Help me buy a Hammond!

[Blues Disciple]

I have been shopping for around a month now. I have the options listed for now. Which would you pick? The C2 (which screams, yet the Leslie only has a bass rotor): The BV can scream yet only has a Hammond tone cabinet and does not have a Leslie kit installed: The M3 with or without the Leslie 700--this organ to me sounded tinny and has less "balls" than the C2 which is plenty ballsy. The Xk2 would be new and I would hope to add a Leslie or similar rotospeaker later.

 

So which would it be if you were I (and in many ways you should be very grateful you aren't)

 

BD

[coyote]

Didn't vote, but I'll respond.

 

I had a CV which also screamed. Awesome - I almost like it better than my current A-100 but it's huge and about 90lbs heavier so I gave it to a friend. Add a TrekII percussion mod and you have an awesome Hammond! It'll also drive an older 122 w/o additional components if you can find one. So if it's cheap (my CV was a hundred bucks) this would be my preference.

 

I wouldn't do the XK2; IMO the Korg CX3 is a superior board if you are looking for a truly portable organ. Also its onboard Leslie sim is better than the XK2.

[Tedly Nightshade]

Do you have a good organ tech anywhere accessible? You should be able to get any of those to work with a standard 122, which is the way to go IMO. If you got any kind of Hammond on the other end, it's gonna sound great...

[b_3guy]

If you are going to buy one of the tonewheels, by the C-2. It has the all important Chorus. You can add a Trek II Percussion kit & upgrade the Leslie later.

[Jeep]

BD, we care!

 

Most of us would consider two key factors:

 

A)- are you going to gig with it?.....and

B)- how much money is each option?

 

I highly recommend the M3...(without the dorky solid-state Leslie 700 that makes it sound, uh, castrated).

 

These under-rated little (relatively speaking) gems can wail, scream, purr and smoke with the best of 'em when you put it through a good old TUBE Leslie, meaning a 145, 147, 122, or 142.

 

You should be able to get the M3 for peanuts. Chances are the Leslie and the hookup for it will be the bulk of your outlay.

 

1)- It's half the weight of the BV or C2.

2)- It has all the main ingredients of the B3 that we crave: 2 keyboards (with a full set of drawbars for each), complete 4-rocker-tab percussion section, AND vibrato Chorus (sorry, Steve )

 

One possible limiting factor with the M3 might be the fact that both keyboards only go down to the F, rather than the lower C.

Personally, I find that this actually helps in keeping out of the bass player's musical territory. You can still chord and rhythmatate (?) like crazy with your left hand on the lower keyboard, while finger-dancing, shredding, and generally laying it down with your right on the upper.....Yeah!

 

P.S.- it makes for a wonderfully stable and ergonomically pleasant platform for any other portable keys you'd like in front of you (especially a digital piano).

[Blues Disciple]

Thanks for the suggestions fellas!

 

I loved the sound of the C2, but even though the store had the C2/Leslie combination priced at $4,500--which is pretty good for a music store, it is outrageously overpriced compared to want ad and internet prices. In addition my ministress of finance (aka as "the wife") kinda put the kabosh on buying the C2/Leslie combination. (That is if "Hell no I'll need to buy a new car soon" can be translated as "You will not be buying that organ!)

 

The M3 is ebony and in good shape. The asking price is $600, but I could probably get it for less. This too is a little high, but is in my budget at least. It does sound good, especially the percussion. I just am undecided due to the fewer chorus options on the M, the "cheaper" feel of the keys when you play em compared to the C and the smaller keyboards (can you do a killer gliss/slide on an M like you can on a B/C?) If they can pair the Leslie with it, I may go back and at least hear it with a Leslie on it, although I probably will not buy the Leslie. The M sounded tinny and weak through the onboard speakers. Would a 122/147 Leslie bring out the lower bass tones of the M?

 

And yes, carrying 200 or so pounds less of organ sounds like a good idea to this 40-year old back. If I did go with the M though, I know I would have to start the savings account for the B or hope for an unknown inheritance. I don't think I can pass on to the next world happily without having a real B3 in my possession before I die!

 

So outside of going back to visit the M3, I will probably go back to the Internet, flea markets, yard sales, auctions and the want ads. I will keep you all posted on my progress.

 

As always thanks for the tips! I have learned boatloads of Hammond-related info. from you guys over the last years--this forum continues to be the best!

 

Have a good one!

 

BD

[Blues Disciple]

Oh yeah, one more thing that I wonder about the M3--It doesn't have the presets like the larger consoles. It seems to me like the presets would be a very important component when it comes to playing in a band context.

 

So does the absence of the presets that the A/B/C versions have make much of a difference when performing with an M or L series, etc., or do you guys use the drawbars more anyway?

 

Thanks,

 

BD

[b_3guy]

Originally posted by Blues Disciple:

So does the absence of the presets that the A/B/C versions have make much of a difference when performing with an M or L series, etc., or do you guys use the drawbars more anyway?

 

Thanks,

 

BD

The presets aren't as important as they used to be. With having an arsenal of sounds the emphasis on the Hammond sound is less. When your main axe was the Hammond, you would be changing sounds all the time. But I find that 35% of the tunes I do are piano, 30% are other, leaving 35% Hammond. The need for presets is less. Setting drawbars before and/or during seems to be enough.

[tripit]

I couldn't play a hammond without draw bars. Draw bars are a important and very expressive part of the hammond sound. It's part of what keeps the instrument alive and non static sounding. You watch any great B player and they're always tweaking the bars.

My 2 cents anyway....