From holsen5629@aol.com Thu Oct 21 00:16:27 2004
Subject:Leslie 25, other Possibilities

<< The only useful part of the Orpheus for this project is the cabinet
itself. >>

Tony is correct, a Leslie Model 25 (a.k.a. the "Orpheus") is
utterly useless as a gig Leslie for pro players. Most 25s were sold in the
late 50s/early 60s as "entry-level" Leslies for spinet organs, and they left a
lot to be desired. In stock form, the 25 had a single 12" speaker, a wood
(lower) rotor, and no rotary horn. Full retail back then was $195.00. A small
20 watt power amp with a pair of 6L6s was optional, but most 25s were sold
without amps to keep the cost down.

A Leslie 25's main advantage today is that few people want 'em, so they tend
to be dirt cheap. Even in good shape, 50 bucks for one without a power amp is
about right, $200+ is ridiculous. The downside is, it's a LOT of work to
modify the 25 cabinet to work like a conventional Leslie. Adding a 122 or 147
amp, or installing a plywood shelf for the rotary horn is not all that
difficult. Cutting a set of upper louvers without screwing up the cabinet is a
challenge! For anyone up to it, however, here's a link that will help.

http://www.theatreorgans.com/hammond/faq/files/vents.html

For those not into cabinet work, consider one of the other 33" models
instead. Yes, even a beat-to-death 45 without a power amp will cost more. However,
it WILL at least have (1) an upper shelf for the horn, (2) cutouts for upper
and lower motors, (3) an opening for a 15" bass speaker (instead of a 12"), (4)
and most important, upper LOUVERS! It may also have belts, an idler,
hardware, the plastic horn and spindle, motors, a rebuildable amp, a crossover
network, and other niceties that are pricey if you have to buy 'em separately.

Cabinet sizes? Consider this--the only difference between the 25 and 45
cabinets is two inches of depth. The height and width of all 33" cabinets is the
same. You can squeeze a 15" bass speaker in the shallower 25 cabinet but it's
a tighter fit. Here are the actual cabinet sizes for comparison.

29"W x 33"H x 18½"D - Models 25, 125
29"W x 33"H x 20½"D - Models 44W, 45, 145, 142
29"W x 41"H x 20½"D - Models 22H, 122, 147, 251, etc.

Hope this helps,

Harvey Olsen

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