Where are all the organs?

[archetype]

I know hammond players who gig A-100s. They are desirable. If you don't want it, figure out who the hammond guys are in your area and tell them what you have. They may want it, or know who does. The hammond guys I know are great musicians and the first people I'd trust to find the best and most deserving home for it.
Any A/B/C hammond through an old leslie is a magic sound to get to hear in person and be near. Saving these is important because they won't be made again.

I'll take your advice. Yes, I think it's quite important to preserve these things.

 

[FenderLover]

I wonder if keyboard players complain about sampled organ sounds the way guitar player complain about digital artifacts that only they can hear?

 

[raito]

I wonder if keyboard players complain about sampled organ sounds the way guitar player complain about digital artifacts that only they can hear?

Yes, they do.

 

[cyclopean]

And here i was thinking this thread was about serial killers.

 

[Vibroluxer]

Old organs are an excellent source of tubes.

 

[1955]

My grandmother gave me her Baldwin Wonderchord. It was played by all of my cousins and I when we were kids. I later used it on a bunch of songs I wrote. My uncle helped me load it onto my truck at my grandmother’s house, and I drove it 300 miles back home. It was the last time I ever saw him before he passed away. He was only in his late thirties or so.

I remember moving it from different practice places and apartments by myself with my old PP Welinder skateboard and a lot of grit. One of the many times I was zeroed out, I muscled it up some basement stairs and put it out on the curb with a “Free” sign attached to it. It was gone within an hour.

Broke my heart.

I gave up trying to move pianos after my twenties.

 

[Billy3]

We have an old Wurlitzer that was gifted to us. They cost more to move than what their worth. That's why people are giving them away for next to nothing as long as you pick them up. I also have a kidney and liver that were gifted to me 2 years ago April 4th. Those are the best organs a person could ever ask for.

 

[Tonetele]

I miss a good ol' Hammond and a Lesley.

 

[Masmus]

I still have a Wurlitzer 720A and a Hammond M3 with Leslie in flight cases packed away.

Unfortunately I do know what happened to a large number in the South Bay. A very large piano store in the mid to late nineties would take in Hammond B3's and others in order to sell new digital keyboards and would take them to the back of the store and break them up and throw the remains in a dumpster. It was cheaper for them to do that then to store them and try to sell them.

 

[drewg]

Several years ago I had a Wurlitzer Centurion that my parents purchased in the 70s for over $3,000. Over the years it had been used by my mom and my sister, but I never really took up keyboards. I needed to move it on, and I found out that you really have to give these things away. I asked around the neighborhood if anyone wanted it, and my next door neighbor said that his daughters would like to play keyboards, so we went ahead and moved it over to his garage.

About four months later, he said they just weren't interested in playing, and I felt like I'd stuck him with a white elephant, so I put an ad for it on OfferUp. No bites, but then I found a video of a really talented girl playing the very same organ, showing what it can do, and I put that video on the ad. About a week later a young musician from Los Angeles called me up, and said he wanted it for sure. He was building a new studio and could use it there. He came down with a a buddy in a little pickup, we loaded it up, and he took it away. A year later he messaged me to thank me again and said he's really enjoying it. I was SO glad it went to someone that could use it, and not to the dump.

That's beautiful. I'm glad you found it a good home!

 

[drewg]

I still have a Wurlitzer 720A and a Hammond M3 with Leslie in flight cases packed away.

Unfortunately I do know what happened to a large number in the South Bay. A very large piano store in the mid to late nineties would take in Hammond B3's and others in order to sell new digital keyboards and would take them to the back of the store and break them up and throw the remains in a dumpster. It was cheaper for them to do that then to store them and try to sell them.

Quite sickening, that story. Here's an Hammond M3 that's been sitting on CL for about a month that "needs fixing." I don't think I could make it through Chop Sticks, that's how little I have ever touched keyboards in my life. And have zero experience with the kind of repairs these things need to be restored. And yet, I'm so tempted to give it a whirl...

I love the sound of these old tube organs, and once – just once in my life – was blessed to hear a Leslie in action and was completely enchanted. There's nothing else like it...

I'm sure your M3 through that Leslie sounds gorgeous...

 

[Masmus]

Most times they need to be flipped upside down and oiled to get the tone wheel turning again and they work fine after that.

Usually.

 

[Refugee]

And here i was thinking this thread was about serial killers.

I am huge fan of Criminal Minds. That is sort of what I initially thought this thread was about.

 

[Refugee]

Modernized XK-2. It sounds great! Not quite the real deal, but close.

 

[Refugee]

One of my favorite C3 players of all time,

Melvin Seals Offical Page

Melvin is best known for his long friendship and musical partnership with cultural icon and guitarist Jerry Garcia and the smile of his that lights up the room.

melvinseals.com

 

[nojazzhere]

@drewg said, "I love the sound of these old tube organs, and once – just once in my life – was blessed to hear a Leslie in action and was completely enchanted. There's nothing else like it..."........not sure exactly what you meant about just once you heard a Leslie in action....I bet you've heard one more than once. Almost every studio recording ever made that utilized a Hammond used a Leslie. They just go together like bacon and eggs. But you're definitely right about being "enchanting"......they ARE magical.

 

[Billy3]

I still have a Wurlitzer 720A and a Hammond M3 with Leslie in flight cases packed away.

Unfortunately I do know what happened to a large number in the South Bay. A very large piano store in the mid to late nineties would take in Hammond B3's and others in order to sell new digital keyboards and would take them to the back of the store and break them up and throw the remains in a dumpster. It was cheaper for them to do that then to store them and try to sell them.

Kinda sad isn't it?

 

[Timbresmith1]

Awhile back I came across an old organ in a charity shop....one of the ones from the 60s/70s with lots of buttons. Different voice options including piccolo, violin, guitar, clarinette, and built-in percussion with choices such as bossa-nova, tango, salsa, march, etc. I'll insert a photo below so you can zoom in and explore the marvels.

It got me remembering when I was a kid and there would be stores with dozens of these things.
Did people really have these in their living rooms and spend evenings playing polkas and sambas? Did they play along to Lawrence Welk? View attachment 968962
And the big question......where are they all now? It's not like you could put them out on the curb for the garbage man to take away when you no longer wanted it. Is there an enormous organ landfill site somewhere?

They got raided for tubes and busted-up.

 

[Dan Skammer]

About 10 years ago a tech friend and i had a hobby of restoring 60's transistor "combo organs " , I had 3 Farfisa's , a Vox Super Continental & Leslie 910 , a Gibson G101 (Ray Manzarek ) and an Acetone , wasn't really a good keyboard player, ended up selling them all...fun while it lasted..

 

[Greggorios]

Just a FYI, Richard Goodsell of Goodsell Amps and creator of the Goodsell Super 17 started out as a Hammond Organ repair/maintenance guy. He began using vintage Hammond organ parts to build guitar amps and eventually turned it into a full time business. I really like his amps...on my wish list. Very interesting guy and amps.

History of the Goodsell Super 17 | Goodsell Amplifier Company LLC - Atlanta Georgia USA

goodsellamps.com