From james_eaton@btopenworld.com Sat Mar 26 04:10:07 2005
Subject:Re: CX-3 vs M100 (was: CX-3 or Electro???)


Here we go:

>Yes, the M-100 - CX-3 comparison means "that much"; if it didn't I
wouldn't have mentioned it. I've played many console Hammonds over
the years and am

Yes I can see that the CX-3 - M100 comparison means that much to
you. I am merely putting forth a view which I think demonstrates
that other clones outperform an M100 in many ways also, which
doesn't devalue the CX-3 in itself, but it does diminish the power
of your argument somewhat.

> these aspects of Hammond spinets, which you apparently have a
strong, I daresay "snooty" disdain for

I would describe it as a "realistic" attitude rather than snooty.
I have consoles, but I also have two spinets, both heavily
modified. In stock form I can't play jazz on one of these things.

"Snooty disdain" sounds pretty rude to me. I didn't think my post
was rude or disdainful. Perhaps it was just little too
authoritative.

> didn't put off people like Stevie Winwood... can't think of his
name, but the organist from Ten Years After... Pink Floyd's Rick
Wright... Procul Harum's mighty organist...

A lot of these players either use the organ in a textural way or in
a limited range of the keyboard where the spinets shortcomings are
insignificant or masked by other sounds.

Most if not all of these players you mention are British. In post-
war UK (rationing only ended in 1954) Hammond organs, spinets
included, were very expensive relative to peoples wages and
musicians struggled to afford them. In those days you could buy an
E-type Jaguar (known as the Jaguar XKE in the US I believe) for less
money than a Hammond organ.

Also, the street plans of our towns and cities evolved over hundreds
and in some cases thousands of years before Hammonds and other large
musical instruments were invented or envisaged. Therefore it is
difficult if not impossible to get a B-3 into many of our pubs and
clubs because they are in converted dwelling houses, basements or
upstairs.

Spinets were used therefore out of thrift. Most if not all of
these players moved to consoles just as soon as they could. Jon
Lord got his first C3 in 1970. Stevie Winwood's current axe is a C3
and Leslie 122. These things are well documented.

I doubt that an M100 would have been used on Whiter Shade of Pale if
a C3/122 had been sitting there in the studio.

>... a certain Mr. Emerson has toted a Hammond L-100 around with
him since 1964.

He used this for pyrotechnics on stage and to play the LH part for
Eruption and other such works where again the tone is less important
because he is still using his C3 for the main lines.

Emerson has never used a spinet (and an L100 is definitely lower
down the pecking order than an M100) for his main sound.

> (and before you exhibit snide disdain for my mentioning only prog-
players

I didn't think there was any snide disdain in my post towards prog
players. I have a lot of respect for Keith Emerson and have learnt
to play Eruption.

>The Hammond spinets weren't B-3s... I'd imagine most of us know
this... but they WERE TWG Hammonds, and are certainly worthy of
the 50-odd years of renown they carry.

The spinets originally retailed at half the price of consoles and
were intended to capture the home market. In order to save on build
costs many features were removed or not included such as manual
tapering, foldback, full sized keyboards etc.

In my opinion much of the musicality of the console is lost in a
spinet because of these missing features. The spinet is left with
more or less a two octave usable range in which to play (which is
the range typically used on the well known spinet recordings eg
WSOP).

To come back to my original point then, most previous and current
generation clones will outperform an M100. Therefore the same can
be said of the CX-3 as could be said of the VK-7, VK-8, Electro, DB-
3. DB-3, OB3^2, V5 etc.

>It must feel great to show off your knowledge of spinet organs.

My intention here was to start an informed debate. To do this I
felt it was necessary to inform first to then be able put together a
constructive argument.

Now lets have a constructive discussion. I think it could be very
interesting.

Regards

James