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Leslie 3300


Jim Alfredson

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  • 6 months later...

Jim: I read your review and have a 3300 I bought in March of 07. Had to wait six weeks for it. Mine came with a buzzy top driver; Ray at H/S was great fed-exing me a new one. Changed it out and had no problems since. But I also read what happened to your second driver, and just fired off an email to Ray Gerlich to see if I need that same preamp card and cap upgrade. I don't overdrive the tube circuit and still use the stock 12AX7, but I told Ray it might be a good idea to make mine "current." It's a great box, otherwise. First time I've ever been told to turn down the organ!

sean hall

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Sean, thanks for posting. You should really try a NOS 12AT7 in that circuit. It sounds really good! Let me know what Ray says.

I love my 3300. For the next organissimo album I will record with it. I've done some live recordings, utilizing the direct out straight into the computer and bass is ridiculous. Plenty of tight, clean, defined low end. I think a combination of the direct line and a mic on the bottom rotor would sound awesome on a recording.

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jim: still haven't heard from HS. will call them monday. meantime; what kind of sub cabinet are you using with your 3300? i need to try this...

sean

Sean, thanks for posting. You should really try a NOS 12AT7 in that circuit. It sounds really good! Let me know what Ray says.

I love my 3300. For the next organissimo album I will record with it. I've done some live recordings, utilizing the direct out straight into the computer and bass is ridiculous. Plenty of tight, clean, defined low end. I think a combination of the direct line and a mic on the bottom rotor would sound awesome on a recording.

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Sometimes Ray is slow. Definitely give them a call.

I use a Yorkville powered sub, an older model from their Pulse series. I also have the LS700 Yorkville from their newer Elite series and while it's supposed to be a better sub (and does sound good in a full PA system), the older Pulse one sounds better with the Leslie.

I want to try the Yamaha sub, since it has a 15" speaker in it. The Yorkvilles use two 10" speakers.

You should really give it a try. The bass pedals become enormous! The key is to not over-due it! :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

jim:

email i sent to ray gerlich:

Hi Ray:

I've been in touch with Jim Alfredson, organist for a band called Organissimo. He wrote the following in his Hammond Organ discussion forum (please read my questions afterward):

I've been using the Leslie 3300 now for several months and I thought I should fill out this review with some feedback on how the Leslie has performed on the road. I am still thrilled by the sound of the 3300; it is full, rich, and loud. But shortly after this review was posted, I began having problems with the upper driver.

In fact, I literally smoked the upper driver on a Root Doctor gig. Unfortunately it was during the second set of a gig in Indianapolis, miles away from home. I had to finish the night playing the XK System through my Yorkville powered speaker and as anyone who has played the XK3 knows, the Leslie sim leaves much to be desired.

The next day a local musician and good friend of mine drove me around to several music stores. No one had a subtable replacement, so he loaned me his Leslie 147 and Trek pedal preamp to get through the next night.

Upon returning home I immediately called Hammond and spoke with Ray Gerlich, the head of Hammond's service department. He was fully aware of the blown driver syndrome and shipped me a new, updated driver that he claimed would solve the problem.

Two weeks later, the driver blew again; during the second set of a show with Root Doctor. Again I was left to finish the gig playing through my Yorkville. I had no choice but to put the 3300 in my garage and use my trusty old 1960s Leslie 122 again while I waited for Hammond to find a real solution to this problem.

Long story short: Hammond did find a solution. It turns out that it is possible under certain circumstances to overload the tube circuit input to such an extent that it will cause the voice coil of the upper driver to heat up and fry. So Hammond sent a me a new driver, a new updated preamp board (that added a resistor to the leg of C15), and an electrolytic cap that went inbetween the upper driver and the amp.

I'm happy to report that since I installed the components, I've had no problems. The 3300 still sounds great and I have absolutely cranked it on big stages with Root Doctor and organissimo and had no issues.

If you are having a problem with your 3300 eating drivers, please call Hammond Service and speak to Ray. He'll make things right.

