michel devos Posted May 20, 2007 Report Share Posted May 20, 2007 In another post, I was inquiring about the latest version of the new Hammond B-3...a friend of mine passed me a picture evidently taken under cover of what seems to be an early development stage of the machine. I cannot see the generator or its digital replacement : any idea...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michel devos Posted May 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2007 In another post, I was inquiring about the latest version of the new Hammond B-3...a friend of mine passed me a picture evidently taken under cover of what seems to be an early development stage of the machine. I cannot see the generator or its digital replacement : any idea...? Sorry, I forgot how to insert a pix...Can anybody help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted May 20, 2007 Report Share Posted May 20, 2007 There have been several incarnations of the New B3 by Hammond Suzuki. One was back in the early 90s and was called the XB3. I believe Joey DeFrancesco, Jimmy McGriff, and a few others recorded with it. It was close, but no cigar. They are still out there. Hammond Suzuki does make a model actually called "The New B3" and it is all digital, using the same "tone generator" as my XK System (which you can see in action on ) but has analog keying (a simulation of the 9 contact keying system used in the original drawbar organs) and a few other bells and whistles. It sounds very nice. I believe Joey is using one on the Legends of Jazz TV program ( ). They also make one called the Portable B3 which has the same guts, but in a "stylish" road worthy package. And they make one called the Ultimo that has "European styling", whatever that means. If you're talking about another manufacturer other than Hammond Suzuki, I have seen pics of some Italian company making a true tonewheel organ, although the generator bears little resemblence to a Hammond. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Stream Posted May 20, 2007 Report Share Posted May 20, 2007 (edited) Yes...buy a NEW Hammond B3! They only cost @ $20,000! Whatever you do...do NOT buy an original mint condition B3 with a Leslie 122 for $8,000. They're old and don't sound as good as the brand new 20K ones. or you could get this baby....but it's not good like a digital one...Mint Hammond B3 w/Leslie 122 on Ebay Edited May 20, 2007 by Soul Stream Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michel devos Posted May 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2007 There have been several incarnations of the New B3 by Hammond Suzuki. One was back in the early 90s and was called the XB3. I believe Joey DeFrancesco, Jimmy McGriff, and a few others recorded with it. It was close, but no cigar. They are still out there. Hammond Suzuki does make a model actually called "The New B3" and it is all digital, using the same "tone generator" as my XK System (which you can see in action on ) but has analog keying (a simulation of the 9 contact keying system used in the original drawbar organs) and a few other bells and whistles. It sounds very nice. I believe Joey is using one on the Legends of Jazz TV program ( ). They also make one called the Portable B3 which has the same guts, but in a "stylish" road worthy package. And they make one called the Ultimo that has "European styling", whatever that means. If you're talking about another manufacturer other than Hammond Suzuki, I have seen pics of some Italian company making a true tonewheel organ, although the generator bears little resemblence to a Hammond. Thanks Jim and SoulStream...here's the picture... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michel devos Posted May 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2007 Finally, the picture.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michel devos Posted May 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2007 Finally, the picture.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted May 20, 2007 Report Share Posted May 20, 2007 Ah, I see. You were joking. SS, the New B3s are ridiculously priced, I agree... but Hammond's main market these days is the church market and believe me, they can easily afford a $20,000 organ. The XK System I play has all the goods (minus the analog keying) and costs about as much as a mint B3, sounds great, and is 300 lbs lighter. To me, it's very much worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Stream Posted May 20, 2007 Report Share Posted May 20, 2007 Ah, I see. You were joking. SS, the New B3s are ridiculously priced, I agree... but Hammond's main market these days is the church market and believe me, they can easily afford a $20,000 organ. The XK System I play has all the goods (minus the analog keying) and costs about as much as a mint B3, sounds great, and is 300 lbs lighter. To me, it's very much worth it. I still wonder why anybody, church or not would buy something that expensive when they could get the og for much less. I hope Hammond puts out the next road version single keyboard with the analog keying. Unless it's exactly like a og hammond, I always find that it's close but no cigar. Still waiting for the cigar.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted May 20, 2007 Report Share Posted May 20, 2007 Well, there's not a lot of people left who can fix the old tonewheel organs, so I'm sure maintenance is a big factor as to why a church would buy a new one vs the old. I honestly don't miss the analog keying. I do wish they had switchable chorus/vibrato between the two manuals, but they fixed that with the XK-3c. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Stream Posted May 20, 2007 Report Share Posted May 20, 2007 I do wish they had switchable chorus/vibrato between the two manuals, but they fixed that with the XK-3c. What do you mean? