From xxcaptinxx@comcast.net Wed Apr 27 18:17:44 2005
Subject:Re: Real Hammond Deals--was video recommendations

I watch eBay, craigslist and the theatre organs website, but the deals come
from the local papers (estate sales and want ads), pennysavers, trolling the
internet and word of mouth. I have called the local estate and auction
sellers, and arranged to have them alert me to any Hammonds they come
across. Often sellers have no idea what they have, so one has to interpret
their ads creatively, make phone contact, and ask the right questions.

There seem to be four types of deals: sellers who don't know the value of
what they have, organs in the boondocks, models that are out of fashion, and
repairables. There are few of number one, more of number two, and lots of
number three, and number four can bite you in the backside. So my main
source is number two. I use a full-size van, but you can rent a pickup
one-way for very little money if you have gas and time. My average drive is
around 175 miles one-way. My last aquisition, I stopped at the nearest gas
station and gave $15 each to two guys loafing around, to help me load up. I
always ask if the price is negotiable before I drive, I pay in $20 bills,
and I am earnest and friendly.

I walk away from a fair number of organs that sounded OK, but were junk in
reality. Even if you don't value your time, there are some older organs
that cost real money to bring back to life, and then they are no longer
deals, but rather boat anchors. Usually if the case is beat, the keyboards
are, too. All Hammond players need to understand how their organ works, so
plan to learn how to maintain it yourself, based on the extensive info
available on the lists. Then owning a repairable Hammond becomes much more
satisfying.

I think the motherlode would be to purchase a defunct local dealer's Hammond
customer list, because it would be a roadmap to where the organs are (or
were). A lot of homeowners in their 80's are thinking of moving and just
want a good home for that Hammond they haven't turned on for a decade. A
second class is rockers from the late 70's who thought they were going to
get back to their organ sometime, and are now facing reality. A third class
is churches who were given an unwanted organ in a Will, or who stored their
original organ when they upgraded, and now want the space back.

One place to get a summary of the Hammond lines' features is:

http://theatreorgans.com/hammond/faq/all_hammonds.html

Another is Mark Vail's book Beauty and the B.

The best B-3 is an A-100. There are lots in the northern Michigan area in
the $800-1,000 price range. Anything in a C-style case is worth much less
than a B-style case, even though the sound is the same. My favorite is the
BV (I have four right now) because I love their tone. Of course the CV is
identical, but it has negligible dollar value.

As far as practice models, the basic console is the BC. They are getting to
the age where most need some serious rehabilitation. The "V" series added
vibrato/chorus, which I think is pretty much a necessity for gospel/jazz.
The "2" series split the vibrato by manual, and the late models added smooth
drawbars, replacing ratchet drawbars. The "3" series added percussion,
which can also be added as a $250 upgrade on earlier models. There are lots
of other little improvments over the years, but these are the big ones. The
more bells and whistles, the more you pay, usually. All of these models
amplified through a Hammond cabinet, which either comes with the organ or
can be acquired for $0-150. The Hammond cabinets are stationary, but the
sound is very good.

The H series Hammonds were an intended upgrade of the C-3 that didn't appeal
to the then-current market. Ones serialed under about 15000 are a
maintenance chore, but the newer ones hold up pretty well. They have
divingboard keys like a lot of synths, plus a lot of gadgets like celeste,
harp, extra percussion and extra drawbars. They sound like a good organ, but
the tone doesn't break up as well as a true "3" series Hammond does. They
can be tweaked to sound more like a B-3, and they sound good through a
Leslie. The important thing is that they have everything you need to learn
Hammodology except the exact "sound" , and rarely sell for under $300.
There is also a model E-100 series that I know little about but looks like a
possible practice organ for little money.

You will likely spend more for a Leslie than for the Hammond, because demand
is high since lots of players use two. The deals are in the single speed
Leslies: In fact, the field-coil woofers sound much punchier than the PMs
that replaced them. You can upgrade to two speed with a solide state device
or by buying two-speed stacked motors. I have seen players buy a Lowrey
just for the Leslie that comes with it, and then dumpster the organ itself.
You may not need a pretty Leslie cabinet for a practice organ, which can
help the money situation a lot. Stay away from the horn/driverless models,
since the magic is in the upper frequencies.

Another advantage of using lesser-loved Hammond consoles for practice is
that you can spread the investment over time. You can buy a CV for a
pittance, add percussion, switch to smooth drawbars, buy a single speed
Leslie, upgrade it, and then buy that second Leslie on a schedule that fits
your taste.

Hope that helps.

Regards,

Dave Bishop