A Guide To Buying A Vintage Hammond Organ

A Guide To Buying
A Vintage Hammond Organ
Hammond® Organ Center
The Hammond Authority
194 Fairview Road
Woodlyn, PA 19094
Phone (610-833-2665
Fax (630) 833-2655
Web Site www.HammondOrganCenter.com
A Guide to Buying a Vintage Tonewheel Hammond® Organ
Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
MITA (Musical Instrument Technicians Association) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Hammond Suzuki USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Upgrades and Add On’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
TrekII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Basic Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
“It’s Been Rebuilt.” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Using two organs to make one. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Capacitor Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Removal Tone Generator caps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Mylar Capacitors Vibrato Line Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Vibrato Line Box old wax caps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Key Comb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Keycombs exposed under upper keyboard keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Buss bar Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Buss Bars 9 upper & 9 Lower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Pedal Felt Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
New Pedal Felt on top ready to be installed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Vibrato/Chorus Scanner Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Vibrato/Chorus Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Vibrato Scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Vibrato Scanner removed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Drawbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Pictures Common Cabinet Styles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Original Model A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
B Style Cabinet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
C Style Cabinet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
RT Style Cabinet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
A-100 Cabinet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Myths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Factory Rebuilt Hammond Organs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
THE TRUTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
For the record! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
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Copyright 2000 Hammond® Organ Center
A Guide to Buying a Vintage Tonewheel Hammond® Organ
Introduction
The objective of this guide is to help you know what to look for when purchasing a Vintage
Tonewheel Hammond Organ. Remember this is not the definitive word! However, it should help
you sort through some of the unethical practices that go on in the marketplace.
Should you for any reason find that you are not sure about the vintage Hammond organ purchase
you are considering, it might be a good idea to contact a qualified organ service technician. This,
in and of itself, is hard to do as almost anyone can claim to be “qualified.” There are a couple of
ways to do this in the United States and Canada, and they are:
1. Ask if the technician is a member of MITA (Musical Instrument Technicians
Association). Visit the MITA web site at www.mitatechs.com. They should be able to help
you find someone in your area.
2. Contact Hammond Suzuki USA at (630) 543-0277, email them at
hammondsuzuki@woldnet.att.net or via visit their website at
www.HammondOrganCo.com. Direct your calls or questions to the Service Department.
Please remember! Hammond probably won’t be able to tell you anything about the organ
you may be looking at. The records for all organs made before 1989 are gone. So don’t
waste your time or theirs in asking the age of an organ, when it was built or what it sold for
when it was new.
Most good service technicians are more than happy to help you. However, don’t expect them to
help you for free. Tell them up front that you want them to look at the organ for you. Most
technicians will charge you their base service call fee. Their time is worth something and you
never know when you are going to need them.
If you are dealing with any piano and organ store, service technician, service company or
someone that says that they rebuild the old Hammond Organs make sure that you ask questions
about what has been done to the organ and make sure you “GET IT IN WRITING” and signed by
the person with whom you are dealing. The same goes for a warranty. Too many times today
someone is told that the organ has been rebuilt. At best, most organs in a piano and organ
showroom are what is called in the business a “blowout.” They blew the dust and dirt out of it
and did the minimum work to sell it. Most don’t even get new tubes.
Upgrades and Add On’s
There is much debate over buying a stock organ or an organ that has had a solid state pre amp
installed. If you talk to a purist, they will say, “You got to have it stock.” It’s your money and you
should be the judge. Opinions are like noses. Everyone has one. The TrekII® company
manufacturers high quality aftermarket replacement parts. They also offer items that can make
organs made before the B3, C3, A-100, RT-3 and D150 that allow you to add Touch-Response
Percussion. Visit them on the internet at www.trekii.com.
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Copyright 2000 Hammond® Organ Center
A Guide to Buying a Vintage Tonewheel Hammond® Organ
Basic Models
Since the last of the tonewheel Hammond Organs were built at the end of 1975, many younger
organists have never had the opportunity to play a BRAND NEW Hammond Tonewheel Organ.
