SkiGuy777

Here's another question I have. Why doesn't anyone else play the classic Jimmy Smith bass lick? Go to 43-48 seconds. It's where the bass goes from the root, to the 5th, to a minor 10th to a 10th. C to G (up a 5th) to Eb (octave higher)to E, and then slide back down to the root. For example, Tony Monaco did a tribute to Jimmy Smith's Midnight Special (with thousands of views) and the bass lines are completely different. Why? Can't any of the top pros of today at least throw in the classic Jimmy Smith bass licks once in a while? Or is it taboo for anyone else to play those licks because they don't want to be a Jimmy Smith copy cat?

He's the only one who gets a good sound out of the bass. With everyone else the bass isn't loud enough. The Nords help with a louder bass but the engineers never mix it correctly. It may be loud enough in person but once it hits YouTube or the CD, you can't hear the bass. And he's the only one who is great without flipping the Leslie switch back a forth a million times (gospel players).

Had something weird happen to me at rehearsal playing the XK-5 tonight. If I swiped up from the bottom and hit the black preset keys by mistake, the organ would start making a rumbling sound, and the only way to get rid of it was to power off and on. Pressing the C preset did not work. The organ sound was there, but a constant rumbling was there even when no keys were being played. I made it happen again after a few tries. The Top and Bottom preset button were on, so the black keys had the favorites loaded starting at Jimmy (00) and going up from there. Most will be asking why I'm swiping the presets? Because I'm not used to playing the XK-5, mine is an XK-2, so it seems I just reached down that low not thinking. And why am I swiping from the very bottom? Because it's not a left hand jazz bass song but rock, a Three Dog Night tune called Eli's Coming. I'll have to get used to not swiping starting at the very bottom, but it's something I always do on the XK-2. Just be aware that if your XK-5 starts rumbling, it means you swiped the presets. This is the single manual version, no bottom.

Neo Ventilator 2 a couple weeks ago. Much better than the on board simulator, even on the new XK-5. It makes my XK-2 sound fantastic. Anyone who has a Hammond clone, get one of these boxes. The organ sound has always been there, even going back to 1999 with the XK-2. It's the Leslie that has been lacking. Even when the box is in the slow setting, it makes the organ sound full.

Played the XK-5 at a rehearsal. I wanted to hook up my Vent2 but the band leader said I wouldn't need it (his studio). He has the half moon switch, even though the Leslie button is right there on the left side. I'd say the internal sim is good, but I also think the Vent2 is better and offers more control. The feel of the XK-5 is great and the sounds are there. I basically set it up like Jimmy Smith with the Bb (full organ) and B preset (3 bars). There's 100 presets to access by spinning a wheel, the first few say Jimmy, Emmerson, Gimmie Some Lovin, and so on.

Thanks for the manual. Weird it's still not on the web site. Band member just bought an XK-5 for his studio, said he had to have it. He traded in some huge bass cabinets he no longer wants to move. I think the last piece for Hammond to conquer is the Leslie simulation. I have a Neo Ventilator 2 and it's going to be interesting to compare the internal simulation to the Vent. I wish Hammond would put a Ventilator 2 inside the next model (XK-6) with the 5 knobs and switches. Many parameters can be changed but it is done through the menus. However, it could be said that Hammond wants a sub standard internal Leslie so people will buy the real thing, even if it's big equipment that is heavy.