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Moving Leslie and Hammonds, assessing condition


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Have you tried wiggling the Leslie cable connections? That wouldn't explain it only happening on certain notes, but is was often a source of intermittent crackling on mine. Doesn't cost anything to check.
That did seem to help for a bit, but the crackling started coming back after a few minutes of playing, which also seems to jive with symptoms of dirty sockets and/or pins. I'm hoping it's that rather than something more complicated/expensive that the tech didn't catch!

Samuel B. Lupowitz

Musician. Songwriter. Food Enthusiast. Bad Pun Aficionado.

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sounds tube related. Pull em and clean em, both the leslie tubes and the organ tubes ...
Great, I'll definitely give that a shot. Dos and don'ts for that procedure? Any good step-by-step processes written out online that are better than others?

Jason is playing that organ like a piano player ..... ;)
I got another clip of him playing a reggae bubble on the organ and the stabs and horn lines on the Wurli, but without a rhythm section underneath it sort of melts my brain.

Samuel B. Lupowitz

Musician. Songwriter. Food Enthusiast. Bad Pun Aficionado.

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CLEAN all connection points everywhere.

 

For tubes, DeOxit the pins and then use a brass bristled brush to gently clean the oxidation.

 

For some connectors, using the plug itself to clean the jack can work, with DeOxit. You can to this with tubes but be careful of the printing!!!!

 

After everything is clean, if there is still a static problem then it is time one of two things. Borrow a tube tester if possible and test all tubes. It's good to know their condition, make a list using socket location and any markings on the tubes to document current condition.

 

The printing on tubes is delicate, very easy to wipe a tube clean with careless touching. Fire everything up and unplug it while it's on, that will drain the caps to a certain extent. Try to touch tubes only where there is no printing and be gentle, wiggle them free. Check for charts pasted to the interior of the cabinets, not sure how Hammond does it but that was a relatively common practice back in the tube days. Take a photo of the labels if they are still there so you have a copy.

 

It is not unusual at all for somebody to mistakenly put the wrong tube in a socket, with varying results. A 12at7 in a 12ax7 socket will probably work pretty ok, it does in a guitar amp. Others will not be happy.

Vetting your tubes could become quite a rabbit hole, documenting your work will prevent you from re-testing something you've already tested since it could be one of those "do a bit here and there" sort of chores.

 

I might have some of them in my stash. I need to break out the Heathkit tube tester anyway and see what I've got here.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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sounds tube related. Pull em and clean em, both the leslie tubes and the organ tubes ...
Great, I'll definitely give that a shot. Dos and don'ts for that procedure? Any good step-by-step processes written out online that are better than others?

Jason is playing that organ like a piano player ..... ;)
I got another clip of him playing a reggae bubble on the organ and the stabs and horn lines on the Wurli, but without a rhythm section underneath it sort of melts my brain.

i was busting his chops..... :roll:

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

 

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sounds tube related. Pull em and clean em, both the leslie tubes and the organ tubes ...
Great, I'll definitely give that a shot. Dos and don'ts for that procedure? Any good step-by-step processes written out online that are better than others?

Jason is playing that organ like a piano player ..... ;)
I got another clip of him playing a reggae bubble on the organ and the stabs and horn lines on the Wurli, but without a rhythm section underneath it sort of melts my brain.

i was busting his chops..... :roll:

 

LOL

"Danny, ci manchi a tutti. La E-Street Band non e' la stessa senza di te. Riposa in pace, fratello"

 

 

noblevibes.com

 

 

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Sam I was thinking did the tech recap the 147 amp when you go the work done?
You know, I'm not actually sure. He was typically sort of vague and inconsistent filling me in on the work he did... I could always ask him though.

 

I'm happy and slightly relieved to say that I've mostly solved the static; I noticed that there was one tube (the, um, big one in the front) in the Leslie amp that produced static if I tapped or lightly wiggled it, so while the rig was powered down, I just pulled it out and put it back in again. Greatly reduced the issue, and as mentioned above, totally made sense that the vibrations from the low notes on the organ (never mind dragging it around in the trailer) might have unseated some things. I have some DeOxit on order and I'll clean it and the other tubes up just to be thorough, but it feels good to do a successful (if extremely simple and minor) fix on my own.

 

Guess I have to find something to track it on now! Working on a few Noon Fifteen tunes for release in fall, which we did the basics for back in December, but it's possible I've got a better organ sollo in me than the one that's currently on there... :wink:

Samuel B. Lupowitz

Musician. Songwriter. Food Enthusiast. Bad Pun Aficionado.

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Sam I was thinking did the tech recap the 147 amp when you go the work done?
You know, I'm not actually sure. He was typically sort of vague and inconsistent filling me in on the work he did... I could always ask him though.

 

I'm happy and slightly relieved to say that I've mostly solved the static; I noticed that there was one tube (the, um, big one in the front) in the Leslie amp that produced static if I tapped or lightly wiggled it, so while the rig was powered down, I just pulled it out and put it back in again. Greatly reduced the issue, and as mentioned above, totally made sense that the vibrations from the low notes on the organ (never mind dragging it around in the trailer) might have unseated some things. I have some DeOxit on order and I'll clean it and the other tubes up just to be thorough, but it feels good to do a successful (if extremely simple and minor) fix on my own.

 

Guess I have to find something to track it on now! Working on a few Noon Fifteen tunes for release in fall, which we did the basics for back in December, but it's possible I've got a better organ sollo in me than the one that's currently on there... :wink:

 

Hopefully that tube still has the designation code printed on it. Always be super careful when handling tubes to avoid wiping the print off. It gets slowly cooked to the point that it will easily wipe off with a light touch of your fingers.

