From rgafner@pressroom.com Thu May 04 17:09:31 2000
Subject:Re: [Voce] Real Leslie "simulator" from a 10B (long)

I rarely get to dig around in old organ shops for stuff like this and in a
major metropolitan area the prices could be all over the place. What
exactly are we talking about here? I can build most anything mechanical
ie. woodshop, fabrication, problemsolving, retrofitting. Would the V3
control this unit? A power amp would be required? What size and weight?
I've been using the V3 and it's inboard effects but the rest of the band and
the sound guy might really hate that set up if at the primo first gig,
opening for the touring major act, the unit crackles and pops from it's
proximity to the other digital stuff in the case.

RG

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From: kcary@yolo.com
To: VoceSupportGroup@egroups.com
Subject: [Voce] Real Leslie "simulator" from a 10B (long)
Date: Wed, Apr 26, 2000, 2:43 PM

Hello,
I've had a few requests to repost my message about the Leslie 10B
and its cousin, made by ElectroMusic (after Leslie was sold).They stand
vertically, like a Fender Leslie. These units are commonly found in Little
Old Lady spinet organs and usually have a tab on the console marked,
believe it or not, "Leslie"and, if you're lucky,"fast and slow" or "chorus
and vibrato". In my experiance, the one-speed (fast) units are more
common, and personally, I wouldn't pass up a one-speed, at a good price.
They still sound great, you can turn them on and off very simply (I've used
a cheap filtered "strip") and if you do a nice job on the box, you can
always replace the baffle with a two-speed when you find one. I'm also
working on a counter that will give the motor a jolt every 8 AC pulses,
providing a slow speed; not an original idea, of course.
The 10B 2-speed units are very desireable because the 2-speed motor
asssembly is a replacement for the unit on the big models. Some people say
they like the 10B better than the because its plywood rotor is brighter and
tougher. Personally I'm coming to prefer the Electromusic foam rotor
because it's lighter and smaller, big pluses. I'm not convinced the sound
is any less bright.
In any case, you should be able to pick up (not litterally, a big
minus) a spinet organ so equiped at a thrift store for about $50 or $60 (CA
prices). Or tell the local music store that you're interested in junky
organs. They get a few calls a month from people trying to get rid of their
spinets. Make sure it has a Leslie unit before you commit to anything, or
I'll be on your scum list. These things are heavy. Some have other brands
of rotating speakers, Baldwin and Wurlitzer notably, but nothing sounds as
good as a Leslie. EBay also oten has one of the units for sale, cheaply.
Don't worry if it's missing its speaker. You replace it anyway.
Once you get the organ, you can take off the back and simply unplug
the Leslie unit, unscrew it from it's mountings, and remove it. Don't cut
any wires, if you can help it. The organ will still be functional w/o the
Leslie (it has another speaker) and you can haul it back to the thrift
store. Maybe you can use magic marker to x-out the Leslie tab, to save your
brotheren the pain.
The 10Bs often have an extra back baffle. Take this out to reveal
the cool little Jenson 8" speaker. Very desireable for some harp and guitar
players. Don't toss it. It actually sound great in the Leslie but it
doesn't handle much power or give you much bass. I replace it with a 10"
Eminence, from MCM. Cost: about $35. Be sure to get one with good highs and
enough power for your needs.Attach the wires to a 1/4" phone plug.
The back of the box need to be extended considerably to allow
space for the 10" and to let the bass resonate. Save the back of the 10B,
if it has one, for the back of the box. You may have to cover a round hole
in the middle, but I think having the "Leslie" sticker on the back is worth
it. The Electromusic units unfortunatly don't have this.
Many of the 2-speed units come with a relay mounted on the baffle.
I've had good luck with these, using a 6 volt wall wart as a power source.
You're going to have to use your little grey cells to figure how the relay
works. It's a little too long for me to explain, but it's not all that bad.
I love the way these sound, and I love the portability. They
certainly are not a 122, but nicely miked they will sound pretty close.
Here are some URLs at my server with two jpg pictures and a simple
PICT diagram for the way I build mine:
www.mother.com/~kcary/Leslie.jpg
www.mother.com/~kcary/littleLeslie.jpg
www.mother.com/~kcary/Leslieplans.pict

I hope someone has fun with this. I'm happy to build one for you, if you
supply the guts. I'm down to one 1-speed 10B, at the moment.

Keith Cary

Hammond CV (1947 I think), Leslie 34W (2-speed)
VOCE Micro B, Leslie 10B with a big Bogan amp (another subject--this is a
cool keyboard amp!) all controled by a Yamaha DX21 ( I need an upgrade, but
it actually has two good internal patches).

Keith Cary
Keith Cary Stringed Instr Repair
4044 Central Lane
Winters, CA
95694

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