Okay. I am NOT eating top drivers. But I wonder if I should have this "upgrade" you provided Jim; i.e. the new preamp card and a cap for the + side of the driver...so I don't blow a driver inadvertently. You may remember you sent me a new design Eden driver to replace the original, which had a buzz out of the box. I don't push my 3300 that hard; never had it past 5 and keep the tube drive and contour around halfway. I also still have the stock 12AX7 tube in the preamp.

I realize this might be an isolated case with Jim, but I'd rather be safe than sorry, since I truly love the 3300.

Please let me know on this. Feel free to email or call when you return. Thanks.

sean hall

Edited by sean hall
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  • 1 month later...

Hi Jim,

I read your review with interest, since I just had an opportunity to record an XK3 coupled to this Leslie 3300.

From the start, I was taken aback, since I expected the session to be made with a B3, for which I had prepared Doug's little direct injection box and found instead the unknown (to me) XK3...The session being live recorded, I decided to take no risk and use only KM184 mikes, 2 of them close to the upper and lower speakers of the Leslie.

My impression on stage and when listening afterwards is effectively a certain lack of deep bass, some bloating effect around 150Hz, but this probably due to the room's acoustics and also, I'm afraid, some kind of bass distortion appearing when the expression pedal ,is used. I checked after the 1st set and, to be on the safe side, switched on the attenuator on the two mikes and adjusted the levels on the console, but with no effect...

This shows clearly this distortion came from the Leslie XK3 combination, but is this intended, to simulate the older tube saturation distortion (grunge?) or what ; I must say the effect is not unpleasant, but really unexpected from this kind of modern equipment...I agree with you that the amount of acoustic power is really amazing, but at the expense of deep bass.

Curious to read your comments on this ;)

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the leslie 3300 was built for a live performance venue; most likely small clubs or other places where you normally wouldn't mic a leslie. it's pluses are: 1) it's loud 2) it fits in an SUV 3) low maintenance due to DC motors and sealed bearings 4) subwoofer output and the ability to plug 11 pin, 8 pin and 1/4 inch stuff into it. it is NOT a 122 or a 21H. leslie cabinets work on simple physics. the bigger the box; the more bass response. i use mine un-miked more often than not. am saving for a powered subwoofer, which i'm told completely opens things up. i agree; the overall bass response leaves a lot to be desired, but i think it's as good or better than a lot of 145s i've used. since i have a bass player most of the time; i don't miss the bottom, but i do miss it in other cases. still; a great box for the money and easy to haul around.

now; if H/S built this config into a 760 sized box; i'm there.

sean hall

Hi Jim,

I read your review with interest, since I just had an opportunity to record an XK3 coupled to this Leslie 3300.

From the start, I was taken aback, since I expected the session to be made with a B3, for which I had prepared Doug's little direct injection box and found instead the unknown (to me) XK3...The session being live recorded, I decided to take no risk and use only KM184 mikes, 2 of them close to the upper and lower speakers of the Leslie.

My impression on stage and when listening afterwards is effectively a certain lack of deep bass, some bloating effect around 150Hz, but this probably due to the room's acoustics and also, I'm afraid, some kind of bass distortion appearing when the expression pedal ,is used. I checked after the 1st set and, to be on the safe side, switched on the attenuator on the two mikes and adjusted the levels on the console, but with no effect...

This shows clearly this distortion came from the Leslie XK3 combination, but is this intended, to simulate the older tube saturation distortion (grunge?) or what ; I must say the effect is not unpleasant, but really unexpected from this kind of modern equipment...I agree with you that the amount of acoustic power is really amazing, but at the expense of deep bass.

Curious to read your comments on this ;)

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one more thing--you have to be careful when using the tube preamp on the 3300 and the preamp in the xk3. if you use too much of either--the effect doesn't sound good. but if you can keep both preamp drives within reason; it's very satisfying. but it does take a while to get the right combination. i run the 3300 tube drive and drive contour about 12 o'clock. the xk3's preamp drive doesn't top 30 and the mix is pretty much default at 25.