If the designation letters/numbers are on there, write them down and see if you can find a replacement tube. There are tons of reputable sellers on eBay and Reverb who diligently test their tubes before listing them. I've used eskimofridge from Canada a few times, he is on eBay and always delivered a good quality tube. You will want to slowly build a spares stash for your organ/Leslie in any case. Tube failure is not a matter of "if", it is a matter of "when". Luckily most organ circuits are relatively easy on tubes compared to a guitarist cranking up their amp and pushing it into distortion.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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Doesn"t matter if you can read the tube if it is a stock standard 147. The tubes are:

1 12au7

2 6550

1 0C3

 

Do you need a service Manual or schematic?

 

Post a picture of the amp if you have any question. Most of us old bastages can tell you what tubes can go in what holes.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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Doesn"t matter if you can read the tube if it is a stock standard 147. The tubes are:

1 12au7

2 6550

1 0C3

 

Do you need a service Manual or schematic?

 

Post a picture of the amp if you have any question. Most of us old bastages can tell you what tubes can go in what holes.

Thank you! I have manuals and schematics, because the internet is full of wonders as well as horrors, but I also know I can use this forum as a resource if I get stuck, and I really appreciate that.

 

Also, please know that I only referred to the 12au7 as "the big one" because I know this crowd has been intimately familiar with the technical details , in many cases for longer than I have been alive. :wink:

Samuel B. Lupowitz

Musician. Songwriter. Food Enthusiast. Bad Pun Aficionado.

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Doesn"t matter if you can read the tube if it is a stock standard 147. The tubes are:

1 12au7

2 6550

1 0C3

 

Do you need a service Manual or schematic?

 

Post a picture of the amp if you have any question. Most of us old bastages can tell you what tubes can go in what holes.

 

Thanks CEB! Since a tech has looked at it, you can probably assume the tubes are in the correct sockets. 6550 tubes are large, there would be a pair of them. OC3 is big, a rectifier tube (power supply). It won't match the other two.

Both output amplifier tubes and rectifier tubes can cause static in my experience.

 

My advice to be careful regarding lettering still holds, it is a consideration if one ever sells a tube and an easy way to keep track of what you have.

 

I've got some nice vintage black plate 12ax7s that the seller wiped completely clean. They sound great, the only tubes in my stash with no lettering so pretty easy to keep track of them.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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Should we tell him the 12AX7 trick?

 

Are you running the stock Jensen V21 horn driver? If so then ignore me you will probably smoke the horn ð

 

I run Atlas PD-60s. They take a lot more abuse.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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Should we tell him the 12AX7 trick?

 

Are you running the stock Jensen V21 horn driver? If so then ignore me you will probably smoke the horn ð

 

I run Atlas PD-60s. They take a lot more abuse.

 

Nah, it probably sounds great with the 112au7. I've become a big fan of moderate preamp gain, which allows one to turn up a bit and get some of the output amp tone going on. It seems sweeter and fuller to me.

And yes, I am talking about guitar amps but I think it applies to tube amps in musical instruments generally.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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Should we tell him the 12AX7 trick?

 

Are you running the stock Jensen V21 horn driver? If so then ignore me you will probably smoke the horn ð

 

I run Atlas PD-60s. They take a lot more abuse.

Changing to a 12AX7 could work in a 122, but is probably not a good idea in a 147 without a circuit modification. The higher gain of the 12AX7 will severely unbalance the push-pull drive. (Maybe that will sound good :thu:) Regarding drivers, also the PD-5VH (40W). Atlas told me that it is the same as the Goff top hat driver he sold years ago. Though still a bit bright, I like them both.
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Ooh you may be right. I play a 122. In a 122 it really increases the gain but I wouldn"t do that with a V21.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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Sam I was thinking did the tech recap the 147 amp when you go the work done?
You know, I'm not actually sure. He was typically sort of vague and inconsistent filling me in on the work he did... I could always ask him though.

 

I'm happy and slightly relieved to say that I've mostly solved the static; I noticed that there was one tube (the, um, big one in the front) in the Leslie amp that produced static if I tapped or lightly wiggled it, so while the rig was powered down, I just pulled it out and put it back in again. Greatly reduced the issue, and as mentioned above, totally made sense that the vibrations from the low notes on the organ (never mind dragging it around in the trailer) might have unseated some things. I have some DeOxit on order and I'll clean it and the other tubes up just to be thorough, but it feels good to do a successful (if extremely simple and minor) fix on my own.

 

Guess I have to find something to track it on now! Working on a few Noon Fifteen tunes for release in fall, which we did the basics for back in December, but it's possible I've got a better organ sollo in me than the one that's currently on there... :wink:

 

 

I should have pulled the amp while I was there. I didn't think about it as I figured the tech was on top of it. I wouldn't change to a 12AX7 personally,

"Danny, ci manchi a tutti. La E-Street Band non e' la stessa senza di te. Riposa in pace, fratello"

 

 

noblevibes.com

 

 

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I should have pulled the amp while I was there. I didn't think about it as I figured the tech was on top of it. I wouldn't change to a 12AX7 personally,
Yeah, and I'm not sure in certain cases how deep he went to make it work, versus how quick-and-dirty a job he did to save me money. I think he may have underestimated how much I was willing to spend on this, but also, he's not a full-restoration-no-questions-asked kind of guy usually -- if I bring him something broken, he fixes it, and occasionally improves some functionality, but it's not like when I've tried to make an appointment with RetroLinear and they told me flat-out "we don't 'just' tune and voice; don't bring us your Wurlitzer unless you're willing to pay for a full restoration job."

 

Fortunately, it did just seem to be an issue with dirty/unseated tube connections, and I know I'm going to have to troubleshoot things like that from time to time. It's the life I've chosen!

Samuel B. Lupowitz

Musician. Songwriter. Food Enthusiast. Bad Pun Aficionado.

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