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted May 20, 2007 Report Share Posted May 20, 2007 If I were in the market for an organ, I'd look for an A-1. -_- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted May 21, 2007 Report Share Posted May 21, 2007 I do wish they had switchable chorus/vibrato between the two manuals, but they fixed that with the XK-3c. What do you mean? On the XK3, which is the brains of the XK System, there is one button for chorus/vibrato. It is either on both manuals or it is off. On the XK3c, which Hammond Suzuki showed at NAMM this year, they have separate buttons for upper and lower chorus/vibrato as well as a host of new MIDI functions to make it a better master controller. I'd like to get one eventually, although honestly it isn't a deal-breaker for me right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michel devos Posted May 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2007 Ah, I see. You were joking. SS, the New B3s are ridiculously priced, I agree... but Hammond's main market these days is the church market and believe me, they can easily afford a $20,000 organ. The XK System I play has all the goods (minus the analog keying) and costs about as much as a mint B3, sounds great, and is 300 lbs lighter. To me, it's very much worth it. Not only... In the past I had expressed my intention to make a really good hammond recording : as a classical music recording engineer, I have virtually NO occasion to come across one of the famous beasts long enough to experiment . In this case, I feel totally ignorant of how to mix the sounds emanating from the Leslies and the direct sound tapped somewhere from the B3 preamp output : positioning and selection of microphones would be also essential.I'm accustomed working with U87 but I have no idea whether they'll match the Leslies sound adequately or not, the alchemy of sound is sometimes difficult to decipher, and that is where experiment is essential. I have worked occasionally with Rhoda Scot, but these sessions were mere recordings of musical events during appearences in clubs, and although the global results are acceptable, the sound quality is far from the level I would like to reach. So I've been keeping an eye on the second hand market, but prices look outrageously high....I had hoped the new models , being les mechanically complex, would be more affordable but this adjective does not look compatible with the Hammond label. Now, the model represented on the picture may be in my price range, but I wouldn't trust the performances too much... I have really appreciated all the comments I read : thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Stream Posted May 21, 2007 Report Share Posted May 21, 2007 Michael, I would definately take Chuck's advice and keep your eyes on the classified ad section in your local paper for a Hammond A-100. You might or might not know that they are identical to a B3. I found one for $500 in my local paper a few years back and I just stumbled onto it. Apparently, it had been advertised for several days already and they had no buyers until I got there.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted May 21, 2007 Report Share Posted May 21, 2007 I just had an A100 given to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michel devos Posted May 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2007 Michael, I would definately take Chuck's advice and keep your eyes on the classified ad section in your local paper for a Hammond A-100. You might or might not know that they are identical to a B3. I found one for $500 in my local paper a few years back and I just stumbled onto it. Apparently, it had been advertised for several days already and they had no buyers until I got there.... Yes, that sounds incredible...I'll try to go along that path... What I'm looking for is a reasonable instrument for experiment.As far as I know (and that is very little!), the A100 is similar to the B3 except for vibrato or percussion, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Stream Posted May 21, 2007 Report Share Posted May 21, 2007 Michael, I would definately take Chuck's advice and keep your eyes on the classified ad section in your local paper for a Hammond A-100. You might or might not know that they are identical to a B3. I found one for $500 in my local paper a few years back and I just stumbled onto it. Apparently, it had been advertised for several days already and they had no buyers until I got there.... Yes, that sounds incredible...I'll try to go along that path... What I'm looking for is a reasonable instrument for experiment.As far as I know (and that is very little!), the A100 is similar to the B3 except for vibrato or percussion, right? No...the A-100 is exactly the same as a B3 except the cabinet is different. The A-100 also has an internal amp and speaker system...which can or cannot be used, depending if you're hooking a Leslie up to it or not. ...and Jim...DAMN YOU!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted May 21, 2007 Report Share Posted May 21, 2007 My mother had an S-6. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted May 21, 2007 Report Share Posted May 21, 2007 The chord organ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted May 21, 2007 Report Share Posted May 21, 2007 The chord organ? Indeed. Bunches of tubes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted May 21, 2007 Report Share Posted May 21, 2007 Did see jam out like crazy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted May 21, 2007 Report Share Posted May 21, 2007 She did make crazy jam. This failed to sell on our recent estate auction. Damn, that sucker's heavy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted May 21, 2007 Report Share Posted May 21, 2007 So you have it? I've never seen one besides photos. I'll have to come over and we can jam!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted May 21, 2007 Report Share Posted May 21, 2007 So you have it? I've never seen one besides photos. I'll have to come over and we can jam!!!! 'Fraid it is still sitting in a garage in Iowa. I wasn't going to move it here. Jam cancelled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_forumlogo.png.a607ef20a6e0c299ab2aa6443aa1f32e.png)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.