extension tube that's supplied with each product. Then work each drawbar fully in and out several times to dissolve the oxidation and dust. The second method is to insert tape head cleaner swabs coated in Vasoline into the rear of each drawbar similar to the first method, and carefully coat the top surface of the drawbar base. This also works well to quiet the noisy 'ratchet drawbars' on early Hammonds." (Attributed to Al Goff in a Keyboard Mag interview). And then there's... "We remove the drawbar contact and burnish it with a contact burnishing tool. Be sure the nichrome resistance wire (1 ohm) is not broken. If it (they) are, do not try to solder them. Go forth and buy 1/8 watt 1 ohm resistors and solder them where the wire was. They fit just duckey and work great." (List posting from Bob Schleicher). Editor's Note: Caig no longer produces Cramolin R-5, due to its Freon content. The replacement product is DeoxIT (Cramolin Red replacement), PreservIT (Cramolin Blue replacement). 1.11.3 How do I adjust the preamp drive level (B3/C3/RT3/A100)? In organs using the AO-28 preamp (also M3) driving a Leslie the drive level can be adjusted to give you both the classic Hammond growl or a clean organ sound on demand. The preamp drive level is set by adjusting a trimmer capacitor that is accessible behind a removable plug located on the cover of the box containing the swell capacitor. Here's a recommended method: (submitted by Al Goff) The setup: * Select the A# preset key, upper manual with drawbar setting 80 8808 008 (first brown drawbar and all four white drawbars pulled out to position 8). Expression pedal should be fully depressed (maximum volume), vibrato and percussion OFF. * If you regularly use pedals, pull the first (16') pedal drawbar out to position 8. The preamp trimmer on the organ should be adjusted fully clockwise. * For a tube amplifier Leslie adjust the volume control fully clockwise. For a solid-state Leslie (760, 722, 860, 900, etc), all amp controls should be almost or fully clockwise. The procedure (requires two people): * One person should play a full 5-finger "C" chord on the upper manual; use all 10 fingers if you don't normally play bass. Don't chord in the lower octave, but play a realistic full chord. If you play bass with the left hand, play bass on the first octave of the lower manual with the first four drawbars out to position 8. Play the low C-pedal if you are using pedals. * While the first person plays the above, the second person should begin turning the trimmer slowly in a counter-clockwise direction, no more than 1 turn. The organ / Leslie should be getting louder as you turn the trimmer, but should not yet be distorting. * If you like a clean organ sound then the final setting should be slightly less than the point where the Leslie starts to distort. If you like a dirtier sound then the final setting should be slightly more (1/8 of a turn) than the point where it just begins to distort. The caveats: Increasing the drive level by turning the trimmer more will only cause problems, as distortion can excessively heat the upper driver and woofer and may lead to their premature failure. The classic Hammond growl is a direct result of correct preamplifier drive adjustment, as well as a well maintained organ and Leslie. Most organs should require a trimmer adjustment no more than 1 to 1 1/2 turns open. The test: To test your freshly adjusted organ and Leslie - If you have it adjusted for a slight distortion at maximum volume, the distortion should disappear or be greatly reduced by simply pushing in the first two drawbars 2 clicks to position 6. It should still be very loud and very clean, but should have no distortion. The desired result is to have some Hammond growl on demand, and a clean organ sound at other times. Organs with solid-state Trek-II preamp should be set almost the same way, but the max drive level on the preamp is adjusted with the volume pot attached to the swell pedal control arm. Loosen the set screw and use a small screwdriver to turn the pot within the arm - do not remove the arm - all other adjustments are the same. 1.11.4 The Vibrato is making a chopping sound. How do I fix it? The presence of a motorboating or chopping sound in the Vibrato can be an indication that one or more pole pieces of the scanner have been shorted out. The likely culprit is a crystalline growth that can occur on the plated and metal composing the scanner housing (dendrite formation). This shows up as conductive whiskers or dust between the scanner body and the poles of the scanner. High humidity and temperature is said to aggravate dendrite formation. An over-oiled scanner can also cause vibrato motorboating, though it is probably an aggravating condition to the dendrite formation. The oil coats the insulators and picks up and retains conductive dust and debris, shorting out the stators. A Hammond technical bulletin was issued detailing corrective procedures to cure this condition. What follows is a shortened version of it (submitted to the list by Bob Schleicher): Before you condemn the scanner, be sure the rightmost 6AU6 is healthy. Swap with the other one to verify. If you still have the problem, measure the plate and screen voltage on V2. They should measure about 130VDC and 60VDC respectively. Plus or minus 15% is O.K. If the problem persists proceed as follows: * Remove the two springs from the coupling to the generator. * Remove the four 5/16" nuts and lockwashers at the corners of the run motor. * Unsolder the seven black wires which go to the vibrato switch and the red and blue wires at the vibrato line box. Be sure to note or mark their position. * Carefully move the motor/scanner assembly to the left and twist to move it toward back of the console. * Remove the spring clip from the rectanglular oil trough. Lift the wick and unwind the oil threads. * Remove the three screws which attach the scanner to the motor and separate the scanner from the motor. * Remove the rear cover from the scanner and unsolder the wire. Be careful not to bend the pin that the two brushes contact. Raise the end brush and slide the others off. * Make an indexing mark on the scanner by the red wire for easier reassembly. * Remove the screws from the perimeter of the scanner and remove the cover. You will now see the stators. WATCH THAT PIN ON THE BACK !!! * Remove all 16 screws, lockwashers, flatwashers and round insulators from the outside, the stators, and the square insulators from the inside. * Soak everything you just removed in denatured alcohol overnight. (The original bulletin said to soak the parts in gasoline. Yikes!). * Clean the scanner body with alcohol and a scotchbrite pad. * Spray the clean body and dry insulators with Krylon clear. Allow to dry thoroughly. WATCH THAT PIN !! * Make sure the rotor spins freely. If any oiling threads are missing or broken, this is the time to replace or splice them. * Reassemble the scanner and reinstall it. Just reverse the above procedure. Aren't you glad you made those marks now and didn't bend the pin? * When you replace the brushes, be sure to look at the bend in the brass doodads to which the springs are soldered. The lowest one goes on first. By the way, the problem of dendrite formation on the metal parts of the organ have been known to cause problems in other locations in which it can occur, the vibrato and percussion switch assemblies, etc.. 1.11.5 How do I lube the manual bus bars? Your manuals may need a bussbar lube if the notes are scratchy, intermittent, and don't respond to the bus bar shifting procedure. This procedure is probably best left to a professional technician because you can easily damage something by forcing things. (This procedure was submitted by Bob Schleicher). First, the cautions. - You can do VERY serious damage to your keyboards if this procedure is done incorrectly, so take your time and follow instructions. The manual chassis (keyboards) is very heavy. If you're not strong, use two people to remove and install them. Have all the materials on hand as well as the service manual for your instrument. You will need the following materials: 1. A can of NEVR-DUL - A treated wadding available at most hardware or antique stores. 2. A box of alcohol prep pads - any drug store. 3. Hammond Bussbar lubricant - Organ service Co. 4. A book of matches. 5. Time and patience. Refer to the service manual for your model and remove the manual chassis. Be sure to protect the finish on the organ with posterboard or several layers of newspaper positioned at the ends of the cheek blocks. * Stand the manuals on end with the presets facing up. * Remove the small rectangular plate from both keyboards, and remove the large screw which goes through the drawbar base. You will now see a gadget that retains the bussbars. Loosen the two screws and move the restraint back to allow removal of the rods. * Take your matchbook and jamb it between the cheek block and the Cancel key. This will prevent you from hitting a contact, or getting the rod back in on the wrong side of the bussbar. * Start at either the top or bottom and remove only one rod. With a gob of NEVR-DUL, wipe the rod several times. You'll be amazed at the dirt and crap you get. If the wadding sticks or tears while cleaning, inspect the palladium wire for broken or missing sections between the spot welds. If the rod is damaged, replace it. (Again, Organ Service Co.) If your organ has the round gold plated rods, this will not be a factor. Just make sure they are very clean and bright. * Now, with an alcohol prep pad, wipe the rod several times. Use one pad for each rod, dry and apply a thin coat of busslube to the rod. It's time for the fun now. Make sure the rod is not bent and re-install in the same place from which it came. CAUTION!! If you encounter any resistance, STOP. Remove the rod and again inspect for bends. Keep trying until the rod goes back in easily. I've found that on later units with the square rods, it sometimes helps to arch the rod slightly as you re-insert it. Make sure the Cancel key is down! I'd bet that a great deal of swearing is in order at this time, but DON'T FORCE THE RODS. On later consoles, there are holes for additional rods. Be sure to replace the rods in the same holes originally used. * Repeat the procedure for all 18 rods, move the retainer to the original position, replace the cover plates and re-install the keyboards. The pedal switch may need a lube too. The procedure is similar. * Apologies in advance to tech who don't want this information out there. * DON'T FORCE THE RODS and best of luck. I'm sure you'll like having all the notes play again. 