Many older organists can’t even remember what it was like to play a new Hammond Organ.
MYTH: All Hammond Organs that sit on four posts are a B-3's.
TRUTH: There were two “four-poster” style cabinets - the “A” cabinet and the
“B” cabinet. The “B” cabinet was 7 inches deeper than the “A” cabinet, and
there was a large variety of models known as “B” models (see the chart below).
The following chart lists the most common tonewheel Hammond Organs.
MODEL - All console organs
A - AB (Same as A with a bigger cabinet)
YEAR MANUFACTURED
1935 First Hammond Model
AB
1936 - 1938
BC, C & D
1936 - 1942 / 1945
E (32 Concaved Pedals)
1937 - 1942
BCV
1945 - 1946
BV, CV & RT (32 Concaved Pedals)
1946 - 1949
B2, C2 & RT2 (32 Concaved Pedals)
1949 - 1954
B3 & C3
1954 - 1974
RT-3 (32 Concaved Pedals)
1955 - 1973
A100 (same as B3 & C3 only built in speakers)
1959 - 1968
D150 (same as RT-3 only built in speakers)
1963 - 1969
“It’s Been Rebuilt.”
Don't simply take someone’s word for it that, “It’s been rebuilt!” Have them prove it. Ask them if
they will put in writing what has been done to the organ. If they say they will, see that they do it.
If they say they will, but don’t . . . DON’T BUY THE ORGAN!
Using two organs to make one.
Find out if the organ you are buying has been put together from other organs. It is very common
to take the keyboards and tonewheel generator from, say, an A-100 and put them into a “B” or
“C” cabinet from another organ. Since the B-3, C-3, and A-100 are all the same basic organ,
there is nothing wrong with this: however, if the dealer or salesperson is willing to tell you this
up front, they are more than likely telling you the truth about what they did and didn’t do to the
organ.
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Copyright 2000 Hammond® Organ Center
A Guide to Buying a Vintage Tonewheel Hammond® Organ
Capacitor Replacement
Check the Tonewheel generator and Vibrato Line Box to see if the filter capacitors have been
replaced. There are two types of capacitors:
Removal Tone Generator caps.
Mylar Capacitors Vibrato Line Box
Vibrato Line Box old wax caps
1). Oil filled wax coated paper (yellow in color). NEED to be replaced.
2). Mylar capacitors (dark red in color). DO NOT need to be replaced.
Key Comb Replacement
“Key Combs” are metal guides located under the keys to prevent
side-play of the playing keys on each manual. Not all vintage
Hammond Organs need Key Comb replacement: however, you
can check this by taking the side of your hand and running it up
and down the keyboard. If you hear plastic hitting metal, then,
more then likely, the felts have worn and the Key Combs need to
be replaced. New Key Combs are no longer available: however, it
is common to replace badly worn Key Combs with combs from
another organ - for example, an M-3 - which are used but are still
in good condition.
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Copyright 2000 Hammond® Organ Center
Keycombs exposed under upper
keyboard keys
A Guide to Buying a Vintage Tonewheel Hammond® Organ
Buss bar Cleaning
Ask if the organ has had a busbar cleaning. (CAUTION: This is
hard to prove!) Sometimes you can tell by playing the organ
slowly with most of the drawbars pulled out. Some notes will play
and other won't until you wiggle the key. This means the organ
needs a busbar cleaning.
Buss Bars 9 upper & 9 Lower
Pedal Felt Replacement
Check and see if the pedal felts have been replaced. Make sure the
pedal drawbars are pushed in (no sound). Press down on each
pedal. If you hear metal hitting metal, the pedal felt needs to be
replaced.
New Pedal Felt on top ready to be
installed.
