From c_schonberger@yahoo.com Fri Oct 07 14:40:19 2011
Subject:Re: The "New B-3"

Gene Poole wrote:
 
Oh yeah, and Stan Getz, Pete Fountain and Tommy Dorsey play along with me...IF you know what I am saying...
............................................
 
Yep. I have a similar crazy thing going: when I play a real good emulation of a keyboard, I almost smell it. Like that typical Fender Rhodes (guitar amp-ish) smell or the smell of wood and felt of a grand piano. Unfortunately I still didn't "smell" any Hammond oil on any of the clones or emulations - and yes, as mentioned before, that husky/throaty sensitive key click is so much part of it and most clones aren't even close.
 
I still have my "old" Hammond XK-3 hot rodded with Mullard tubes - running it either through a 1982 Elkatone rotary speaker (very similar in design to a true Leslie cabinet) or the Vent. It's O.K. but I don't feel like I'm playing the real thing. Still waiting for a heavily improved version of the XK-3c.
 
On a side note: I hear quite often Hammond sounds in recent pop/rock productions. Many are clearly meant to sound like a real Hammond (as opposed to Hammond-ish or 80s/90s type clean "stand-ins" on some adult oriented pop like Zucchero or Eros Ramazotti  - yep Italians seem to love the Hammond in particular: good!). Problem: the new generations don't miss the real quality Hammond sound - the only keyboard which can truly keep up with the power of electric guitars.
 
...just my ramblings,
 
C.
 

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