1.11.6 How do I perform the percussion modification mentioned in section 1.6? The following procedure has worked on a B-3, C-3, and A-100. You will probably want a copy of your organ's schematic and wiring diagram for reference. Note: All references to soldering on drawbars are in reference to the Upper Manual "B" Preset group, which is the 2nd group of nine from the left, when viewed from the console seat. Identify the following: RESISTOR PANEL A phenolic board measuring about 1" X 5" is mounted to the rear of the upper manual just below the upper manual "B" preset drawbars. This board is called the RESISTOR PANEL. On the left side of this panel are three dual-mounting lugs. Each of the dual lugs has two wires attached of similar color. One dual-lug has two WH wires, one has two GN wires, and one has two YL wires. PRESET BUNDLE A bundle of nine multi-colored wires comes from the upper manual "B" preset key. They exit the upper manual behind the PRESET PANEL (metal bars with lots of screws). This bundle will be called the PRESET bundle. Six of the wires in this bundle are routed up and immediately below the drawbars, where they breakout of the bundle and are soldered to the drawbar ends. The remaining three of the bundle are routed below the drawbars behind the upper manual and attach to three of the dual-lugs on the RESISTOR PANEL: Color Destination BN 1st drawbar RD 2nd drawbar OR 3rd drawbar YL RESISTOR PANEL (2nd harm) GN RESISTOR PANEL (3rd harm) BL 6th drawbar VI 7th drawbar GY 8th drawbar WH RESISTOR PANEL (the percussion trigger wire) The other wires of similar colors (to those from the PRESET BUNDLE) on the RESISTOR PANEL come from the Percussion Switch assembly. The Procedure: 1. Unsolder the GY wire from the 8th drawbar. 2. Unsolder the WH wire from the 9th drawbar and solder it to the 8th drawbar. This WH wire goes to the percussion switch and this now configures the percussion to trigger from the 8th drawbar key contacts. 3. There are two WH wires soldered to one of the dual-lugs on the RESISTOR PANEL. This is the left-most lug on my A-100's Resistor Panel. One of the WH wires comes from the Percussion switch and one comes from the PRESET BUNDLE. Identify and unsolder the WH wire that comes from the PRESET BUNDLE (routed from behind the PRESET PANEL) that is attached to a dual-lug on the RESISTOR PANEL. 4. Solder the GY wire, removed in step 1, to the RESISTOR PANEL at the point where the WH wire was removed in step 3. 5. Solder the WH wire, removed from the RESISTOR PANEL in step 3, to the 9th drawbar. Splice a short length of wire to it if it's not long enough. 1.11.7 My percussion doesn't decay. What should I look for? (From Bob Schleicher's various postings on the subject to the Mailing List) The percussion gate is triggered by grounding the "K" terminal on the preamp. The ground comes to this terminal from the 1' bussbar (white wire) through the percussion switch. Our old friend metal migration is almost always the cause of percussion problems. This can be easily verified by measuring the voltage on the K terminal of your preamp (blue wire) with the percussion on and the B preset selected. With no keys depressed you should see a positive voltage of 25 - 30 volts. This should go to 0 when any key is pressed. If the voltage is very low or missing, the switch is the problem. Cleaning is the proper cure. * Select the B preset, turn the percussion to ON, NORMAL, SLOW, SECOND. * Measure the K terminal with no keys pressed. It should read 25 - 30 volts. * Now press any upper key and the reading should go to 0. If little or no voltage appears at K with no keys pressed, unsolder the blue wire and measure the voltage again. If you now have 25 - 30 volts or so, then you need to clean the percussion switch. * Remove the music rack, the two large screws and two wood screws which secure the drawbar base, place heavy paper at either end to avoid scratches and raise the drawbar base 4 to 5 inches. * Remove the two screws from the percussion switch cover and remove it. * Spray the interior of the percussion switch housing and contacts with a good non-residual cleaner and retest to see if it works. As only about 1/2 of the contacts are reachable from the back of the switch, it may be necessary to dismantle the entire switch to get results. This is not a job for the faint of heart. Many foul words have been uttered during re-assembly. Some will advise applying copius amounts of D.C. to burn the ofending bits into oblivion. I don't recommend this proceedure as severe damage to many components may occur. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.0 The Leslie Tone Cabinet "Pipe Voice of the Electric Organ" The Leslie Rotating Speaker, named after its inventor, Don Leslie, is designed as a sound modification device, not a hi-fi speaker. The pairing of the Leslie Speaker with another device, usually a Hammond organ, constitutes a musical instrument. It operates on a simple principle; a directional sound source rotates at constant (or variable) speed around a fixed pivot point. The effect at the listening location, some distance removed, is quite pronounced. The characterization of a Leslie Speaker in an acoustically reflective listening area is a complicated proposition at best but at least four effects are in operation: amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, timbre shift, and apparent motion of the sound. Since the sound source is directional, the intensity of the sound to the listener (or microphone) is dependent upon, at least, the angular position of the rotating sound source. The intensity varies as the sound source rotates and the listener perceives a periodic modulation of the sound as a function of the rotational speed. This is the amplitude modulation (AM) component of the sound and when the listening position or microphone is placed closer to the sound source it will, in general, increase the AM component of the sound. The sound source when rotating is periodically accelerating toward and decelerating away from the position of the listener. This imparts a doppler shift on the source material and thus a frequency modulation (FM) to the sound. As in other doppler induced pitch shifts the pitch is perceived to rise as the source moves toward the listener and fall when the source moves away from the listener. The directional pattern of the rotating component is frequency dependent. High frequencies exhibit more beaming than do lower frequencies, which are emanated in a more omni-directional pattern. A shift in timbre is perceived as the angular position of the sound source changes. The treble component is generally strongest when the rotating component is pointed at the listener and weakest when it is pointed away. Finally, due to the multiple reflections of the listening area and the rotating sound source, the sound appears to emanate from multiple locations imparting a sense of motion to the sound. -------------------------------------- Much of the information used for the Leslie portion of the FAQ came from an article published in 1981 in Recording-Engineer/Producer magazine, titled "Unearthing the Mysteries of the Leslie Cabinet" by Clifford A. Henricksen 2.1 The basic configuration The Leslie Loudspeakers company produced many configurations of this speaker. Models came with reverberation, two-piece cabinets, tube and solid-state amplifiers, and more. The most popular Leslie Speaker is probably the model 122. The models 122, 142, 145, and 147 all share a similar configuration. A 40-Watt monophonic amplifier drives two transducers, a 15" woofer and a 3/4" throat diameter Jensen compression driver, through a 16 ohm, 800 Hz passive crossover. The stationary compression driver fires upward into a rotating horn assembly and the stationary woofer fires downward into a rotating drum-like reflector. The rotating assemblies are mechanically belt driven by AC induction motors. In general, two speeds are available, fast and slow. The usual cabinet has three compartments. The upper compartment houses the rotating treble horn assembly. The middle compartment behaves as a vented enclosure for the woofer, contains the crossover, both drivers, and motors for both rotating assemblies. The lower compartment houses the amplifier and the rotating drum. Louvres are located on the three finished sides for upper and lower compartments. Two basic sizes of this configuration can be found. The 122 and 147 are 41"H, 20.5"D, 29"W. The 142 and 145 are 8" shorter. The 122 and and 142 have a balanced amplifier input while the 147 and 145 have an un-balanced input. The taller cabinet is alleged to have a better bass response. 2.1.1 The Treble Rotor The treble rotor is primarily responsible for the Leslie's sound characteristic. Some organists think that the slower acceleration of the lower drum detracts from the sound and disconnect power to the motors driving the drum. The compression driver fires into a vertical tube that acts as a thrust bearing for the horn, a twin-bell, conical device molded of black Bakelite. The horn starts vertically and flares horizontally. It is belt-driven by a two-speed, AC induction motor, (actually two motors; one for slow, one for fast). Three drive pulley diameters are provided to vary the rotational speed and an idler pulley is used to maintain belt tension. The treble horn, while appearing to be bi-conical, actually has only one operating side. The other side is plugged and exists to provide dynamic balancing to reduce bearing loads and prevent wobble during operation. A conical diffuser is located at the mouth of the horn. The diffuser plays a large role in defining the sound of the treble horn assembly; the dispersion pattern of the horn is changed from a single, highly directive lobe, to a more omni-directional, multi-lobed pattern. This complicates the doppler pattern and with internal reflections of the cabinet considered, provides a more characteristic sound. In addition to changing the dispersal pattern, the diffuser performs another function. With the diffuser absent, the distance of the apparent sound source from the rotation center varies inversely with frequency. That is, as the frequency goes up, the emanation point of the sound appears to travel back down the horn toward the throat. The effect of this is that the Doppler shift becomes less as the frequency rises and thus there is less FM effect. With the diffuser in, the emanation point for all frequencies is much closer to the same rotational radius. A trade-off can be made between a higher FM component with the diffuser in, and a higher AM component (especially at high frequencies due to the single-lobed beaming), with the diffuser removed. Removing the diffuser is a common modification. Replacement horns can be purchased both with and without the diffuser. 