Hammond Organs???

[Tommy Horchata]

I just got this Hammond A-100

 

 

I was wondering if any of you are organists or familiar with this instrument. It works very well, takes a few minutes to warm up. I need to figure out how to use it better, though. Any of you have any tips for me?

 

Also, there is a paper in the bench that talks about having the tone generator oiled/serviced annually. Do any of you know a reputable organ tech in the LA area?

[suitandtieguy]

the organ should only be oiled once every few years. annual oiling leads to over-oiling.

[cornstone]

great find! looks like there should a leslie somewhere as you already have the switches mounted. Hook-up that leslie and let is rip. Youtube has good videos on how to get started. You are going to need to work your left hand and feet to really maximize your hammond. Jazz classes would be a great place to start. I found these books helpful:

Jazz keyboard harmony - Phil DeGreg

The Jazz Theory Book - Mark Levinne

ii V I voicings - Luke Gillespie

 

You shouldn't need to rebuild your tone generator. If it hasn't been oiled in a long time you can spray it with wd-40 to stop the squilling sound. Get hammond oil and fill the 2 brass cups on top of the generator twice. The oil will take about a week or long to move throughout all the flets and stop to put oil in the right places. I rebuild my chours/vibrato which was a tricky tast. It sounds amazing now. I wouldn't suggest doing it if your not the hands on kind of guy. After oiling the tone generator, let it run for a couple of hours and listen for static. You cant tell what needs to be worked on if you dont have a list of problems. Hammond where build like tanks and should last forever (well almost forever).

[eric]

Good find. I have an A101 which is the same with a slightly different cabinet. Try to find yourself a Leslie to go with it and you'll be in heaven.

[Tommy Horchata]

Wow!

 

Thanks so much for the helpful and quick replies!

 

I'm more of a guitar player than a key player, but have always wanted to play.

 

There is no Leslie, unfortunately. I got the organ from a craigslist ad from a lady who didn't want it anymore. Picked it up for free. It does have a bult in amp and 3x12 speakers, but I'm keeping my eyes out for an inexpensive Leslie.

 

I don't really know how well they maintained this organ, though as there is a lot of dust in the back.

 

I'll be on youtube looking at vids tonite for sure!

[cornstone]

He said for free lol lucky guy

[ElectricPuppy]

Free? Sheesh... LUCKY.

[Outkaster]

A lot of the A-100 series had 251 or 145 Leslies with them. I am not sure of the action on the keys but it might require a buss bar lube? That is a great find.

[suitandtieguy]

 

There is no Leslie

 

 

but it does have the connections group for one, or at least the switches.

 

see if there's a metal box on the inside marked "ELECTRO MUSIC" and take a photo of it and put it in the thread and i (or at least 4 other people here) can tell you what kind of leslie to look for.

[Bones]

Wow! Very cool. You're gonna love it.

[Tommy Horchata]

It does have a Leslie connector. I have a washed out pic here:

 

 

Been on the lookout for a Leslie. Does not look like I'll be as lucky w/that.

 

Does anyone have a link for an operator's manual? The operators manual I got was for a M-100 and is completely different. I have not been able to figure out how the tone sliders work or how the percussion works....

 

Thanks!

[mate_stubb]

Those 4 sets of 9 tone sliders are called "drawbars". The left 2 are for the top keyboard, also called a "manual", while the right 2 sets are for the bottom manual, with the 2 drawbars in the middle controlling the pedal sound.

 

The black octave of keys are latching presets, with the bottom C key cancelling what you have latched. Press Bb preset to activate the left drawbar set for each manual, and the B preset to activate the right drawbar set.

 

Percussion only works on the top manual on the B preset. It makes its sound only when you press a key or group of keys down for the first time, and doesn't reset again until you let all keys up - in other words, percussion has a legato touch.

 

To find out more, google is your friend.

[cornstone]

I would remove that A0-28 and ship it to Electronic Instruments to have it rebuilt by bob. Then you shouldn't have to worry about it for about 30 years or so.

 

http://www.tonewheel.com/

[Tommy Horchata]

 

Those 4 sets of 9 tone sliders are called "drawbars". The left 2 are for the top keyboard, also called a "manual", while the right 2 sets are for the bottom manual, with the 2 drawbars in the middle controlling the pedal sound. The black octave of keys are latching presets, with the bottom C key cancelling what you have latched. Press Bb preset to activate the left drawbar set for each manual, and the B preset to activate the right drawbar set. Percussion only works on the top manual on the B preset. It makes its sound only when you press a key or group of keys down for the first time, and doesn't reset again until you let all keys up - in other words, percussion has a legato touch. To find out more, google is your friend.

 

 

 

Thanks!! Just what I needed to know!!! Now EVERYTHING seems to be working wonderfully!

 

VERY helpful, guys. I really appreciate everything. Now I'm learning my band's songs on the organ, but it'll likely be a while before recording anything due to my complete lack of technique. But I'm getting the hang of it surely!

[Tommy Horchata]

I got a lead on a Leslie 420 cab.

 

This compatible w/ the A-100>?

[Outkaster]

I would stay away from that one. Try to look for these models if you want that sound so many people love.

 

122,142,21H,22H,145,147,251,31H

 

Ask STG about 31 Tallboy Leslies!

[suitandtieguy]

 

I got a lead on a Leslie 420 cab.

 

 

unless there's a special Leslie made just for trustafarians who play {censored}ty jam-rock at outdoor festivals that's not actually a Leslie. (jesus harold christ i think i found a new product idea.)

 

there was a Wurlitzer cabinet designation "420" ...