Vibrato/Chorus Scanner Cleaning
Check to see if the Vibrato/Chorus is working. If you turn the vibrato controls on and when you
play you hear a sound like that of a motor boat (thud, thud, thud), the Vibrato/Chorus Scanner
needs cleaning.
If you turn the vibrato controls on and you DO NOT hear any change in the sound, you may need
to have both the Scanner and the Vibrato/Chorus controls cleaned.
Vibrato/Chorus Controls of the B2,
C2, RT-2, B3, C3, RT-3, A-100 and
D-150.
Vibrato Scanner connected to
motor inside a BV.
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Copyright 2000 Hammond® Organ Center
Vibrato Scanner removed for
cleaning. B2, C2 RT2, B3, C3 and
RT3 series of organs
A Guide to Buying a Vintage Tonewheel Hammond® Organ
Drawbars
Check each drawbar and each key one at a time. If you pull out a single drawbar and nothing
plays on the keyboard, most likely a wire has come off the drawbar. This is simple to repair.
If you pull out a single drawbar and only one note doesn't play but all the other notes play, in
MOST cases, this can be repaired easily. If the same note is out on both Upper and Lower
Manuals, it MAY be harder to repair.
Pictures Common Cabinet Styles.
Original Model A
B Style Cabinet
C Style Cabinet
RT Style Cabinet
A-100 Cabinet
Myths
1) The C-3 sounds different from the B-3 because it has more wood. Not True!
2) All organs that sit on four post are B-3's. Not True!
3) A B-3 is more powerful then a C-3 or A-100. Not True!
4) A model RT-3 or A-100 is not as good as a B-3 or C-3. Not True!
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Copyright 2000 Hammond® Organ Center
A Guide to Buying a Vintage Tonewheel Hammond® Organ
“Factory Rebuilt” Hammond Organs...
THE TRUTH!
For the record!
Hammond does not rebuild, re-manufacture, sell, distribute, or provide technical assistance for, old Hammond
organs such as the B-3, C-3, RT-3, A-100, D-100, or any Hammond Organ made prior to 1985. Nor does Hammond
rebuild old Leslie Speaker cabinets. Should someone tell you that they have talked to "The Factory" about
purchasing an old tonewheel Hammond Organ, or having a tonewheel Hammond Organ rebuilt at “The Factory,”
know that they didn't talk to, or deal with, Hammond.
Unfortunately, some repair businesses mislead the consumer by saying that they are a "Factory" thus giving the
impression that they are the Hammond Factory when in fact, they are not. Any consumer should be very wary
anytime the word "Factory" is used by anyone other than an authorized Hammond dealer.
Someone stating that they have worked for the Hammond factory, or that they rebuild or restore to “like new” or
“near factory like new” condition, is far different from saying that they are a “factory,” or “The Factory.” It’s pretty
easy to check out someone who claims to have worked for the Hammond Factory . . . simply call Hammond at (630)
543-0277.
There are two additional reasons why it is impossible for a consumer today to buy a “factory rebuilt” tonewheel
Hammond:
1. Most, if not all, of the tooling for making tonewheel organs has been destroyed. This
would include Tonewheels, Vibrato/Chorus Scanners, Tonewheel Chasses, Pre-amp
Housings, Key Channels, Contact Assembles and the keys themselves.
2. New replacement parts availability for older organs is getting smaller and smaller.
Some items you can no longer purchase new are: sharp keys, most natural keys, new
Run motors and new Start motors.
We hope that this is some help!
Hammond® Organ Center®
For reprints or permission to reprint contact
Hammond Organ Center, 194 Fairview Road, Woodlyn, PA 19094
Phone (610) 833-2665, Fax (610) 833-2655
Email webmaster@xb3.com
The names Hammond, Hammond Organ, Leslie & Leslie Speaker are registered trademarks of Hammond Suzuki, Ltd.
The Name TrekII is are registered trademark or TrekII products.
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Copyright 2000 Hammond® Organ Center