2.1.2 The Bass Rotor The lower compartment contains a rotating wooden drum beneath the downward-firing woofer. The drum has an open top, straight sides, and a scoop that starts vertically at the top and rear of the drum and ends up horizontal at the bottom and front of the drum. A shaft runs vertically through the drum's rotational axis. The shaft is supported by a lower bearing beneath the drum that is mounted in the bottom of the cabinet. The upper bearing is mounted in a cross member that is held in place by the secured 15" woofer. The pulley is mounted at the upper end of the shaft between the drum and the woofer. The primary effect of the bass rotor is to impart AM to the signal. There is very little phase shift of frequencies below 200 Hz due to their wavelength, though some phase shift may occur up around the crossover point of 800 Hz. The result is a low-frequency pulsation or throb that is very effective when used at the slow or chorale speed. 2.1.3 Amplification, etc. The typical unit consists of a 40-Watt monophonic tube amplifier driving the above described components through a 12dB/octave, 800 Hz, 16 ohm crossover. The amplifier uses a pair of 6550s as final amplifiers. The motors that drive each rotor actually consist of a pair of motors, thus four motors exist, each with a pair of wires that plug into the amplifier chassis. 2.2 What accessories are available? Combo Pre-amp: The Leslie Combo Preamp was a chrome wedge shaped box that was designed to be used with the Leslie speakers with the un-balanced input amplifier, i.e. 147, 145, etc.. It has two 1/4" inputs, a fader for each input, a foot-switch mounted top-middle, 115VAC power cord, 6-pin connector for the interconnect cable. These are available used. Aftermarket pre-amps are available that perform the same function as the Combo Preamp but are designed to work with a variety of Leslies: balanced, un-balanced, 6-pin, 9-pin, etc.. Accessory Kits: Leslies usually need an accessory kit with the switch for slow/fast etc. Here are a few combinations: Organ Leslie Kit# B3 122 8001 C3 122 8002 RT3 122 8001 142 8010 M3 145 7271 251/351 8253 M100 147/145 7271 251 8253 A100 147 7271 2.3 What modifications are common for the Leslie? Removing the treble diffuser: As was mentioned earlier, a common modification is to remove the conical diffuser from both active and dummy horns of the treble rotor. This will cause an increase in the AM component and a decrease in the FM component of the sound. Driver Modifications: If the drivers are changed then more efficient units than the stock ones can be used. If driver impedances other than sixteen ohms are used then the crossover network must be changed to match. Bass driver: Stock replacement drivers are available through aftermarket sources. Non-stock drivers that have been recommended include JBL models E-140,K-140 and E-V model 15B. Treble driver: The stock treble driver, notoriously fragile, is not currently available. A bolt-on replacement for the stock driver is available through aftermarket sources. This sixteen ohm driver (Atlas), is slightly brighter than the original Jensen driver and is rated at sixty watts. Its use requires either a new spindle plate or a simple modification to the existing spindle plate. Non-stock drivers, Atlas model PD-60 and University Sound model EV1829, are said to be popular for treble driver replacement. The compression drivers that are normally used to replace the stock unit have a 1-inch throat diameter, with either a threaded or bolt-on mount. These will require an adaptor to allow their use with the treble horn assembly. Regarding treble drivers, the highest frequency produced by the Hammond is around 6 kHz. Treble drivers used for PA use typically produce usable power to 15 kHz and beyond. Treble drivers with exceptional high-frequency response are probably not required to reproduce an adequate amount of key click and may be un-desirable in this regard. It's really a matter of personal taste. Amplifier modification: The stock amplifier produces 40 Watts. It's a great amp and has a terrific sound but it has a tough time competing on stage with a guitar amplifier at full honk. It's not surprising that a common modification consists of some method of achieving higher power. This usually involves replacing the amplifier or else powering the Leslie from an external amplifier. The dealers listed in this FAQ can provide details of their available modifications that boost power. The increase in power will probably require a change in drivers as well. (You probably did that anyway when you blew up the treble driver). 2.4 What are common mic'ing techniques? The following methods have been recommended: - LIVE - * Use two MD421s on the upper rotor and 1 RE20 or M88 on the lower rotor. Pan the two 421s to L & R. Add the low mic panned mid way. - STUDIO - * Use two microphones, a U-87 for the top rotor, and a FET 47 on the lower rotor. Place the 87 on the opposite side from the 47. If you love the sound of the motor, and the extra presence of the keys clicking, the closer you get the better. * Use a single mic on the bass, MD421, U-87 and do M-S micing on the treble. M-S or "Mid - Side" micing is one of a family of stereo techniques usually used in orchestra recording (along with x-y etc.) In M-S, two condenser mics with selectable patterns are used. One is set cardioid facing the source, the other is placed on the same vertical plane, usually inverted on top of the other, perpendicular to the source and set to figure eight. the Cardioid is panned center, and the figure eight signal is split to two faders, one hard left, the other hardright and out of phase (very important) You have the musician play, and bring up the center mic first, then bring up the left and right channels. If you sit center as you do this, you will feel the sound spread out and almost wrap around the sides. It is important to balance the stereo by ear and not by meter since the meters will inevitably appear lopsided when the image is acoustically balanced. When using this on a spinning leslie, the sound appears to spin around your head - very psychedelic! 2.5 What Leslie is this and what is its pinout? Leslie production models and pinouts are listed in Appendix A. 2.6 How often and with what it is oiled? Tom Tuson, of Hammond Suzuki says: "You only need a drop, a tiny drop at that, about once a year. Remember a little oil goes a long, long, long, long way. DO NOT USE 3 in 1... Call Hammond and order our Leslie oil.... I know of no light oil that you can buy in a hardware store or sewing machine shop that is light enough....." 2.7 How can a single-speed Leslie be converted into a two-speed Leslie? Early model Leslies were equipped with motors which provided only the fast speed. This gave you a choice of tremolo or off. One of the first things often asked by someone that acquires one of these is whether they can be converted to provide the chorale speed as well as tremolo. This modification can be done by either using an electronic speed control, or by modification or replacement of the motors. The simplest, and probably least expensive way is to use an electronic speed control designed specifically for the purpose. This is an aftermarket kit that installs between the existing motors and the line supply. One such device gates the power to the horn and drum motors providing one or two full cycles of AC out of every eight cycles. These devices are available from at least two suppliers: Goff Professional, and Keyboard Engineering, Inc. (see Suppliers List). The single speed motors can be modified with the addition of the chorale motor and associated hardware. CAE Sound (see Suppliers List) performs this conversion. And finally, the motors can be replaced with the dual-motor style motor assembly but the cabinet may have to be modified to accept different motor mounting location. 2.8 What is the rotation speed of a Leslie's rotors? When developing the PRO-3, John Fisher measured his 147. He found that the top rotor had a rotation speed of 400 RPM on Tremolo and 48 RPM on Chorale. This was with the belt in the middle pulley position and with a normal belt tension. The lower drum rotated at about 342 RPM on Tremolo and 40 RPM on Chorale. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.0 Miscellaneous 3.1 Where can I buy reproduction cases and parts? Reproduction parts are available to replace all or part of your B-3 or Leslie case. These are made of a light colored evenly grained wood and can be purchased finished or unfinished. Also available are pedal assemblies and benches. See the accompanying Parts and Suppliers list for sources. 3.2 XB-2 Repairs, Modifications, and Tech Tips Mark Longo has submitted a few postings on modifications and adjustments for the Hammond-Suzuki XB-2. Those commonly asked for are included here. 3.2.1 How do I fix loose keys on my XB-2 manual? This is a very typical problem, and fortunately, it's very easy to fix if you're even a little mechanically inclined. Each key in the XB-2 has a small guide under the part of the key that is closest to you. That guide has a little rubber-like 1/4' long tube (jacket) that slips over it. When that little jacket wears out (which it eventually will) the key's lateral positioning gets sloppy. When you grip the front of the key between your thumb and forefinger and wiggle it very gently from side-to-side if the key easily slides up against the adjacent keys, the little rubber tube has either worn thin or has completely worn out and fallen off. You'll need to replace the tube. You can get the replacement jackets from Hammond and do it yourself, or pay your dealer/shop to do it. It's better if you can do it yourself as this will keep happening periodically. Replacement jackets can been obtained direct from Hammond Suzuki USA via mail. Here's how to replace the jackets: 1. Take the top off your XB2 by loosening the 5 phillips head screws underneath the organ (be sure to unplug the AC power first!). 