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180176246613

 

but it's not a Leslie. in fact, it's a piece of {censored}.

 

your A-100 appears to be configured for a 251 or 147 ... plug and play.

 

if you post a real detail pic of that connector box (using the macro setting on your digital camera) then one of us can tell you exactly what leslies you can get, or if you need to change some wiring etc. it also helps to know exactly where you're at because there are techs everywhere, and we can point you to one.

 

and Outkaster (very nice icon) will be pleased to know i'm picking up my third 31H next week. it's my payment for brokering the Prophet-10 sale. it also makes my fleet 5 leslies and 2 consoles.

[Tommy Horchata]

You're right, it IS a Wurlitzer.

 

Had no idea it was such a bad cab, though.......

 

I'll get you a better pic of that connector box tonite. Though my camera is a phone, so there isn't a macro option.

 

It DOES have a 6 pin socket there that says Leslie

 

BTW, the Wurlie cab has the same connector and is really cheap. Will it work even though it may not be as cool as a 147? It's 1/10 of the price of a 147.

[TimmyP]

Do not use any lubricant other than Hammond oil. Some oils, when blended, will turn to sludge. So long as the oil threads are intact (which I'm sure they are), the oil will eventually get into the bearings.

 

I don't think it was mentioned that the A100 is exactly the same as a B-3, just in a different cabinet, and with the addition of amps, reverb, and speakers. We (day job) recently got a one-owner 1964 for $900, so the lady gave away at least that much. Silly people.

 

You can check the age by getting the serial number and going here: http://www.tonewheelgeneral.com/agelist/agelist.php

[Outkaster]

 

unless there's a special Leslie made just for trustafarians who play {censored}ty jam-rock at outdoor festivals that's not actually a Leslie. (jesus harold christ i think i found a new product idea.) there was a Wurlitzer cabinet designation "420" ... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180176246613 but it's not a Leslie. in fact, it's a piece of {censored}. your A-100 appears to be configured for a 251 or 147 ... plug and play. if you post a real detail pic of that connector box (using the macro setting on your digital camera) then one of us can tell you exactly what leslies you can get, or if you need to change some wiring etc. it also helps to know exactly where you're at because there are techs everywhere, and we can point you to one. and Outkaster (very nice icon) will be pleased to know i'm picking up my third 31H next week. it's my payment for brokering the Prophet-10 sale. it also makes my fleet 5 leslies and 2 consoles.

 

 

Funny I just sold a Leslie cheap and I should have asked one of you guys if you would like it.

[Tommy Horchata]

I'm keeping a lookout for leslie........

 

I think I could score that Wurlitzer for $150 and I may do that just to at least satisfy my curiosity for the sound. It should at least give me a good indication of what a Leslie will sound like w/ the organ, no?

 

I'm not sure I'll be able to afford a 147 in the next few years unless I get insanely lucky again.............

 

Thanks again for the great info, guys. I'm so frustrated w/ Google searching for this info. Usually I get the same damn 3-5 dealers or ebay auctions. Especially when I've been trying to research the Wurli cab which was only made in the 1940's I found out.

 

 

Funny I just sold a Leslie cheap and I should have asked one of you guys if you would like it.

 

 

just curious, how much did you sell it for any which model was it?

[suitandtieguy]

 

It should at least give me a good indication of what a Leslie will sound like w/ the organ, no?

 

 

it will give you an indication of what a large wooden box will look like next to the A-100. it will not amplify or rotorate your sound. on the off chance you manage to get power into it, the chances that you'll get signal into the cabinet from where you're at are significantly less than the chances that you'll damage yourself or the organ, and on the small chance you do get AC to this piece of trustafarian amplified {censored} then there's almost no chance you'll be able to control anything mechanical inside of it.

 

if you do manage to get AC into the Schwaglifier while it's amplifing signal and then rotorating under some degree of manual control, it will sound absolutely nothing like a Leslie, and it sure as hell won't sound as good as the "ROTARY SPEAKER" algorithm in my DigiTech Studio400.

[mate_stubb]

Run. Away.

 

Lots of speakers used 6 pin connectors back when these were made, and there were many incompatible wiring schemes that seemed to be designed to dump AC into the wrong place on your cabinet and fry stuff.

 

Seriously, I would be enthusiastic too. But you are being told by several VERY experienced people to leave it alone.

 

If you {censored} up a beautiful Hammond console by plugging in a crappy incompatible cabinet and frying something, I'm gonna have to send the goon squad to beat the {censored} out of ya, OK?

[Outkaster]

 

I'm keeping a lookout for leslie........ I think I could score that Wurlitzer for $150 and I may do that just to at least satisfy my curiosity for the sound. It should at least give me a good indication of what a Leslie will sound like w/ the organ, no? I'm not sure I'll be able to afford a 147 in the next few years unless I get insanely lucky again............. Thanks again for the great info, guys. I'm so frustrated w/ Google searching for this info. Usually I get the same damn 3-5 dealers or ebay auctions. Especially when I've been trying to research the Wurli cab which was only made in the 1940's I found out. just curious, how much did you sell it for any which model was it?

 

 

It was this one. A 145 converted into essentially a 142. I took a hit on it but was able to sell a dolly and a quilted cover for a good price once the guy came to take it out of here. I had payed like $400 for it:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220139169952

[Tommy Horchata]

Thanks again. I'll pass on the 420 cab. I really do appreciate all your input. I definitely DON'T want to chance damaging my console.

 

I'm gonna keep a lookout for a real one and maybe I'll get lucky......