Buy this or that Hammond: serviced A100 v cheapish C2

[hirsute]

I've been wanting to get a real Hammond for a while, and have a couple of options locally. The first is an A100 that was in a studio, very good shape cosmetically, has been gone through by a local Hammond tech, and is listed for $1500. The second is a C-2 which looks clean, but hasn't been gone through for $600. The C-2 also includes a JR-20 tone cabinet. On the C-2, I know about the issue of ratcheting vs smooth drawbars, and I'd need to add a Trek II to the B-2, but it seems like a pretty good price, and a price that allows for some leeway if I need some work done. But to be honest I have no real idea how expensive repairs could get. Neither comes with a Leslie, but the A100 comes with the connections and switches for a 147.

 

I'm leaning toward the A100 since it's clean and recently serviced and ready to hook up. My only hesitation on the A100 is the weight of it--I'd probably never drag it to a gig, whereas I might drag the C-2 to a gig. What else should I be thinking about? Either of these options stand out as the clear winner? Or pass on both and keep looking?

 

Also, I have a line on a clean Leslie 145 for $1200. Good price or keep looking?

[eric]

I'd grab the A100 and the 145, perhaps negotiate those prices just a bit. $1500 is an ok price for the A100, but maybe they'd take $1200? And the 145 seems to be an increasingly rare beast in a fair price range, but maybe they'd take $1000? Plus, the A100 is already wired to work with it.

 

Even at full asking prices, $2700 for an A100 + 145 is reasonable for sure.

[Delaware Dave]

A100 + 145; set for life.

 

do you really think that you'd drag it to a gig? Personally my hammond dragging-to-a-gig days are long over with; I would drag the leslie before a Hammond.

[Outkaster]

C-2 is worth about $350 tops. We have there of them in the warehouse. people want them for parts, for churches or hopefully to restore. It's a good organ. The A-100 is a keeper also. For that rig wouldn't pay more than $1200 to $1400, The money is in the Leslie not the A-100 as the residual is better. Grab the serial for the 145 if you can. Is it a 60's or 70's model. Anything with plywood shelves is pre 1970. Condition is a lot with these.

[Dave Bryce]

I own an A100 and a 145. I paid $1500 for both of them. Couldn't be happier.

 

dB

[hirsute]

C-2 is worth about $350 tops. We have there of them in the warehouse. people want them for parts, for churches or hopefully to restore. It's a good organ. The A-100 is a keeper also. For that rig wouldn't pay more than $1200 to $1400, The money is in the Leslie not the A-100 as the residual is better. Grab the serial for the 145 if you can. Is it a 60's or 70's model. Anything with plywood shelves is pre 1970. Condition is a lot with these.

 

Thanks for the info. It has plywood shelves, so that would be pre-1970. It has the typed serial number on a red and silver plate on the back, no mention of CBS, so I'm assuming that mean pre-1966 (it's not clear to me from the dating sites what the different between the CBS foil tag and metal tag are so I'm guessing a bit on this). Speaker is a Jensen. Date code on the lower baffle has the last number partially hidden, but it's 260? with the last number showing the bottom of the number having a round character, so either 0, 3, 5, 6, or 8. Everything appears original and unmodified.

[NewImprov]

Having just bought an A101, and having owned a pre-B3 in the past (in my case a BC), I'd say go for the A100. It works, it's got the sound and features you want. $1500 is a decent price for an A100 in the PNW.

[Outkaster]

C-2 is worth about $350 tops. We have there of them in the warehouse. people want them for parts, for churches or hopefully to restore. It's a good organ. The A-100 is a keeper also. For that rig wouldn't pay more than $1200 to $1400, The money is in the Leslie not the A-100 as the residual is better. Grab the serial for the 145 if you can. Is it a 60's or 70's model. Anything with plywood shelves is pre 1970. Condition is a lot with these.

 

Thanks for the info. It has plywood shelves, so that would be pre-1970. It has the typed serial number on a red and silver plate on the back, no mention of CBS, so I'm assuming that mean pre-1966 (it's not clear to me from the dating sites what the different between the CBS foil tag and metal tag are so I'm guessing a bit on this). Speaker is a Jensen. Date code on the lower baffle has the last number partially hidden, but it's 260? with the last number showing the bottom of the number having a round character, so either 0, 3, 5, 6, or 8. Everything appears original and unmodified.

 

If it is a metal ID tag than it is older.

[Polkahero]

If this is your first Hammond and have never worked on one before, definitely go for the A100. Not a bad price for one that's been gone through professionally. That price on the 145 is also decent as long as everything is working well in it. I just paid less for a clean 145 but the upper driver was fried. Fortunately I got it on Ebay and the seller is going to have to reimburse me the cost for repairing it even though he's being a jacka** about it, lol.

[KuruPrionz]

Any vintage tube gear that has been sitting around for an unknown period of time is fraught with peril. Capacitors work better and last longer if they are used frequently. There are lots of capacitors in a Hammond, the ones in the power supply (typically the largest amplifier) are big enough to take out other components when they go.

 

No fun.

 

If/when something does blow on an older piece with lots of components and wiring like a Hammond, it's very difficult to say exactly what died and what needs fixing. The place where the yellow smoke poured out would be the first target but fixing that may lead to finding other problems down the line.

 

No fun.

 

An organ that has been serviced and played could very well be much less expensive in the long run plus you get to play it now instead of waiting for a tech to go through it.

 

Fun.

[skipeb3]

A100...way better.

[LX88]

Where can I get a C2 for 350? I want one...

 

I have been listening to The Sermon by Jimmy Smith. Love it. No percussion and he never touches the drawbars.

 

Probably it is B2 or BV. Seriously...Hammond built those to LAST. For 70 YEARS.