2. Remove the loose key (be careful you don't break it, it's only plastic!). Each key attaches to the organ at the end farthest from you as you face the keyboard. This end of the key latches through a little metal housing. Gently press the tip of the key that goes through the metal housing downward and slightly forward and the key will pop out. It may take a bit of force to do this but be careful you don't break the key. Use your fingers or a piece of hard rubber or something else that's firm but not rigid. 3. Replace the little jacket. In the space underneath the front of the key you just took out, there is a little metal tongue about 1/4" wide that's pointing toward the ceiling. Remove the old jacket (if it's still in place at all) from the tongue. Each jacket has a little ridge on each side. When you slide the new jacket on, the ridges should point toward the front and rear of the organ. If in doubt, take off another key to see what a properly installed jacket looks like. Slide the new jacket on. The jacket will stretch a bit going on as it's a tight fit, but it will go on. 4. Replace the key. You do this by carefully fitting the far end of the key back into the metal housing. The underside of the key has some plastic nubs and such that must fit into the keyguide just in front of the metal housing. Watch out that you don't break the key by just jamming it into the housing. This is actually pretty simple, just be careful. 5. Repeat for each loose key, then replace the top. - 3.2.2 How do I adjust the internal pots on the XB-2? Mark Longo (longo@swanky.zk3.dec.com) Posted to the Hammond Mailing List on 22 March 95 Things have been quiet on the list, so here's something for the XB2 owners among us to chew on. I finally got around to experimenting with the XB2's internal trim pots. You can use these pots to adjust the XB2's overall output level, overdrive level and extent, and to modify the vibrato/chorus depth slightly. There aren't any internal adjustments that let you alter the XB2's basic tone, though boosting the XB2's output signal to your amplifier may yield a somewhat fatter tone due to natural harmonic distortion realized in the amplifier's pre-amp section. Below I describe what I discovered by experimenting with different pot settings on my XB2. I should mention that my XB2 was made in the first year of manufacture. It's possible that if you look inside your XB2 you'll see something different than what I describe below, or that adjustments to your own XB2 pots will have slightly different results. Obviously I accept no responsibility for the accuracy of my below comments as applied to an XB2 other than my own. Please use caution and common sense. If you're the sort of person who likes to tinker with electronics and you're not afraid of tweaking with your XB2 a bit, you'll probably find that these adjustments allow you to tailor the performance of your XB2 a little and you'll have fun monkeying with it in the bargain. On the other hand, if you're the sort of person that heeds warnings like: DO NOT REMOVE THE BACK PANEL - NO USER SERVICABLE PARTS INSIDE !! DANGER OF ELECTRIC SHOCK !! Refer repair work to qualified personel. ...then you may be better off leaving your XB2 alone. After all, they sound pretty cool as they come from the factory and since you have to make the below adjustments while the XB2's power is turned on, there IS some danger of electric shock. Also, if you drop something on the circuit board(s) that conducts electricity (like, say, a screw driver), you might short something out resulting in a costly repair bill and your doing without your XB2 for a while. WARNING: BEFORE ADJUSTING ANYTHING: Write down the factory-set position of ALL the trim pots! Be forwarned, Hammond-Suzuki will not take kindly to your call asking what the factory settings are since you forgot how yours were originally set yours and screwed them all up. If you get lost, send me e-mail and I'll send you my default settings, but they may be different for you if your circuit board is of a different revision than mine. Therefore, take a few seconds to write your settings down and avoid feeling stupid later. Making Adjustments: The XB2 has several small potentiometers (pots) on the upper circuit board on the right side of the organ, visible when you remove the cover. My XB2 pots have a white plastic phillips type adjustment screw head about 1/4 inch in diameter. The name of each pot adjustment is screened onto the circuit board in English somwhere near its mounting point. I noticed an unlabeled pot on the lower circuit board near the AC power recepatacle on the left side of the organ. This may be an AC line level adjustment (high voltage) SO DON'T MESS WITH IT. Some of the pots increase their assigned effect when turned clockwise, others counter-clockwise. One presumes this is because some effects increase with impedance while others decrease. Just monkey around with the pots and you'll see which way to turn them. I tried turning each pot to its full deflection in both the clockwise and counter-clockwise directions and nothing terrible happenned (my XB-2 didn't blow up!). I did adjust the pots one at a time so at no time were they all max'd at once, though I personally doubt that max'ing everything would harm the electronics. You use the XB2's left output jack only when plugging into a mono amplifier or mixer. This means that when nothing is plugged into the right output, a summation of the right and left channels goes to the left output. Many of the pots in the XB2 control left and right channels separately. When listening to mono output (left output only), tweaking a RIGHT channel adjustment affects the summed output as much as tweaking a LEFT channel adjustment. R GAIN / L GAIN These pots control the "clean" output of the organ, that is, the output of tone generation exclusive of the overdrive circuit. You can boost the output to the point that you can badly overdrive a mixer's line input resulting in some very ugly distortion. At first I thought this was distortion in the output section of the XB2, but I max'd these pots and fed the signal to my Leslie and heard far less distortion than with a line mixer, though some distortion is still present. Note that it may be possisble to dramatically increase the amplified volume of your XB2 by adjusting these pots and thereby feeding your amplifier a MUCH hotter signal. I have found this to be very useful since my Leslie needs a little help to output enough volume in some live settings. Be careful though, excessive output may cause your amplifier to distort in ways that neither you nor your amplifier like. I believe that the XB2's come from the factory with the gain pots set to a fairly low output value. OD MIN / OD MAX These pots determine the amount of distortion added to the output signal by the overdrive unit. OD MIN sets the amount of distortion applied to the output signal when the distortion wheel (modulation wheel on the organ control panel) is at its full backward deflection. OD MAX sets the amount distortion applied when the wheel is at its full forward deflection. In theory, setting OD MIN to its lowest value and OD MAX to its highest would supply the widest range of distortion available. R OD GAIN / L OD GAIN These pots appear to control the overall boost that can be applied to the output signal by the overdrive circuit. These pots can be used to boost the level of the overdrive circuit's output, making the organ's output signal hotter (and possibly overdriving the amp/mixer/tape you're connected to). Acting in concert with the OD MIN / OD MAX adjustments, these pots can be used to tailor the effects of the overdrive circuit. Use caution and judgement, it's theoretically possible to damage the input circuit of some types of gear by feeding it too hot a signal from your organ. If you hear lots of distortion with the OD wheel at the minimum position, you've probably overdone it. NOTE: I haven't messed much with the OD pots. It would seem possible that by setting a modest value on the OD GAIN pots you'd be able to add distortion with the mod wheel but NOT volume. Many people have complained that increasing the XB2 overdrive level using the mod wheel adds way too much volume to the output signal. If anyone tries this, please let us know what you find. EXP MIN / EXP MAX The settings of these pots control the effect of the full backward and forward deflections of the Hammond expression pedal. The EXP MIN pot can be set so that full backward pedal deflection still allows a healthy output level. Conversely, the EXP MAX pot can be used to limit organ output when the pedal is at it's full forward deflection. Note that the EXP MIN pot can NOT be set to silence the organ at full backward pedal deflection. Apparently the expression pedal is a simple voltage regulator. A control voltage is sent to the pedal, the pedal returns a voltage level that is the same or lower depending on whether the pedal is deflected forward or backward. This is distinct from guitar-type volume pedals which modulate the amplitude of an audio signal. The EXP MIN and EXP MAX pots appear to set the lower and upper limits on the voltage returned from the expression pedal. VIB2 / VIB3 There have been many complaints voiced on the Hammond mailing list that the vibrato and chorus on the XB2 are weak when compared against the same effects on a B3. The VIB2 and VIB3 pots can be used improve this slightly, but basically, you just have to live with the XB2 vibrato sound. These two pots adjust the depth of V2 and V3 and C1 and C2 respectively. Apparently there is no way to adjust the depth of V1 or C3. Max'ing the VIB3 pot will cause C2 to have the same depth as C3, but with a very tiny bit more low frequency content. You have to listen hard in a quiet setting to hear the difference. LES This adjustment supposedly effects the sound of the XB2's built in Leslie simulation, though personally