Members shamansblues Posted March 14, 2011 Members Share Posted March 14, 2011 Hey! I went to a second hand-market today and saw a Farfisa organ and somehow got it for free. But, as expected there are some minor problems, but they can't be too hard to fix. First of all, I've no idea which model it is, but it looks almost like this one: http://www.combo-organ.com/Farfisa/Compact/Compact%20Plus%2024b.jpg There are some differences, mine does not have grey keys and there's no grey button to the far left, and the next three buttons are all white instead of white and bordeaux. Otherwise it looks just the same from what I can see. If anyone here have any idea of which model it could be and which year, please tell me Anyway, problem numero uno: the audio cable (phone, 1/4") seems to be a bit messed up (it's hard too explain with my limited vocabulary) but 50% of what comes out is a roaring(?) sound which of course is very disturbing. The cable seems to be attached to the organ so I can't just use another one. Is this easily fixed? The black keys (bass-keys?) are a bit strange too, the sound is very low and the white ones (#/Bb-keys) seems to be totally out of function. Also, the lowest Bb on the white "section" is dead. Is this something I can fix by myself? I believe it's hard to find someone who repairs old organs like this one here in Sweden so I'm not sure if it's actually possible.. But if, how much could it cost? I think that was it, thanks in advance. Peace! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mate_stubb Posted March 14, 2011 Members Share Posted March 14, 2011 Congratulations, you appear to be the new owner of a Farfisa Combo Compact. This is the classic Farfisa model that has achieved both fame and notoriety. There were several slightly different versions. Your best bet is to visit Combo Organ Heaven to gather as much info as you can about fixing things up. http://www.combo-organ.com/Farfisa/Compact/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members yorgatron Posted March 14, 2011 Members Share Posted March 14, 2011 first thing you need to do is join this group; http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ComboOrgan/ very helpful bunch,lots of files & photos too. BTW I'd love to have a Farfisa someday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mate_stubb Posted March 14, 2011 Members Share Posted March 14, 2011 Here's me at 15 years old with mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members yorgatron Posted March 14, 2011 Members Share Posted March 14, 2011 :thu: I would love to have all the equipment in that photo,that stuff is worth a fortune now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Musicale Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 Hey M_S what tune were you playin in that picture ? Regards, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mate_stubb Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 Hey M_S what tune were you playin in that picture ?Regards, Probably some garage band tune like "Little Latin Lupe Lu" or "Just Like Me" (Raiders version) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bandard Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 He was playing "Soul Kitchen" by the Doors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ElectricPuppy Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 Pffff, he was playing Louie Louie, just like every other garage band. That, or Yellow Bird. One or the other, I'm sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Musicale Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 I knew them all ! Still better than some of the new stuff.... Regards,Musicale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TIMKEYS Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 :thu: I would love to have all the equipment in that photo,that stuff is worth a fortune now! It was worth a fortune back then. Mate had some great parents to be able to hook him up with a real combo organ back then. Notice the fender black face amp too. keyboard were wicked expensive in those days. was that amp a super reverb? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mate_stubb Posted March 16, 2011 Members Share Posted March 16, 2011 It was worth a fortune back then. Mate had some great parents to be able to hook him up with a real combo organ back then. Notice the fender black face amp too. keyboard were wicked expensive in those days. was that amp a super reverb? Heh, that's not what happened. I found it in a pawn shop for $250, which was still a lot of money for a teenager in 1968. I went to the bank for my very first equipment loan, which my parents cosigned, in order to buy it. That band was plenty young, but we worked all the time playing frat parties and high school dances, so paying new equipment purchases off by gigging worked great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mate_stubb Posted March 16, 2011 Members Share Posted March 16, 2011 was that amp a super reverb? There's a Super sitting in front of the organ, and a Dual Showman behind the guitar player. I had a Sunn Sentura II tube amp with dual D130 JBLs in it for the organ. Don't remember what the bass player was using! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TIMKEYS Posted March 16, 2011 Members Share Posted March 16, 2011 Heh, that's not what happened. I found it in a pawn shop for $250, which was still a lot of money for a teenager in 1968. I went to the bank for my very first equipment loan, which my parents cosigned, in order to buy it.That band was plenty young, but we worked all the time playing frat parties and high school dances, so paying new equipment purchases off by gigging worked great. I am amazed that you found one in a pawn shop for that ,, they were pushing 600 bucks for that organ if i remember right. Yea I know all about giggin in those days ,,, was in my first paying teen band at age 15 about the same time. I paid for alot of gear too from gig money. My last high school band was a 7 piece with a horn section,,, that band made really great money. I could make pretty much in three hours what i worked all week for at my summer day job. I ran a vox contential through a bassman with two bottoms and a leslie. One thing about those days ,, most teen bands had good gear , because there wasn not much in they way of cheap import stuff that was giggable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mate_stubb Posted March 16, 2011 Members Share Posted March 16, 2011 If I got a steal on my first organ, I paid dearly for my second: $1200 for a brand new Farfisa Professional, which I ran thru a leslie 145 painted day-glow colors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stillearning Posted March 16, 2011 Members Share Posted March 16, 2011 Great stuff. Around that same time, my first keyboard was a Yamaha YC-30 combo organ, and I subsequently bought a Leslie 145 w/ preamp pedal. Good times. Then I took out a loan