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Free To Good Home: Hammond D Organ (Wisconsin)


Ricochet

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Trying to help a Hammond find a home.

 

A gentleman on the Hamtech list has brought to the attention of the members a Hammond Model D organ with Hammond tone cabinet that's being disposed of by someone else who's clearing out the house of the deceased owner. This is a 1939 organ, the equivalent of the BC model in a C-style cabinet. They just called it a D instead of a "CC." That means that it has two tonewheel tone generators in it, the second "chorus" one being deliberately slightly out of tune with the main one to produce a beat frequency modulating the tone, a technique borrowed from the "celeste" pipe pairings of pipe organs. This organ's preamp and tone cabinet are equipped with some rather interesting old tubes. (A 56 and 57 in the preamp.) I understand it to be in reasonably good shape, but don't know details.

 

I would certainly be interested in this old classic, being a nut for old gear and for Hammonds especially. It's actually given me a serious case of HAS. (A variant of GAS.) But Galesville, Wisconsin is 950 miles from me. If I borrowed a Diesel pickup to go get it, I'd be out over $1000 for fuel alone and would have to take two days to do it, so I'm out. I can't bear the thought of something like this being trashed, so I'm hoping someone else can take it. I haven't asked permission to post the relevant phone numbers online, but if you'll E-mail me at (johnculp at chartertn dot net) I'll pass the contact info along to you.

 

If you want more info about the model, Google the Hammond BC model. Same thing, different case. The C case is the "church style," more upright case with closed back. It's not a B-3, it doesn't have a scanner vibrato (it has the chorus generator instead), and it doesn't have percussion. It is a genuine tonewheel Hammond with all-tube circuitry, and the chorus feature makes it one of the more interesting models. A piece of history from the early days of Hammond.

 

Someone acquiring an old Hammond should be willing to tinker. There's lots of information, parts and supplies available online, as well as professional service people in Wisconsin and around the country.

 

I can't imagine a musician who wouldn't love an old Hammond organ. They are really cool. If you're in striking distance of Wisconsin, check it out.

:D

"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
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Me too, zeronyne!

 

I've gotten inquiries from, and forwarded contact info to, a couple of fellows who sound serious about it. I don't think the old gal's headed for the landfill.

 

I'll still pass along the info to anyone who's interested, of course. It ain't over till it's over.

 

For those who don't know, the pic above is of a B-style Hammond. The C-style case is a bit different.

 

Here's a pic of a Hammond D (with a Leslie switch on the left front):

 

http://vintageorgans.com/hammond/d-hou/image08.jpg

"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
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It's not local to me, which is why I'm not picking it up. There are several folks interested who are in the area, and I've given them the contact information for the lady who's giving it away (and her contact who first put the word out about it.) I'll bet it moves this weekend, weather permitting.

:)

"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
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I gave my keyboard player the info. He called and is going to go get it.

 

Not that he doesn't have enough Hammonds but I know he will get it in full working order and take good care of it.

 

Thanks Ricochet for doing a good thing and rescuing a fine musical instrument.

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Originally posted by caprae:

Call some of your local churches. They might have a need.

It may be different where you are but is seems most churches in my area wouldn't touch that kind of thing with a ten foot pole. Many so called charity thrift shops wouldn't want it either, other than The Salvation Army, a little hospice thrift shop in Escondido and a couple of others (When I had to get rid of mine Good Will didn't want it, I'd called them first...) (It's not good enough or it's too old...)

Arragant hypoctrites. :mad:

 

I now only donate to that little cancer hospice shop in Escondido when I'm going that way, The Salvation Army, certain Charities for Cancer Research and a couple of "legitimate" Veterans charities. Man, there are a shit pot full of Vet scams going. Those charity scammers should have their legs pulled off and their only way to get around should be a 2x4 foot unpadded board full of splinters and loaded up with wobbly shopping cart casters. BASTIDS! :evil:

 

Our Joint

 

"When you come slam bang up against trouble, it never looks half as bad if you face up to it." The Duke...

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Originally posted by PBBPaul:

I gave my keyboard player the info. He called and is going to go get it.

 

Not that he doesn't have enough Hammonds but I know he will get it in full working order and take good care of it.

 

Thanks Ricochet for doing a good thing and rescuing a fine musical instrument.

:thu:
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Thanks, I'm glad it's going to have a good home!

 

I still recall back about 2002 a fellow got on the Ampage who had an M3 that his father-in-law had bought new in 1957. It had been in the living room ever since, and still looked great he said, but sounded a bit scratchy, might need some new tubes. He lived in the Buffalo, NY area, and had advertised it for sale, got no takers, advertised it free and got no takers, so he said that if it didn't get removed by the Christmas holidays he'd take out the amp and bust the rest up, then put it out on the curb for the garbageman. Thanksgiving was coming up, I had a long weekend, had a trailer, gas wasn't so high then, and I told him I'd come up and get it. (600 miles each way.) He said, "Fine, but I'll be gone till Sunday afternoon." I couldn't do that, having to work Monday. I had to work over Christmas and New Year, and he wouldn't keep it till February when I could've gotten off again. A guy in Texas inquired into shipping and found it too expensive, and nobody else wanted it. He took out the amp (which has mighty little use for guitar, as he discovered), smashed it up with an axe, and threw it out. Then had the nerve to post "I didn't know it'd hurt so bad to do that!"

 

I just can't stand to see a fine old instrument like that go to waste. Hasn't been too long since I heard of an A-100 being rescued from the curb. I've got an H-182 sitting beside me that came out of a soon-to-be-demolished, falling down old house in Ohio last year. I need to get off of here and work on it. Expression pedal's gone out, failing at full volume.

"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
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