I can't hear that it does much of anything. It seems to change the "beating" in the highs coming through the Leslie effect a little, but the change is VERY subtle and you have to listen carefully in a quiet setting to hear any difference. In any case, I don't find it useful for audible adjustment. Mark ======================================================================= Mark Longo Digital Equipment Corp. longo@zk3.dec.com Nashua, NH 87 8300 020 - 3.2.3 How to EQ the XB-2. Mark Longo (longo@swanky.zk3.dec.com) Posted to the Hammond Mailing List on 05/30/95 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi folks, Having just finished three gigs this weekend using my XB-2 through an equalizer and into my Leslie 302, I can tell you that for me, EQ'ing the XB-2 is a BIG plus. Using the EQ I'm able to remove most all of the XB-2's shrillness and substantially fatten up the low end and low mids, which gets me much closer to my favorite B3 tone. The details follow. - Summary If you have a few bucks to spend on a decent graphic EQ, do it. You'll be surprised at how much you can change the sound of your XB-2. If you're one of us folks who thinks the XB-2 tone could be improved, you'll be surprised at just how good you can make it sound and you'll have lots of fun doing it. A 15-band unit is sufficient, though a 31-band unit is a little more fun and has advantages for the very finicky ear. A constant-Q unit is highly recommended, and a 120Hz filter is a big plus. Also, ± 15db boost/cut unit is more versatile than a 12db unit, but isn't necessarily needed. - The Equalizer I bought a high quality pre-owned EQ through the Internet ($200 US). It is a dbx 1531X, which is switchable for 31 bands mono (1/3 octave/band), or two 15-band ranges (2/3 octave/band) for stereo. This EQ has constant-Q circuitry, which means that the band width effected by each slider is constant whether the slider is at full boost, full cut, or anywhere in between. Some cheaper EQ's don't have constant-Q, so when you move a slider the effected band width becomes greater as the slider moves closer to extremes, thereby effecting neighboring frequencies more and more as the slider approaches full boost/cut. This makes it difficult or impossible to boost/cut a narrow frequency range (such as the top part of the last octave on the keyboard, for example) without effecting many neighboring frequencies. I strongly recommend getting a constant-Q EQ. Constant-Q is not always mentioned in advertisements so when considering an EQ, call the manufacturer or look at the manual to be sure it has constant-Q circuitry. I believe all the Rane EQs are constant-Q, as are most good grade units. I wanted to get a 1/3 octave unit (31 bands) so I could cut most highs without cutting the key click and to do that I needed a slider somewhere near 7KHz. The 2/3 octave units (15 bands) don't have a slider near 7Khz as each slider on those units covers a wider frequency range. BUT, it turns out that the XB-2 is capable of delivering a loud enough click (especially with V2.0 OS) that I found I could deeply cut the high frequency overtones and still have plenty of click coming through. With this in mind it would should be sufficient to use a good 15 band unit, which is a somewhat cheaper than the 31-band units, though nearly not by half. The dbx 1531X has boost or cut maximums switchable between ± 7.5db and 15db. The 7.5db range could be useful when making subtle changes to a mix or vocal tones, but for the XB-2 the ± 7.5db wasn't enough, so I use only ± 15db. A side note, many EQs offer ± 12db cut/boost, but I suggest trying to find one with ± 15db. I found that 15db of boost causes a bit of audible distortion with my performance rig. I like this because it lets me control which frequencies growl and which ones are clean. On my rig I set the EQ sliders so that the lows in the 500Hz region have a little more growl than the high, which I like clean. Your mileage may vary since you likely have different equipment, but in MY case, I don't get distortion till I move the sliders PAST the +12db point, so I'm glad to have the versatility of ± 15db. - Signal Path I positioned the EQ after the XB-2 in the signal path, using the 1/4" line out jack from the XB-2 (left output for mono) and then into the EQ, then out from the EQ into my Leslie 302's 1/4" input. I could not use the 11-pin Leslie cable from my XB-2 because that cable won't plug into the EQ (obviously) and my Leslie 302 has no effects loop. Al Goff does not recommend using the XB-2 effects loop for EQ because more tone shaping takes place in the XB-2 internal signal path downstream from the effects loop. Because I'm forced to use the 1/4" XB-2 output, I can not control Leslie speed using the XB-2 Leslie tab switch or a foot switch plugged into the XB-2, as is possible when using the 11-pin cable with my Leslie 302. Also, since devices in the XB-2 effects loop DO NOT EFFECT the XB-2's 1/4" outputs, I can't use the XB-2 effects loop when using the 1/4" output to the EQ. You could place an external device such as a chorus stomp box downstream from the XB-2, but these devices are designed to accept the low voltage levels generated by guitar pickups and will likely be badly overdriven by the XB-2's hotter output levels. - 120 Hz Filtering My EQ has a 120hz filter which for me is a BIG help. The XB-2 has a 120Hz buzz (at least mine does) which you only hear when you depress a key. It's not normally very noticable (unless you use headphones) but my EQ boost of the lows made it jump out. But the dbx 1531X has a button to take out the 120Hz frequency only, which removes the buzz almost completely (mmm-mmm good). There is also a slider at 120Hz, and I found that cutting the 120Hz range with the slider removes the buzz, but it also reduces the bass response of the organ noticably. Using the 120Hz cut button removes the buzz but doesn't effect the organ's tone. - Chorus Many of us have complained lots about the XB-2 chorus sounding whimpy. Using the EQ can improve the chorus sound surprisingly. Don't get me wrong, it still doesn't sound like that crunchy B-3 chorus so many of us like, but it is definitely improved. I'm not sure, but I suspect that cutting highs (ie: above 6Khz) is responsible for the improvement. - Tone Settings I find that the EQ is effective in dramatically altering the XB-2 tone in a very wide variety of ways. The tonal changes you make are obviously a matter of your own taste. I use the EQ to try to more closely emulate a real B-3. The EQ settings I use to do this are specific to my own perfomance rig, the room I'm playing in, my own personal taste, how many drinks I've had, etc., etc., etc. Your settings would (and probably should!) vary, maybe a lot. That said, it's a little silly to mention specific settings, but I'll tell ya how I set my EQ up this past weekend anyway. I like Jimmy Smith's tone on his recent albums, which I'd describe as sweet and a bit churchy, yet beefy in the lows and especially in the lower mid-range. The EQ lets me get this tone surprisingly easily. I use full cut (-15db) in all frequencies above 6KHz, with about half cut between 4KHz and 6KHz. I set 1KHz to 4Khz somewhere near flat, with gradually increasing boost from 1KHz down through the bass/treble rotor cut off point (800Hz). As I get into the bass rotor range I increase the boost even more. And I've been adding a little growl by boosting to nearly full throw (+15db) in the 400-600Hz neighborhood. If you try this, let me know what you find. Have fun, Mark ======================================================================= Mark Longo Digital Equipment Corp. longo@zk3.dec.com Nashua, NH 87 8300 020 3.3 How do I connect this Hammond to that Leslie? Ted Thompson has developed a guide on just this subject. Check out his Leslie Hookup Page for more information. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.0 Contributors to this FAQ This FAQ was compiled from correspondence that occurred on the Hammond mailing list and from sources listed in the Bibliography. Many contributions were made. At least the following people made significant contributions. Anyone that feels they have been wrongly omitted (or wrongly accused) from the following please speak up: * 71370.3023@compuserve.com (Tom Tuson) * ap748@freenet.carleton.ca (Mike Sues) * bevis@apg.ph.ucl.ac.uk (Bevis Peters) * blaumills@healey.com.au (Steve Blau) * bobs@hopf.dnai.com (Bob Schleicher) * buzzfret@aol.com (Joe Rut) * bwahler@tiac.net (Bruce Wahler) * cspence@nelson.env.gov.bc.ca (Colin Spence) * dave.amels@sfnet.com (Dave Amels) * davemcnaly@aol.com (Dave McNally) * gacki@sax.sax.de (Malte Rogacki) * genpla@flashnet.it (Marco Montaruli) * goffprof@aol.com (Al Goff) * groove@tiac.net (Gilles Bacon) * jjp@mink.mt.att.com (John) * jmee@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Jeffery Mee) * longo@zk3.dec.com (Mark Longo) * pomanti@inforamp.net (Louis Pomanti) * potomactom@aol.com (Tom Dercola) * random@well.com (Ben "Jacobs") * russ@seismo.demon.co.uk (Russ Evans) * salazz@aol.com (Sal Azz) * slimtwo@aol.com (Chuck Cordier) * tthompsn@mail.bcpl.lib.md.us (Ted Thompson) * u31385@uic.edu (Allen Sears) * wfrb@miworld1.miworld.net (Robert May) * John.Fisher@m.cc.utah.edu (John Fisher) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hammond mailing list charter (brief): This is to announce an informal internet mailing list for and by people interested in Hammond organs (old and new) and related issues. The purpose of the list is to provide a forum for sharing general questions and answers, technical information, equipment reviews, etc., regarding the Hammond organ, it's clones, accessories, etc. To subscribe to Hammond, send the following in the body (not the subject line) of an email message to Majordomo@zk3.dec.com: subscribe Hammond This will subscribe the account from which you send the message to the Hammond list. To find out more about the automated server and the commands it understands, send the following command to "Majordomo@zk3.dec.com": help ----------------------------------------------------------------- - Disclaimer and Copyright - Copyright (c) 1996, Bradley Baker Permission is granted for this material to be freely used and distributed, provided the source is acknowledged. No warranty of any kind is provided. You use this material at your own risk. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Appendix A - Hammond and Leslie model list. Hammonds Model A Production Years: June 1935 to October 1938 (about 2500 made) Cabinet Size: 48.5x47x38.5 (WHD, inches), 359lbs with bench & pedalboard Finish: American Walnut Manuals: Swell and Great, 61 keys each. Pedals: 25-note radiating and detachable. Controls: 9 presets and 2 sets of 9 drawbars for each manual. 2 adjustable drawbars (16' and 8') for pedals. Amp/Output: Internal preamp only Features: One tone generator, one adjustable tremulant affecting both manuals and pedals equally. Same cabinet as B models, but not as deep. Picture: Model A ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model A-100, A-101, A-102 Production Years: 1959 to 1965 Synopsis: Home style console, same as C-3 but with a built-in sound system including reverb control. Cabinet has no flip top covering the manuals. Cabinet Size: 47.5x45.5x43 (WHD, inches), 391lbs with bench & pedalboard. Finish: A-100, Red mahogany, light Walnut, Oak A-101, Brown mahogany, gray mahogany, black, straight legs at front. A-102, Light cherry, dark cherry (had Queen Anne Legs) Manuals: Swell and Great, 61 keys each. Pedals: 25-note, radiating and detachable. Amp/Output: 27 Watts - one main, one reverb amp, 3-12" speakers. Picture: A100 dark walnut, A100 Light Walnut ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model A-105 Production Years: 1962 to 1975 Synopsis: Church style console, same as C-3 but with built-in sound system including reverb control. Cabinet Size: Same as Model C. Finish: Light oak - dark walnut. Manuals: Swell and Great, 61 keys each. Pedals: 25-note radiating and detachable. Amp/Output: 27 Watts - one main, one reverb amp, 3-12" speakers. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model AB Production Years: June 1935 to October 1938 (about 4000 made) Synopsis: Same as Model A but enclosed in larger woodwork (a B cabinet). Cabinet Size: With pedal keyboard and bench: 48.75x46x49.5 (WHD, inches) Finish: American Walnut Manuals: Swell and Great, 61 keys each. Pedals: 25-note, radiating and detachable. Controls: 9 presets and 2 sets of 9 drawbars for each manual. 2 adjustable drawbars (16' and 8') for pedals. Amp/Output: Internal preamp. Features: One tone generator, one adjustable tremulant affecting both manuals and pedals equally. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model B-2 Production Years: Dec 1949 to Dec 1954 Synopsis: In a B-3 style case, the B-2 is equipped with Hammond vibrato providing three degrees of true vibrato and chorus. The vibrato/chorus is selectable for each manual independently. It is not equipped with percussion, but does provide an additonal control for overall "NORMAL or "SOFT" volume. Finish: Walnut Manuals: Swell and great, 61 playing keys each. Pedals: 25-note radiating detachable pedalboard. Controls: 9 preset keys and 2 sets of 9 adjustable harmonic drawbars for each manual. 2 adjustable (16' and 8') for pedals. Amp/Output: Internal preamp. Features: One expression pedal controlling swell, great an pedals. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model B-3 Production Years: Jan 1955 to 1974 Synopsis: The archetype, it is equipped with Hammond chorus/vibrato providing 3 levels of chorus and vibrato, selectable for each manual independently. It is equipped with Hammond Percussion. The percussion has four controls: ON/OFF, Volume: NORMAL/SOFT, Decay: SLOW/FAST, Harmonic: 2nd/3rd. Cabinet Size: With pedal keyboard and bench: 48.75x46x49.5 (WHD, inches), 425lbs with bench and pedalboard. Finish: Walnut/Cherry Manuals: Swell and great, 61 playing keys each. Pedals: 25-note radiating detachable pedalboard. Controls: 9 preset keys and 2 sets of 9 adjustable harmonic drawbars for each manual. 2 adjustable (16' and 8') for pedals. Amp/Output: Internal preamp. Features: One expression pedal controlling swell, great an pedals. Picture: B3, Lime Oak B3 (from Danny Callebaut ) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model B-A Production Years: Jan 1938 to Dec 1938 (about 200 made) Synopsis: Tonally and electrically similar to the Model BC console. In addition to normal playing, it could also be played with rolls similar to a player piano. Cabinet Size: Floor dimensions similar to the BC with a somewhat higher back section to accomodate pneumatic action. 425 lbs, with pedals and bench. Manuals: Swell and Great, 61 keys each. Pedals: 25-note radiating, detachable. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model BC Production Years: Dec 1936 to Nov 1942 (about 13000 made) Synopsis: Same as model AB but with one additonal generator and appropriate switching to create chorus effect. Finish: Walnut Manuals: Swell and Great, 61 keys each. Pedals: 25-note radiating, detachable. Amp/Output: Internal Features: Equipped with a chorus generator. The BC is not equipped with complex tone wheels, thus the bottom octave of the tone generator is wired to the manuals. Picture: BC in mahogany ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model BCV Production Years: Dec 1949 to Dec 1954 Synopsis: Same as Model BC but has Hammond vibrato and vibrato chorus. None produced. Converted by vibrato kit added after 1945. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model BV Production Years: Apr 1946 to Dec 1949 Synopsis: In a B-3 style case, the BV is equipped with Hammond vibrato providing three degrees of true vibrato and "OFF" position, effective only on both manuals simultaneously, together with vibrato chorus usable in three different degrees and "OFF". It is not equipped with percussion. Finish: Walnut Manuals: Great and Swell, 61 keys each, 25 radiating pedals. Controls: 9 presets and 2 sets of 9 drawbars for each manual. 2 adjustable drawbars (16' and 8') for pedals. Amp/Output: Internal preamp. Features: The vibrato switch is similar in appearance, function, and placement as on the B-3. It is a six-position rotary switch whose functions are V1-OFF-V2-OFF-V3-OFF. Chorus is selected by a toggle mounted on the stationary part of the music rack. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model C Production Years: Sep 1939 to Jun 1942 Synopsis: Same as model AB but with different style (C cabinet) woodwork. Cabinet has closed back and sides, extending to the floor. Cabinet Size: 48.75x47x46 (WHD, inches) Finish: Walnut Manuals: Swell and Great, 61 keys each. Pedals: 25-note radiating, detachable. Controls: 9 presets and 2 sets of 9 drawbars for each manual. 2 adjustable drawbars (16' and 8') for pedals. Amp/Output: Internal preamp. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model C-2 Production Years: Dec 1949 to Dec 1954 Synopsis: Same as Model CV but with additional controls which provide vibrator on either or both manuals. Also addtional controls for "NORMAL" or "SOFT" overall volume. Finish: Walnut Manuals: Swell and Great, 61 keys each. Pedals: 25-note radiating, detchable. Controls: 9 presets and 2 sets of 9 drawbars for each manual. 2 adjustable drawbars (16' and 8') for pedals. Amp/Output: Internal preamp only. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model C-2G, C-3G, HR-40G (tone cabinet) Production Years: C-2G June 52 to Mar 53, C-3G Jan 55 to TBD. Synopsis: These consoles are identical in appearance to the C-2 and C-3 except that a monitor speaker is located on the lower left hand side. The preamplifier in the C-2G is designed to operate the monitor speaker. In the C-3G the preamplifier is the same as in the C-3. A small auxiliary amplifier drives the monitor speaker. In both Models, B+ voltage from the tone cabinet is required to make the monitor speaker operative. The HR-40G is identical to the HR-40 except that it is equipped with a standard 6 conductor cable which must be used in conjunction with the C-2G console. Manuals: Swell and Great, 61 keys each. Pedals: 25-note radiating, detachable. Controls: 9 presets and 2 sets of 9 drawbars for each manual. 2 adjustable drawbars (16' and 8') for pedals. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model C-3 Production Years: Jan 1955 to 1974 Synopsis: Take a B-3's guts and put it in the C type church model case. Cabinet Size: With pedal keyboard and bench: 48.75x46x49.5 (WHD, inches), 450lbs with bench and pedalboard Finish: Walnut/Oak and speciality finishes. Later version in both finishes less quatrefoil. US and UK cases are slightly different. Manuals: Swell and Great, 61 keys each. Pedals: 25-note radiating, detachable. Controls: 9 presets and 2 sets of 9 drawbars for each manual. 2 adjustable drawbars (16' and 8') for pedals. Amp/Output: Internal preamp only. Picture: C3, C3 in white ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model CV Production Years: Sep 1945 to Dec 1949 Synopsis: Take a BV's guts and put them in a C type church model case. Finish: Walnut Manuals: Swell and Great, 61 keys each. Pedals: 25-note radiating, detachable. Controls: 9 presets and 2 sets of 9 drawbars for each manual. 2 adjustable drawbars (16' and 8') for pedals. Amp/Output: Internal preamp only. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model D Production Years: Jun 1939 to Nov 1942 Synopsis: Same as Model C but with additional tone generator and appropriate switching to create chorus effect, as for Model BC Finish: Walnut. Manuals: Swell and Great, 61 keys each. Pedals: 25-note radiating, detachable. Controls: 9 presets and 2 sets of 9 drawbars for each manual. 2 adjustable drawbars (16' and 8') for pedals. Amp/Output: Internal preamp only. Features: Lower octave of tone generator is wired to the manuals. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model D-100 Production Years: 1963 to 1969 Synopsis: Same as RT-3 but with built-in sound system including reverb control (in built PR40). Cabinet Size: Same as RT. Finish: D-152, Walnut. D-155, Oak. Amp/Output: 50 Watts, 3 amplifiers, 2-12" and 2-15" speakers. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model DV Synopsis: Same as Model D but with Hammond vibrato, including vibrato chorus. See BCV. None produced, kit added in the field. Cabinet Size: Approximately 450 pounds, with bench and pedals. Manuals: Swell and great, 61 playing keys each. 25 note radiating detachable pedal keyboard. Controls: 9 preset keys and 2 sets of 9 adjustable harmonic drawbars for each manual; 2 adjustable drawbards (16' and 8') for pedals. One expression pedal controlling swell, great, and pedals. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model E Production Years: Jul 1937 to Jul 1942 Cabinet Size: 57x47-7/8x47-5/8 (WHD, inches) with pedal keyboard. Approximately 579lbs, with bench and pedals. Finish: Walnut Manuals: Swell and great, 61 playing keys each. 32-note concave radiating detachable pedal board, built to AGO specifications. Controls: 9 preset buttons and 2 sets of 9 adjustable harmonic drawbars for each manual: For pedals - 4 numbered and labeled toe pistons, 2 adjustable drawbars (16' and 8'), and great to pedal 8' coupler. 2 expression pedals, one for swell and one for great and pedals. Visual position indicator of sliding rod type. Two expression pedals, one for swell and one for great and pedals. Features: Separate adjustable tremulants for swell and great manuals. Standard main and chorus generator units; "ON" and "OFF" switch for chorus. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model E-100 Production Years: Jun 1965 to 1969 Cabinet Size: 48x26x48 (WHD, inches without bench), 410lbs with bench and pedals. Finish: Walnut, Mahogany Manuals: Swell and great, 61 playing keys each. 25-note concave radiating detachable pedal board. Controls: One set of drawbars for each manual, 27 control tablets, 5 percussion voices, brush effect and cymbal, harp sustain and 'vibrato celeste'. Features: 76 tonewheel generator, photocell Expression pedal, straight and reverb tube amps, some solid state for features. E100 - pre-voiced percussions, Harp Sustain and manual rhythm (Cymbal and Brush) E200 - Institutional version of E-100 with locking top, presets and stops adapted for liturgical music, no rhythm, fewer percussions E300 - Stripped-down version of E-100, no Harp Sustain, no rhythm Styles: E-111 Traditional in Mahogany E-112 Traditional in Walnut E-133 French Provincial in Cherry E-143 Early American in Cherry E-182 Italian Provincial in Walnut E-262 Institutional in Walnut E-265 Institutional in Oak E-311 Traditional in Mahogany E-312 Traditional in Walnut E-333 French Provincial in Cherry E-343 Early American in Cherry E-382 Italian Provincial in Walnut Picture: E100 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model G Production Years: Jun 1941 to Nov 1944 Synopsis: [From the service manual...] "The Model G consoles and tone cabinets were built for the Government, and now will be found in use throughout the United States and foreign contries in chapels of all services, Officers Clubs, or recreation service buildings. The console is identical to the Model D except for the decorative woodwork and provision for detchable handles. The tone cabinet (Model G-40) contains two amplifiers and four speaker mounted in a horizontal row and is electically similar to Model B-40 tone cabinets, but has a reverberation control unit." Similar to C2-G, C3-G. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- G100 Synopsis: Large church style organ with AGO 32 note pedalboard and stops instead of drawbars. Picture: G100 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model H-100 Series Production Years: 1965 through 1974 Cabinet Size: 50 1/2" wide, 26 1/2" deep, 50" high with music rack, 445 lbs with pedals and bench. Finish: H-111 Traditional styling in Mahogany H-112 Traditional styling in Walnut H-133 French Provincial in Cherry H-143 Early American in Cherry H-182 Italian Provincial in Walnut H-195 Mediterrean in Oak H-262 Institutional Model with locking roll top...Walnut, some preset and other differences. H-324 Comtempory in Pecan with built-in Auto-Rhythm H-382 Italian Provincial in Walnut with built-in Auto-Rhythm H-395 Mediterranean in Oak with built-in Auto-Rhythm - HX100 like H100 in X66 cabinet Manuals: Two 61 note manuals with overhanging keys. 25 note detachable pedalboard. Controls: One expression pedal effecting both manuals and pedals...tone compensated photo-cell type. Kick switch mounted to pedal cancels vibrato "immediately". 9 presets and 2 adjust keys for each manual. 2 sets of 11 drawbars for upper manual, 2 sets of 10 drawbars for lower manual. 4 pedal drawbars. 28 tabs for percussion, vibrato, sustain, reverb, etc. Amp/Output: Stereo amplification plus a bass channel. Two 8" speakers and one 15" speaker. Mixture of solid-state and tube circuitry. Features: 96 tonewheel generator with self-starting synchronous motor. Tones go up to a high B (around 8,000Hz), then foldback. Foldback note: 16' goes all the way down, the higher harmonic in the mixture drawbars does not foldback. Reiteration, percussion touch control, harp sustain, string bass, lots of vibrato/chorus controls, reverb controls. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model L-100 Production Years: 1967 to 1972 Synopsis: Spinet Model with mechanical tonewheel generator and non-scanner vibrato. Cabinet Size: 43.5x23x44.5 (WDH, inches) Finish: L-101 - Traditional, Mahogany. L-102 - Contemporary, Walnut L-103 - French Provincial, Cherry L-111 - Traditional, Mahogany L-112 - Contemporary, Mahogany L-122 - Contemporary, Walnut L-133 - French Provincial, Cherry L-143 - French Provincial, Pecan - L16? had folding lid - L100P portable version Manuals: two 44-note offset manuals with a 13 note pedalboard. 9 drawbars upper manual, 7 for lower. Amp/Output: Built in amp and speakers. Features: Two levels of vibrato and chorus, small selection of preset tabs, reverb with bright/soft settings. Percussion and chorus adjustable inside the cabinet. Picture: L100 (with 125 Leslie) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model J-100 Synopsis: Non-tonewheel Spinet Model, transistor design, no drawbars. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model M-100 Production Years: 1961 to 1968 Synopsis: Home style spinet with internal amplifier and speakers. Cabinet Size: 113x62x93 (WDH, cm) Finish: M-100: Traditional style, Mahogany M-101: Contemporary, Walnut M-102: French Provincial, Cherry M-111: Contemporary, Mahogany M-143: French Provincial, Pecan M-162: Contemporary, Maple M-165: Tudor, Maple Manuals: Two 44-key offset manuals, 13 pedals. Controls: 9 upper manual drawbars, 8 lower manual drawbars, 1 pedal drawbar. Tablets include Percussion (2nd, 3rd, fast decay, percussion soft), Vibrato (small, chorus, celete1, celeste2). Presets: 5 lower, 5 upper, 2 reverb, 1 volume. Amp/Output: Internal power amplifier, main 2-12", reverb 1-8" speakers. Features: Mechanical tone generator with scanner vibrato, no harmonic foldback. M100A had extra percussion features and pedal sustain. Picture: M102A ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model M Production Years: 1948 to 1951 Synopsis: Home style spinet with an internal amplifier and speaker. Mechanical tonewheel generator. Drawbars-only organ, with no presets of any kind. Cabinet Size: Mahogany Manuals: Two 44-key offset manuals. 12 pedals. Controls: 9 drawbars upper manual, 8 drawbars lower manual, 1 pedal drawbars. No percussion, simple vibrato. Amp/Output: 11 Watts, 1-12" speaker. Features: Mechanical tone generator and vibrato scanner, no harmonic foldback. Pedal sustain feature, with toe-switch mounted on the expression pedal. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model M-2 Production Years: 1951 to 1955 Synopsis: Home style spinet with an internal amplifier and speaker. Mechanical tonewheel generator. Drawbars-only organ, with no presets of any kind. Cabinet Size: Mahogany Manuals: Two 44-key offset manuals. 12 pedals. Controls: 9 drawbars upper manual, 8 drawbars lower manual, 1 pedal drawbars. Other controls on rocker switches. Vibrato has four: upper (on/off), lower (on/off), select (chorus/vibrato), vibrato depth. Amp/Output: 11 Watts, 1-12" speaker. Features: Mechanical tone generator and vibrato scanner, no harmonic foldback. Pedal sustain feature, with toe-switch mounted on the expression pedal. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model M-3 Production Years: 1955 to 1964 Synopsis: Home style spinet with an internal amplifier and speaker. Mechanical tonewheel generator. Drawbars-only organ, with no presets of any kind. Cabinet Size: Mahogany Manuals: Two 44-key offset manuals. 12 pedals. Controls: 9 drawbars upper manual, 8 drawbars lower manual, 1 pedal drawbars. Other controls on rocker switches. Percussion has four: select (on/off), volume (soft/normal), harmonic (3rd/2nd), decay (slow/fast). Vibrato has four: upper (on/off), lower (on/off), select (chorus/vibrato), vibrato depth. Amp/Output: 11 Watts, 1-12" speaker. Features: Mechanical tone generator and vibrato scanner, no harmonic foldback. Pedal sustain feature, with toe-switch mounted on the expression pedal. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model Porta-B Cabinet Size: Lower - 42Wx20Dx10H (inches), Upper - 42Wx24Dx12H (inches), Assembled - 35H (inches). Amp/Output: 15 Watts - two 6" round, two 7"x5" oval speakers, tone cabinet conector. Features: Mechanical tone wheel generator, two 44 note keyboards, 9 drawbars for upper keyboard 7 drawbars for lower keyboard,one 16' for bass, lower keyboard, 13 note pedalboard, 12 rocker switches, touch response percussion. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model RT Production Years: Jul 1949 to Sep 1949 Synopsis: Equipped with Hammond vibrato providing three degrees of true vibrato and an "OFF" position, effective simultaneously on both manuals, together with vibrator chorus usable in three different degrees and "OFF". Cabinet Size: 57x46-7/8x47-5/8 (WHD, inches) Finish: Walnut. Manuals: Swell and Great, 61 keys each. Pedals: 9 preset keys and 2 sets of 9 adjustable harmonic drawbars for each manual. For pedals, two adjustable drawbars (16' and 8'). One expression pedal controlling swell, great and pedals. Features: Equipped with Hammond vibrato providing three degrees of true vibrato and an "OFF" position, effective simultaneously on both manuals, together with vibrator chorus usable in three different degrees and "OFF". ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model RT-2 Production Years: Nov 1949 to Jan 1955 Synopsis: Same as model RT but with controls which provide vibrato on either or both manuals, also additional control for "NORMAL" or "SOFT" overall volume. Finish: Walnut. Manuals: Swell and Great, 61 keys each. Pedals: 32-note radiating, detachable. Controls: 9 preset keys and 2 sets of 9 adjustable harmonic drawbars for each manual. For pedals, two adjustable drawbars (16' and 8'). One expression pedal controlling swell, great and pedals. Amp/Output: Internal preamp only. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model RT-3 Production Years: Jan 1955 to 1973 Synopsis: Same as RT-2 but with Hammond percussion feature. Finish: Walnut/Oak Manuals: Swell and great, 61 playing keys each. Pedals: 32-note detachable pedal keyboard. Controls: 9 preset keys and 2 sets of 9 adjustable harmonic drawbars for each manual. For pedals, two adjustable drawbars (16' and 8'). One expression pedal controlling swell, great and pedals. Features: Pedal solo system has separate volume control, providing the following solo effects: 32-foot bourdon, 32-foot bombarde, 16 foot solo, 8-foot solo, 4-foot solo, 2- and 1-foot solo, also tablets for mute control and pedal "ON". Weighs 525lbs. Picture: RT3 (black and white) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- S6 Chord Organ Synopsis: Autochording organ. Manuals: One 37 note manual. Features: Three sections: Solo unit, Chord unit and Bass unit with seperate volume controls. Solo unit is monophonic and driven from the keyboard, the chord unit is driven from tabs (also driving the bass). Very difficult to keep in tune. Two internal speakers. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model X-66 Production Years: May 1965 to 1972 Synopsis: Console organ with top octave tonewheel generator. Manuals: Two 61 key manuals, 25 pedals. Controls: 4 drawbar sets, 18 changeable presets. Features: 49 note arpeggiator, stereo reverb, attack perdussion, sustain percussion, special X-66 tone cabinet (can be connected to 122 and similar through Leslie kit 8066). Non-traditional Hammond appearance, bench and organ supported by steel columns. Picture: X66 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model X-77 Production Years: 1967 to 1975 Manuals: Swell and Great, 61 keys each. Pedals: 25-note radiating, detachable. Controls: Eleven lower, ten upper, and four pedal drawbars. Foot vibrato switch (vibrato provided in the tone cabinet) Amp/Output: Internal preamp only. Features: Console style with two 61-note manuals. Has a self-starting, 96 frequency, tonewheel generator. 49-note arpeggiator, stereo reverb, attack percussion, harp sustain, variable reiteration, alternating reiteration, , cymbal and brush, music rack light. Required a special X-77 tone cabinet for each version. Wood console body on polished aluminum legs. Available in Walnut, Cherry and Custom finishes. Picture: X77 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model XB-2 (Hammond-Suzuki) Production Years: Currently in production. Synopsis: Portable keyboard, electronic simulation of a tone generator Hammond. Manuals: Single 61 key velocity sensing manual. Controls: 9 drawbars, V1-3/C1-3, 2nd/3rd percussion with slow/fast decay, keyclick, pitch wheel, mod/overdrive wheel, volume, treble, bass. Amp/Output: Internal preamp, drives 11-pin Leslie directly. Features: 2 zone MIDI, keyboard splits, factory and user presets, overdrive, harmonic foldback, Leslie simulation, LCD display. Optional reverb. 11 pin Leslie output connector, effects loop, expression pedal and footswitch inputs. Picture: XB2 front, XB2 back ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model XB-3 (Hammond-Suzuki) Production Years: Currently in production. Synopsis: Electronic simulation of tonewheel Hammond. Manuals: Two 61 key velocity sensing manuals. Pedals: 25 note pedalboard. Controls: Two drawbar groups of 9 per manual and two drawbars for pedals. Programmable harmonic drawbar foldback. Pitch bend and modulation levers. Features: Built-in digital reverb, vibrato, chorus, tube overdrive effects. Assignable expression/volume pedal, assignable foot switch/Leslie speed control. Bass, treble, reverb, overdrive, input volume, and total volume level knobs. Vibrato/Chorus with upper/lower enable buttons. 2nd/3rd harmonic with slow or fast decay and percussion buttons. 2 line 20 character LCD. 11 Pin female Leslie output connector, L/R audio outputs, effects loop, headphone jack, two sets of unbalanced inputs, 25 pin pedal board connector, multi pin wheel box connector, MIDI in/out/thru, MIDI sysex dump. 165 lbs. List price is above $15000 US. (Reviewed in Keyboard July '94). Picture: XB3 front, XB3 back ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model XB-5 (Hammond-Suzuki) Production Years: Currently in production.x Synopsis: Electronic simulation of a tonewheel Hammond. Manuals: Great and Swell, 61 velocity sensitive keys each. Controls: 9 drawbars per manual plus 2 for pedals (16' and 8'). Pitch bend and modulation/overdrive wheels. Amp/Output: 11 Pin female Leslie output connector, L/R audio outputs, effects loop, headphone jack. Features: 2 zone MIDI per manual, 9 presets with RAM expansion card for 28 banks of 9 presets each, extensive programmability, LCD, Volume, treble, bass, and display contrast controls. L/R external inputs, expression pedal and footswitch inputs, MIDI in/out/thru, MIDI sysex dump. 64 lbs. List price ~$7000; with console package, pedal board, bench, stand, ~$10000 US. (Reviewed in Keyboard October '93). Picture: XB5 front, XB5 back ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model Novachord Production Years: 1939 to 1942 (1069 made) Synopsis: Polyphonic synthesiser. Manuals: 72 note manual. Features: 169 vacuum tubes, attack control, sustaining pedals, 500lbs. Plugs into PR-40 (but has internal speakers). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model Solovox Production Years: 1940 to 1948 Synopsis: 3 Octave valve based mono synth. Hell to keep in tune. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model SY100 Production Years: 1974 to 1976 Synopsis: Same as S6 but with a swell pedal instead of a knee lever. Picture: SY100 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model T100 Production Years: 1968 to 1975 Synopsis: Transistor spinet organ with vibrato and repetative percussion voices. Transistor amps, reverb, rythm units and in built Leslie. Cabinet Size: 45x25x44.5 (WHD, inches), 235lbs with bench Manuals: 44 note swell and great, 13 pedals. Controls: 9 drawbars per manual, 1 pedal drawbar Amp/Output: 34W solid state internal amp with reverb. Features: T100/111/112 - basic organ, no built in Leslie T200 - as T100 with built in 2 speed Leslie T211 - traditional red mahogany T212 - traditional walnut T222 - contemporary walnut T233 - french Provincial cherry T243 - early American cherry T295 - mediterranean oak T300 - as T200 with built in rhythm unit. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model X-5 Synopsis: Full size transistor organ with tone cabinet and rythm unit. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model R100 Synopsis: Full size organ with transistor amps and built in Leslie - similar to E100. Manuals: 61 note swell and great, 25 pedals. Features: One set of nine drawbars for each manual, Hammond Rythem unit 2, built in reverb. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Hammond Tone Cabinet Models - Model A-20 Production Years: Oct. 1935 to Oct. 1939. Cabinet Size: 27" wide, 30" high, 15" deep. Power: 20 Watts. Speakers: 2-12" electrodynamic speaker. Amp/Crossover: Parallel push-pull 2A3s, 2-56 triodes, 1-5Z3 rectifier. Comments: Attractive cabinet with doors, makes a great bar. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model A-40 Production Years: Oct. 1935 to 0ct 1947. Cabinet Size: Utility cabinet 26.5" wide, 28" high, 19" deep. Power: 40 Watts. Speakers: 4-12" electrodynamic speakers. Amp/Crossover: Uses two of same amp in the A-20. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model B-40 Production Years: Nov. 1936 to Dec. 1947. Power: 40 Watts. Comments: Same as the A-40 in a seme decorative cabinet. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model C-20 Production Years: Oct. 1937 to Mar. 1942. Power: 20 Watts. Amp/Crossover: Very early units used same amp as A-20. Later units had 4 6V6, 1 6SN7 and 1 5U4. Comments: All C-20 cases were quite deluxe. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model C-40 Synopsis: Spinette style cabinet. Same specs. as A-40. Cabinet Size: 38 wide, 71 high, 27.5 deep. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model CX-20 Production Years: Jan. 1939 to Mar. 1942 Synopsis: Same as C-20 with tremolo rotor, similar to Leslie bass rotor. speakers were mounted on a "Vee" shaped baffle with the rotor in the center. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model CXR-20 Synopsis: Same specs as CR-20 with addition of the oil reverb unit. Amp/Crossover: An additional preamp chassis with 2 6J5's and 2 6J7's interfaced the reverb. On later units the tubes were 1 6SN7 and 2 6SJ7's. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model D-20 Synopsis: Same as C-20 in a more utilitarian cabinet. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model DR-20 Synopsis: Same as D-20 with addition of oil reverb. See CXR-20 for description of amplifiers(s). On later versions, reverb preamp was incorporated into the main amp. chassis. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model DXR-20 Synopsis: Same as CXR-20 in a plainer case. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model ER-20 Production Years: Mar. 1947 to Dec. 1950. Synopsis: Same speakers, amps and reverb as late DR-20. Cabinet Size: 31 wide, 38.75 high, 18 deep. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model F-40 Production Years: Jan. 1948 to Dec. 1957. Synopsis: Essentially a B-40 with revised woodwork dimentions to accomodate a reverb unit. When so equipped, becomes FR-40. Cabinet Size: 32 5/16 wide, 39 3/16 high, 28 3/8 deep. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model H-40 and HR-40 Production Years: Oct. 1948 to Feb. 1960. Cabinet Size: 33-1/8 wide, 48 high, 16-7/8 deep. Power: 40 Watts. Speakers: 9-10" speakers for Bass and 2-12" for treble. Reverb: R model has oil reverb which affects only the treble channel. Amp/Crossover: Two amplifiers similar to D-20 or DR-20 in early units. Later units had both channels on one chassis and used 2 5U4's, 2 6SN7's, 2 6SJ7's, 1 6SC7 and 8 6V6's. Active crossover at 200 Hz 12dB per octave