for a Baldwin ElectroPiano. Paid it off with gig moneys. I was playin in bars well before I was old enough to even drink in them! Ahh... memories of simpler times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Franz Schiller Posted March 16, 2011 Members Share Posted March 16, 2011 I used to have a Farfisa Professional. It was tough as balls, and sounded great. Ran it through a fake leslie sim, and a Fender Twin, and got decent Hammondy sounds. The fold up stand could tilt, and was awesome. I only played it one show, because it was god dern heavy. But the "wow" factor of the cream and grey keys impressed many in the audience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TIMKEYS Posted March 16, 2011 Members Share Posted March 16, 2011 If I got a steal on my first organ, I paid dearly for my second: $1200 for a brand new Farfisa Professional, which I ran thru a leslie 145 painted day-glow colors. yea you did get a steal. I moved on from rock bands when I went to college. the vox got me through 4 years of teen bands. It was a bitch to keep that vox going in the winter,, cold soaked cars and shitty weather raised hell with it on a regular basis. I had a great music store. I could drag that puppy in on monday and typically have it going again for practice and gigs. We played out on a regular basis. No frat parties for us, Notre Dame didnt have greek houses. The dances on campus were all major label guys for the most part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mate_stubb Posted March 16, 2011 Members Share Posted March 16, 2011 I moved on from rock bands when I went to college. I went the opposite direction. I was on a music scholarship and talked my college into sponsoring my entire band. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TIMKEYS Posted March 16, 2011 Members Share Posted March 16, 2011 I went the opposite direction. I was on a music scholarship and talked my college into sponsoring my entire band. thats pretty cool ,, our drummer went to college as a music major ,,, she is just about to retire,,,, after being a band director all those years. She started playing in bands again a few years ago. She is still the best drummer I ever worked with.... she made all the boys wanna burn their sticks. I majored in business ...and later started a career in aviation. retired and back in music now. thank god there is better gear than the vox lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Keyrick Posted March 17, 2011 Members Share Posted March 17, 2011 Hey! I went to a second hand-market today and saw a Farfisa organ and somehow got it for free. But, as expected there are some minor problems, but they can't be too hard to fix. First of all, I've no idea which model it is, but it looks almost like this one: http://www.combo-organ.com/Farfisa/Compact/Compact%20Plus%2024b.jpg There are some differences, mine does not have grey keys and there's no grey button to the far left, and the next three buttons are all white instead of white and bordeaux. Otherwise it looks just the same from what I can see. If anyone here have any idea of which model it could be and which year, please tell me Anyway, problem numero uno: the audio cable (phone, 1/4") seems to be a bit messed up (it's hard too explain with my limited vocabulary) but 50% of what comes out is a roaring(?) sound which of course is very disturbing. The cable seems to be attached to the organ so I can't just use another one. Is this easily fixed? The black keys (bass-keys?) are a bit strange too, the sound is very low and the white ones (#/Bb-keys) seems to be totally out of function. Also, the lowest Bb on the white "section" is dead. Is this something I can fix by myself? I believe it's hard to find someone who repairs old organs like this one here in Sweden so I'm not sure if it's actually possible.. But if, how much could it cost? I think that was it, thanks in advance. Peace! I had one too. What are you plugging the organ into? It has a hot signal compared to a guitar. If you are plugging it into a PA, be sure to have your padding set for a line level signal, not a mic or guitar. If the signal is distorted, you could have a bad 1/4 inch plug, but that can be replaced. The are a couple 12AX7 (ECC83) tubes in there and they may need to be replaced. Mine had a seperate 1/4 inch bass output as well. There should be a volume control on the back panel as well. Also verify that the knee controller is working properly as it provides a substantial boost when you are using the green tabs in the middle. I didn't use those very often. I can't help you with the dead keys as I never had that issue. I kinda wish I still had mine. Have fun with it. Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TIMKEYS Posted March 17, 2011 Members Share Posted March 17, 2011 Probably some garage band tune like "Little Latin Lupe Lu" or "Just Like Me" (Raiders version) LOL,, played that one alot when i was a freshman in HS ,,,, aint no dance she couldnt do .... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8raUHXToIlQ&feature=related Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mate_stubb Posted March 17, 2011 Members Share Posted March 17, 2011 LOL,, played that one alot when i was a freshman in HS ,,,, aint no dance she couldnt do ....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgXxQrf99gohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8raUHXToIlQ&feature=related We weren't good enough to do the Righteous Brothers version - ours sounded more like the Kingsmen's LOL! [video=youtube;k9vHNjH4QH8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9vHNjH4QH8&feature=related Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TIMKEYS Posted March 17, 2011 Members Share Posted March 17, 2011 Yea we were doing the kingman version too. The thing about alot of those old garage rockers was that you never heard the originals , they got passed down from older players. My first band was up and running when i got brought on board. I learned a whole set list of that stuff from them. I was kinda shocked the first time i heard the original version of farmer john. Good times. I really question if there was a better time to be playing rock than 66 to 70. things moved so fast ,, you went from garage rock like gloria and latin loupe lou to three dog night and blood sweat and tears and chicago. It was an amazing time in rock and roll. thats a big leap in 4 years for teenage musicans. People would be shocked to hear what kids were doing with music back then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mate_stubb Posted March 17, 2011 Members Share Posted March 17, 2011 Indeed. I was playing Gloria in 67 and by 71 was doing a 40 minute version of Lee Michaels "Would You Be Happy" with a bunch of little original bits with triple lead guitar harmonies. It was a great time to come up playing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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