A Guide To Buying A Vintage Hammond Organ - Studio · PDF fileHammond® Organ Center The...

Hammond® Organ CenterThe Hammond Authority

194 Fairview RoadWoodlyn, PA 19094

Phone (610-833-2665Fax (630) 833-2655

Web Site www.HammondOrganCenter.com

A Guide To BuyingA Vintage Hammond Organ

A Guide to Buying a Vintage Tonewheel Hammond® Organ

Page 2Copyright 2000 Hammond® Organ Center

Table of ContentsIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

MITA (Musical Instrument Technicians Association) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Hammond Suzuki USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Upgrades and Add On’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3TrekII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Basic Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4“It’s Been Rebuilt.” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Using two organs to make one. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Capacitor Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Removal Tone Generator caps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Mylar Capacitors Vibrato Line Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Vibrato Line Box old wax caps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Key Comb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Keycombs exposed under upper keyboard keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Buss bar Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Buss Bars 9 upper & 9 Lower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Pedal Felt Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6New Pedal Felt on top ready to be installed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Vibrato/Chorus Scanner Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Vibrato/Chorus Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Vibrato Scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Vibrato Scanner removed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Drawbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Pictures Common Cabinet Styles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Original Model A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7B Style Cabinet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7C Style Cabinet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7RT Style Cabinet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7A-100 Cabinet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Myths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Factory Rebuilt Hammond Organs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8THE TRUTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

For the record! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8



Introduction

The objective of this guide is to help you know what to look for when purchasing a VintageTonewheel Hammond Organ. Remember this is not the definitive word! However, it should helpyou 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 purchaseyou 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 ofways to do this in the United States and Canada, and they are:

1. Ask if the technician is a member of MITA (Musical Instrument TechniciansAssociation). Visit the MITA web site at www.mitatechs.com. They should be able to helpyou find someone in your area.

2. Contact Hammond Suzuki USA at (630) 543-0277, email them [email protected] or via visit their website atwww.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 organyou may be looking at. The records for all organs made before 1989 are gone. So don’twaste your time or theirs in asking the age of an organ, when it was built or what it sold forwhen it was new.

Most good service technicians are more than happy to help you. However, don’t expect them tohelp you for free. Tell them up front that you want them to look at the organ for you. Mosttechnicians will charge you their base service call fee. Their time is worth something and younever know when you are going to need them.

If you are dealing with any piano and organ store, service technician, service company orsomeone that says that they rebuild the old Hammond Organs make sure that you ask questionsabout what has been done to the organ and make sure you “GET IT IN WRITING” and signed bythe person with whom you are dealing. The same goes for a warranty. Too many times todaysomeone is told that the organ has been rebuilt. At best, most organs in a piano and organshowroom are what is called in the business a “blowout.” They blew the dust and dirt out of itand 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 ampinstalled. If you talk to a purist, they will say, “You got to have it stock.” It’s your money and youshould be the judge. Opinions are like noses. Everyone has one. The TrekII® companymanufacturers high quality aftermarket replacement parts. They also offer items that can makeorgans made before the B3, C3, A-100, RT-3 and D150 that allow you to add Touch-ResponsePercussion. Visit them on the internet at www.trekii.com.



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, andthere was a large variety of models known as “B” models (see the chart below).

Basic ModelsSince the last of the tonewheel Hammond Organs were built at the end of 1975, many youngerorganists 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.

The following chart lists the most common tonewheel Hammond Organs.

MODEL - All console organs YEAR MANUFACTURED

A - AB (Same as A with a bigger cabinet) 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 ifthey 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 commonto 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 thisup front, they are more than likely telling you the truth about what they did and didn’t do to theorgan.



Removal Tone Generator caps.

Mylar Capacitors Vibrato Line Box Vibrato Line Box old wax caps

Keycombs exposed under upperkeyboard keys

Capacitor ReplacementCheck the Tonewheel generator and Vibrato Line Box to see if the filter capacitors have beenreplaced. There are two types of capacitors:

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 preventside-play of the playing keys on each manual. Not all vintageHammond Organs need Key Comb replacement: however, youcan check this by taking the side of your hand and running it upand down the keyboard. If you hear plastic hitting metal, then,more then likely, the felts have worn and the Key Combs need tobe replaced. New Key Combs are no longer available: however, itis common to replace badly worn Key Combs with combs fromanother organ - for example, an M-3 - which are used but are stillin good condition.



Buss Bars 9 upper & 9 Lower

New Pedal Felt on top ready to beinstalled.

Vibrato/Chorus Controls of the B2,C2, RT-2, B3, C3, RT-3, A-100 andD-150.

Vibrato Scanner connected tomotor inside a BV.

Vibrato Scanner removed forcleaning. B2, C2 RT2, B3, C3 andRT3 series of organs

Buss bar CleaningAsk if the organ has had a busbar cleaning. (CAUTION: This ishard to prove!) Sometimes you can tell by playing the organslowly with most of the drawbars pulled out. Some notes will playand other won't until you wiggle the key. This means the organneeds a busbar cleaning.

Pedal Felt ReplacementCheck and see if the pedal felts have been replaced. Make sure thepedal drawbars are pushed in (no sound). Press down on eachpedal. If you hear metal hitting metal, the pedal felt needs to bereplaced.

Vibrato/Chorus Scanner CleaningCheck to see if the Vibrato/Chorus is working. If you turn the vibrato controls on and when youplay you hear a sound like that of a motor boat (thud, thud, thud), the Vibrato/Chorus Scannerneeds cleaning.

If you turn the vibrato controls on and you DO NOT hear any change in the sound, you may needto have both the Scanner and the Vibrato/Chorus controls cleaned.



Original Model A B Style CabinetC Style Cabinet

RT Style CabinetA-100 Cabinet

DrawbarsCheck each drawbar and each key one at a time. If you pull out a single drawbar and nothingplays 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, inMOST cases, this can be repaired easily. If the same note is out on both Upper and LowerManuals, it MAY be harder to repair.

Pictures Common Cabinet Styles.

Myths1) 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!



“Factory Rebuilt” Hammond Organs...THE TRUTH!

For the record!Hammond does not rebuild, re-manufacture, sell, distribute, or provide technical assistance for, old Hammondorgans such as the B-3, C-3, RT-3, A-100, D-100, or any Hammond Organ made prior to 1985. Nor does Hammondrebuild old Leslie Speaker cabinets. Should someone tell you that they have talked to "The Factory" aboutpurchasing 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 theimpression that they are the Hammond Factory when in fact, they are not. Any consumer should be very waryanytime 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 prettyeasy 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” tonewheelHammond:

1. Most, if not all, of the tooling for making tonewheel organs has been destroyed. Thiswould include Tonewheels, Vibrato/Chorus Scanners, Tonewheel Chasses, Pre-ampHousings, 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, newRun motors and new Start motors.

We hope that this is some help!

Hammond® Organ Center®

For reprints or permission to reprint contactHammond Organ Center, 194 Fairview Road, Woodlyn, PA 19094

Phone (610) 833-2665, Fax (610) 833-2655Email [email protected]

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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