Dave Bryce Posted December 8, 2019 Share Posted December 8, 2019 My A100 started humming out of the clear blue the other day. Might be a ground hum, but hard to say for sure. Weird symptom - when I switch between the presets, I can hear a C being triggered for just a moment...on both manuals. It also makes an odd noise when I power it down...really hard to describe. Any ideas? dB Quote ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted December 8, 2019 Share Posted December 8, 2019 Check the ground lugs on the preset panel in the back (black wires). Hum might also be the filter capacitors in the preamp and / or amplifier finally giving up the ghost if they are original. Quote Keep it greazy! B3tles - Soul Jazz THEO - Prog Rock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted December 8, 2019 Author Share Posted December 8, 2019 Thanks, Jim. I'm guessing it's something like the latter. This thing could use an overhaul. dB Quote ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldwin Funster Posted December 8, 2019 Share Posted December 8, 2019 In general but not specific to organs. A hum that gets worse gradually is frequently capacitors drying out. Sudden hum in a tube amp is frequently a tube giving it up. Try swapping out some tubes first. Quote FunMachine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyRude Posted December 8, 2019 Share Posted December 8, 2019 Old Russian cure, feed your Hammond an onion. Takes care of just about everything. Quote Some music I've recorded and played over the years with a few different bands Tommy Rude Soundcloud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted December 9, 2019 Author Share Posted December 9, 2019 In general but not specific to organs. A hum that gets worse gradually is frequently capacitors drying out. Sudden hum in a tube amp is frequently a tube giving it up. Try swapping out some tubes first. Yeah, but there's that weirdness when I change the preset keys where a C is briefly triggered - on either manual. I'm not sure that could be tube related... dB Quote ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary75 Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 Has the organ/Leslie cable been moved at all? Is the odd noise you describe on power down coming through the internal amp/speakers and/or Leslie? Sounds like two different issues to me. Noise on power down could be capacitor discharge noise. Has the preamp/Leslie amp had any refurbishment work done? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outkaster Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 Wes and Todd should be able to help. Dave you should go to the Organ forum. There are serious techs over there that can help also. Quote "Danny, ci manchi a tutti. La E-Street Band non e' la stessa senza di te. Riposa in pace, fratello" noblevibes.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamuelBLupowitz Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 Old Russian cure, feed your Hammond an onion. Takes care of just about everything.Apparently one of my older relatives, who was a first-generation immigrant to the US from Eastern Europe, did this every morning. Along with a shot of vodka. No idea if he was musical at all, though. :wink: Quote Samuel B. Lupowitz Musician. Songwriter. Food Enthusiast. Bad Pun Aficionado. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delaware Dave Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 https://organforum.com/forums/forum/electronic-organs-midi/hammond-organs Quote 57 Hammond B3; 69 Hammond L100P; 68 Leslie 122; Kurzweil Forte7 & PC3; M-Audio Code 61; Voce V5+; Neo Vent; EV ELX112P; GSI Gemini & Burn Delaware Dave Exit93band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted December 9, 2019 Author Share Posted December 9, 2019 Has the organ/Leslie cable been moved at all? Not recently. Is the odd noise you describe on power down coming through the internal amp/speakers and/or Leslie? Hard to tell - it appears to be intermittent. Sounds like two different issues to me. Both showing up at exactly the same time? As far as I can tell, the unit was fine untill it just started humming while I was playing it one day. Noise on power down could be capacitor discharge noise. Has the preamp/Leslie amp had any refurbishment work done? Not that I know of. I've only owned it for 2 1/2 years. Thanks for all the suggestions! It's overdue for a visit to the doc for an overhaul anyway. Maybe Ken Rich time...I'll give him a call later today. dB Quote ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Real MC Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 The symptoms strongly point to a bad rectifier tube, very common fault for organs of that age. Especially when the malfunction is abrupt. Capacitor failures are usually gradual (tantalum caps fail abruptly but Hammonds don't have those). It could also be a loose socket pin on either a tube or the Leslie socket. Those things tend to work loose over time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted December 9, 2019 Author Share Posted December 9, 2019 Any guess which tubes I should check, Mike? Remember - I'm a rank amateur... dB Quote ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 Dave the rectifier is a 6X4. Quote Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted December 10, 2019 Author Share Posted December 10, 2019 Thx, Moe. Okay, that wasn't the problem - I did have another (Hammond) 6X4 in the house - but I went through and made sure all the tubes were well seated...and that seems to have been what the problem was. She's purring happily now! You guys are the best. dB Quote ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doerfler Posted December 10, 2019 Share Posted December 10, 2019 I went through and made sure all the tubes were well seated...and that seems to have been what the problem was. most excellent that is all that the problem was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KuruPrionz Posted December 10, 2019 Share Posted December 10, 2019 It is never a bad idea to get a can of DeOxit and clean all sockets, jacks and connectors. Should be done every couple of years or so, just to maintain good connections. https://www.amazon.com/CAIG-DeOxit-Cleaning-Solution-Spray/dp/B0002BBV4G?psc=1&SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-osx-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B0002BBV4G Do not use on pots, there are other cleaners for that purpose. Quote It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted December 10, 2019 Share Posted December 10, 2019 :yeahthat: Quote Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Real MC Posted December 10, 2019 Share Posted December 10, 2019 She's purring happily now! Glad the fix was simple! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Muscara Posted December 10, 2019 Share Posted December 10, 2019 One of the things I did when I first got my Hammond and the amp for my Leslie was to make sure all the sockets were tight. I've never actually run DeOxit in them. Quote "I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck "The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KuruPrionz Posted December 10, 2019 Share Posted December 10, 2019 One of the things I did when I first got my Hammond and the amp for my Leslie was to make sure all the sockets were tight. I've never actually run DeOxit in them. Speaking from experience with tube and solid state guitar amps and other audio gear, you may be surprised to find out how your instrument REALLY sounds once all the oxidation and corrosion has been eliminated from the circuit. Takes a bit of time but the overall cost is low. If a tech does it they will charge shop rates. Quote It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Muscara Posted December 11, 2019 Share Posted December 11, 2019 If a tech does it they will charge shop rates. Oh, I will do it myself! Perhaps next month when I do some other maintenance on the organ and speaker cabinet, I'll add that in. BTW, when it's been running a while, I'm hearing a whistling and a crackling. I know that's not a lot of info, but if anyone has any ideas, I'd appreciate it. Quote "I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck "The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted December 11, 2019 Share Posted December 11, 2019 BTW, when it's been running a while, I'm hearing a whistling and a crackling. I know that's not a lot of info, but if anyone has any ideas, I'd appreciate it. Whistling could be microphonic tubes. Crackling could once again be dirty tube sockets. Quote Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Muscara Posted December 11, 2019 Share Posted December 11, 2019 BTW, when it's been running a while, I'm hearing a whistling and a crackling. I know that's not a lot of info, but if anyone has any ideas, I'd appreciate it. Whistling could be microphonic tubes. Crackling could once again be dirty tube sockets. Okay, so I will clean the sockets. How do I determine which tube(s) are microphonic, if any? (Yes, since my A-100 has internal speakers, I need to determine if the problem(s) are in the Hammond or the Leslie amp.) Quote "I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck "The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted December 11, 2019 Share Posted December 11, 2019 BTW, when it's been running a while, I'm hearing a whistling and a crackling. I know that's not a lot of info, but if anyone has any ideas, I'd appreciate it. Whistling could be microphonic tubes. Crackling could once again be dirty tube sockets. Okay, so I will clean the sockets. How do I determine which tube(s) are microphonic, if any? (Yes, since my A-100 has internal speakers, I need to determine if the problem(s) are in the Hammond or the Leslie amp.) Tap each tube with your fingernail once things are warmed up. If it thumps it's getting weak. I would clean all the sockets first to eliminate all the crackles and noise from dirt. Quote Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Muscara Posted December 11, 2019 Share Posted December 11, 2019 Thanks, Moe. Quote "I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck "The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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