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one more thing--you have to be careful when using the tube preamp on the 3300 and the preamp in the xk3. if you use too much of either--the effect doesn't sound good. but if you can keep both preamp drives within reason; it's very satisfying. but it does take a while to get the right combination. i run the 3300 tube drive and drive contour about 12 o'clock. the xk3's preamp drive doesn't top 30 and the mix is pretty much default at 25.

Thanks for your input. I seems to coroborate the distortion I hear might come from fiddling with the preamp output level (why I recognized as a kind of "tube overload" noise).

It was also noted during the session wich took place during two evenings of 3 sets for a total playing time of around 6 hours that the output level from the 3300 continually increased, making input levels adjustments an absolute necessity : that amounted up to 5 db between set 1 and set 6

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I've never had a problem with fluctuating output with that box. It might be an amp issue, unless the keyboard player is constantly turning up the master volume pot. Sound guys who've miked my leslie usually do it old-school; one on the top and one on the bottom. I've never had a complaint, though.

Exactly the way I did it...but probably the player modified the output level during the performance. Would that be the reason he setup the Leslie in an awkward position,looking straght into the left side of the XK3 and within range of his left hand, or are the controls activated from the XK3 itself?

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  • 4 months later...

Jim - I ordered a 3300 partly on the strength of your review. It arrived this week but so far a big anti-climax. When I switched it on there was a loud grinding sound - on pulling off the back panel, the low rotor had obviously got damaged in transit, probably from heavy vibration or a big jolt. The styrofoam rotor seems to have broken away from it's centre axle and so the horn is scraping on the bottom of the cabinet. I will fix it and hopefully get a new rotor part from the dealer but it does make me think that if you plan to ship one of these things (hint for H/S), you may consider putting some foam or cardboard under the horn for protection! When I bought a new washing machine the tub was fixed with shipping bolts for delivery.

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UPS normally delivers the 3300. that's how i got mine. the UPS drivers aren't happy about delivering something that big or heavy; it's right at the end of the size/weight scale. mine wasn't hurt, physically, but it did come with a buzzy top driver. they were great about sending me a new one FedEx. haven't had a problem since. H/S should send you whatever you need gratis and post-haste. ray gerlich is the contact.

---------------------------------

Jim - I ordered a 3300 partly on the strength of your review. It arrived this week but so far a big anti-climax. When I switched it on there was a loud grinding sound - on pulling off the back panel, the low rotor had obviously got damaged in transit, probably from heavy vibration or a big jolt. The styrofoam rotor seems to have broken away from it's centre axle and so the horn is scraping on the bottom of the cabinet. I will fix it and hopefully get a new rotor part from the dealer but it does make me think that if you plan to ship one of these things (hint for H/S), you may consider putting some foam or cardboard under the horn for protection! When I bought a new washing machine the tub was fixed with shipping bolts for delivery.
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Whoa, a lot of stuff happening in this thread that I missed.

Michel, the 3300 does lack in bass compared to the mid-sized cabinets like the 122 or 147. That's why I run a powered subwoofer with mine. However, depending on the stage and acoustics, it can be adequate on its own. This past Saturday I played with Root Doctor in Grand Rapids and had the 3300 shoved into a corner, without the subwoofer, and the bass sounded really good. So just like an older tube Leslie, it prefers corners (always had the same effect with my 122).

For recording purposes, I have found that mic'ing it like a traditional Leslie but also taking a direct off the subwoofer output sounds really, really good.

William, I'm sorry to hear your 3300 arrived broken. How was it shipped? Mine had to be delivered via freight by Keyboard Carriers out of Lexington, KY. I would be surprised if UPS or FedEx actually handles something that big and I would never want them to deliver one to me. I've had way too many bad experiences with those shipping services and big items, the latest of which was a pair of Alesis monitor speakers that arrived at the buyer's house with two pushed in woofers and no sound coming out. Pissed me off to no end considering they left my house, in the box, functioning flawlessly.

Hammond Suzuki is good about repairs, so you should be up and running in no time.

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