zeronyne Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 I normally don"t like posting inquiries like this, but this forum is a treasure trove of info about Hammonds, so I hope you will indulge me a quick question. In my town, there is a very recently serviced A100, no Leslie, selling for $1500.00. It"s in great cosmetic condition as well. I"ve never owned a real tonewheel organ. Is this a decent price? I don"t mind not getting rock bottom pricing at all, but is this in the ballpark if indeed it got a significant from a reputable tech? Quote "For instance" is not proof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesB3 Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 Is this for gigging or home studio? Ask to see invoices from the "reputable tech" so you can assess the type of work that was done and when. Failing this ask for the tech's name and number (you'll need it anyway if you buy the organ) and give him a call. Take the back off and look for cobbie or suspicious wiring. If all the capacitors look shiny and new that's a deal breaker for me. Did A100's have dreaded deteriorated foam problem? Run the serial # from the spec plate on the Hammond Age Determination List and get a rough idea of the vintage of the box you are looking at. Bottom line is... if you're really in the market, if it's not an A102 (personal preference), if it's in old lady home organ shape, if there's no anomalies in the way it plays or sounds, and if it includes the original pedals and bench; $1500 is about right. Just know a good tube Leslie will set you back at least $1500 + wiring and half moon switches. You will quickly tire of the chorus and internal speakers and start jonesing for a Leslie. http://www.tonewheelgeneral.com/agelist/agelist.php Quote Yamaha CP73; 145 gig Leslie; Nord Electro 61; Oberheim OB3^2; Wurlitzer 200A; Ampeg Gemini I amp; Speakeasy Leslie preamp; QSC K-10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeronyne Posted October 18, 2020 Author Share Posted October 18, 2020 Thanks, Blues B3, I will follow your advice. And it would live in my studio. It has the bench and pedals. I"ll let you know how it goes. I"ve never really even played a B3 SOUND (except in obvious cover songs), so it would be the beginning of a journey for me. Quote "For instance" is not proof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 It"s a okay price. You will see them around for 1200. But if it is really clean and fully serviced $1500 might be worth it. Does it have a connector kit? You will need a connector kit for whatever Leslie you want to use. I wouldn"t mind spending $1500 on the right one. They don"t make these anymore. PS try to find the year it was built. A few model years used foam. The old foam breaks down and can be corrosive. It will eat through wires eventually. But it"s a bigger problem down south than up here in Illinois. Foam removal is a pain in the keister. Quote "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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elif Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 Around these parts, I would consider that a reasonable price for one in good shape. Personally, I would avoid an organ that has the foam (rather than felt) manual cover seals. AFAIK (maybe others can confirm this), you can tell by looking at the back of the manuals for the presence (or absence) of rivets, as seen in this organ forum link. That said, there are a lot of people playing Hammonds with foam seals. There are a couple of links on the HammondWiki you should look at: How to Test Drive a Hammond *Bob Schleicher's Used Organ Rating Scale * To the test drive, I would add listening for a pop or thump when switching a volume or vibrato tab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 I paid $1500 for mine with the Leslie 145. Do it, Sam. I wish I had gotten mine years ago - I love it to bits. There really is nothing like the real thing. dB Quote ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KuruPrionz Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 I am not familiar with all the intricacies of Hammond organs but If there is an itemized invoice for the services on the Hammond, there are some basic "vintage audio" things to look for: Clean and tighten all tube sockets. Replace power supply capacitors. Clean all connectors, if screw mount the ends of the cables should be cleaned as well. Play it loud and listen for any problems with the speakers. Old speakers are often fatigued and may need to be re-coned or replaced. If a speaker goes bad it can take out an output transformer or power supply circuit. Not sure if the A-100 has a separate amplifier and speaker for the reverb but bring somebody along to press keys/pedals and put your ears close to the speakers so you can hear any rubbing or rattling. Be sure to play the lowest bass pedal with the volume pedal cranked and all the drawbars pulled out. If that doesn't rattle the speakers should be fine. None of these things are deal breakers but they may affect the value and be a bargaining chip for getting a lower price - you'll need the $$$ to pay a tech. Be prepared to move it!!!! This is not a light item and there will be beautiful woods that are easily damaged. You'll want a small crew, a great dolly, moving blankets and straps, etc. 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 October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 Get ahold of the serial number. We can divine much. Quote Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KuruPrionz Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 To add to the above ^^^ If you buy it, start keeping an eye out for tubes. Make a list of the tubes that are in the organ and build up a set of spares. Find a few reputable dealers on eBay and follow them. Let them know what you are looking for. For obscure and discontinued tubes you'll want at least 2 each - fully tested. If I recall correctly, Hammonds generally use 6BQ5 - EL84 output tubes in the amplifiers. Don't worry about those so much, they are still being made for guitar amps. The same is true for 12AX7, 5Y3, and others. Guitar Center or Sweetwater will have all their guitar amp tubes listed for easy reference. You should be able to get those for some time to come. Organs are pretty easy on tubes but no tube lasts forever and some of them are not being made any more so now is a better time to find those than later. 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...
pinkfloydcramer Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 Last winter I bought a nice A for $1200, it was the home organ of a professional gospel organist. I'm still saving my pennies for a tech to properly connect it to my 145- I can do it with a 6-pin to 1/4" adapter cable (Ebay purchase) and my tube preamp, as long as I use something to attenuate the signal, but I'm pretty sure a traditional hookup would sound better. Even without, it's a lot of fun to mess around just with the onboard speakers and pedals, playing things in a classical or theatre vein (love that reverb!). I found that I have to be more precise in my technique than I do with clone stuff, but adapting to the real Hammond's action is beneficial to my other playing. Given the condition, history, and recent service of the A in question I think $1500 is a reasonable price. I'm happy for anyone who gets an A100, hope the OP goes for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 Offer $500. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doerfler Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 $1500.00US Dollars is a decent price to answer your question. They sound great through the internal speakers, plus there is built in reverb. The old saying is the best B3's are A100's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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