 

Anyway...such a unique sound. No clone I have heard can get that sound though Viscount did sample the BC. And did pretty well.

 

The preamp on the B2 is such a classic...part of that unique sound. You want some overdrive? A 2 series sounds like nothing else ..

 

I like the B3/ A100 etc but I also think B2/C2 have plenty of merit.

[Outkaster]

I have two here in Upstate NY I am selling for someone.

[hirsute]

Thanks for all the great info and advice. I'm going to check out the A100 and the Leslie and see what kind of shape they're actually in.

[Outkaster]

Try to post pictures or contact me privately. I might be of some help if need be.

[Doc Tonewheel]

Ask if the A100 has the dreaded foam in the manuals. That can create issues down the road.

[SamuelBLupowitz]

Ask if the A100 has the dreaded foam in the manuals. That can create issues down the road.

This for sure. Otherwise, this is a no brainer -- get the serviced A100 rather than the might-need-some-work C2. Servicing the C2 could easily add up to more than what they're asking for the A100 depending on what needs to be done.

 

Of course, if you only have enough for the C2 now, and you need to pull the trigger, that's another story! But if you can afford it and you're going back and forth on whether or not it's worth the extra money... it's worth the extra money.

[GRollins]

My A-100 is worth $1200-1500?

 

Yikes!

 

I paid a lot less than that. I'm feeling pretty smug at the moment, with the caveat that the chorus dingus is making a mechanical tick-tick-tick noise that I should probably take a look at.

 

I need 48 hour days.

 

Grey

[hirsute]

Ask if the A100 has the dreaded foam in the manuals. That can create issues down the road.

 

Thanks for this, I wasn't aware of the foam issue but you prompted me to read up on it. Sounds like something I definitely don't want any part of! I've reached out to the seller and the tech that serviced the organ to find out more before diving in to this one.

[Polkahero]

My A-100 is worth $1200-1500?

 

Yikes!

 

I paid a lot less than that. I'm feeling pretty smug at the moment, with the caveat that the chorus dingus is making a mechanical tick-tick-tick noise that I should probably take a look at.

 

I need 48 hour days.

 

Grey

 

I paid $50 for mine at an estate sale but I wouldn't sell it for less than $1500 right now.

[GRollins]

I got mine for $300, so you win on price, but mine's in really good condition and has the pedals and bench and all that stuff, plus a lamp as part of the deal. I feel like I did okay--especially vs. $1500.

 

On the negative side, I have about 3000 man-hours (plus 50 gallons of Formula 409 and a truckload of paper towels) invested in scraping off the sludge left by being in the home of a heavy smoker and it's still not as clean as I'd like. Jeez, I'd hate to see what my mother's lungs looked like before she quit smoking (then succumbed to cancer anyway).

 

Grey

[Polkahero]

I got mine for $300, so you win on price, but mine's in really good condition and has the pedals and bench and all that stuff, plus a lamp as part of the deal. I feel like I did okay--especially vs. $1500.

 

On the negative side, I have about 3000 man-hours (plus 50 gallons of Formula 409 and a truckload of paper towels) invested in scraping off the sludge left by being in the home of a heavy smoker and it's still not as clean as I'd like. Jeez, I'd hate to see what my mother's lungs looked like before she quit smoking (then succumbed to cancer anyway).

 

Grey

 

Mine was immaculate. All I had to do was replace the swell pedal rubber pad and fix two broken drawbar wires. Guess I won't mention what I paid for my '57 B3 or you'll kill me, lol.

[GRollins]

It's all I can do to find space for my A-100. My keyboard/synth space is pretty packed. I looked into a fire-damaged C (it wasn't technically fire-damaged, it was the water from the fire hoses that did it in) a couple of years ago, but it was going to take a lot of work to redo the wood and I backed away. Yes, I suppose I could have built it back into a road case or something, but by that point I already had the A and given that I'm more a string guy, I figured that it would be a lot of work for little return. I don't need two Hammonds. I don't even play the one I have enough to make it feel loved.

 

Of course, no more time than I get to spend on music, none of my instruments are properly loved.

 

Grey

[Outkaster]

The lesson is that all of these work, every freakin one of them. Most of the tine you inherit things like weather, fires, modifications, and worse of all people that don't know how to treat their gear. I have seen it over and over again with Hammond's and Leslies. Some of it boggles the mind.

[Legatoboy]

The A100 - I gigged a CV as a young man... you will miss the perc. (could do Trek II) and the C's are heavier... even to move around the home. I gigged the CV and thought the ratchets would be OK but before taking it out to gig but they were a hindrance coming from a smooth ratcheted M3 and what I was used to...

[Threadslayer]

I've never played (or even seen) ratcheted drawbars so I'm not familiar with the mechanism, but is there a way to disable the ratchets? Like filing them down or something?

[Outkaster]

No people swap out drawbar assemblies all the time on Hammond consoles. Problem is it ruins the other organ.

[mate stubb]

I've never played (or even seen) ratcheted drawbars so I'm not familiar with the mechanism, but is there a way to disable the ratchets? Like filing them down or something?

 

No. The difference between rachet drawbars and smooth drawbars is that rachet drawbars have 1 contact which kind of catches between the bus bars and loses contact. Smooth drawbars have 2 contacts connected with a resistance wire which assures there is always a connection to a bus bar and which prevents catching in between.

[Threadslayer]

Interesting. Thanks!

[elif]

... The difference between rachet drawbars and smooth drawbars is that rachet drawbars have 1 contact which kind of catches between the bus bars and loses contact. ...

When the drawbar slides over the ratchet bump the tone drops out, which prevents one from making tonal changes by grabbing and manipulating a handful of drawbars mid-note à la John Medeski.