Hammond Model K?

[Orgrinder010]

http://www.hammondhire.com/restorations_ham_modk.htm

Was their a model K? I Never remembered coming across one in text before.

[HammondMasterTech]

There was a Hammond model K but it wasn't circa 1940 nor was it a tone wheel model.

It was called a K-100 and it was built in the 1960's.

After looking at the pictures, I sure hope they are more knowledgeable about what they are doing than they are about what they're working on.

The first thing I noticed is that the cabinet appears to be a C, likely a C3. Then I see that it was wired with plastic wire and had a B3, C3, A-100, RT3 type preamp. All of these models were produced January 1955 and later. All this indicates to me that they must not know what they are working on or they got the decade wrong. Also, the capacitors being wax dipped paper says 1950's.

I wonder how they determined that it was a model K without a name plate.

[andyg]

The K100 series was made between 1965 and 1966 only, which should prompt you to think that it wasn't one of their greatest hits! It was a spinet, in what was basically an M100 type cabinet, and used, as far as I know, transitor/valve tone generation and valve amplification. It featured amongst its wonders a Hawaiian Guitar with Auto Glide and a Banjo with auto reiteration. Why the heck Hammond were dabbling with this Heaven only knows, though it was obvious to them at the time that the days of the TWG were already numbered. I guess they were experimenting, as they did when they took over Everett. (At least that got them the J and N series). In 35 years in the business I've only ever seen ONE of them, about twenty five years ago, and it wasn't working then! Andy G

[andyg]

Check out this web page

http://www.hammondhire.com/hmk_pic20.htm, for a larger image of the old Hammond K.
I think this looks like a plain old model C.

Anyone else have any info?

Andy G

[NYCFarmboy]

http://www.hammondhire.com/photos/hmk_completerest.jpg

edit: could be a C or a D

[Orgrinder010]

But if it were a D, than whats with all the rocker switches?

[andyg]

D's had the pedal solo unit to the right of the lower manual, didn't they? I think this is one of those 'hey, we've got some spare parts, let's throw them into this console' rebuilds where they turn a C into a C3.....

[JamesonC]

This last one's a C3...it's obviously not a D because D's were self-contained.

[X66 Hammond]

Hello,

The orginal model K is a model from around 1940,is a complete tonewheel organ without percussion,just like model C or C2.
The Dutch tonewheel society (Hammond Toonwiel Vereniging) own's a model K.

gr.X66 Hammond

[andyg]

Interesting post! How about a picture or two of the Dutch society's K? It doesn't appear in any literature or Hammond history that I've come across, and Hammond didn't tend to use model letters twice for different series instruments, so this would be rare. Incidentally, if the 'K' in the photo is from the 40's, how do we explain the percussion rocker switches. Is this a 'rebuild' to C3 spec? Anyone got any ideas? Andy G

[Orgrinder010]

I KNEW something was fishy, you don't just make up a model K with so many Hammond experts floating around the net.

About the Perc. Switches, "A 1940 blonde oak model K during restoration at The Zoo, Coventry. This instrument has been 'modernised', fitted with a scanner, selective vibrato & percussion. "

Found at:
http://www.alphaentek.com/hammond.htm

Im going to sent this link over to Hammond Zone to see if I can spark any more info, because I dont know about you guys, but to me this is very interesting.
Just think, a New, undiscovered, breed of Hammond!

[Orgrinder010]

This is thanks to "Jan" at Hammond Zone.

http://www.hammondclub.nl/images/k.jpg
One bona-fide Model K

[andyg]

Great detective work here, and thanks to Jan for the pic. Andy G

[X66 Hammond]

Hello,

THis picture is the model K of the Dutch tonewheel Society,
is coompletely restore and has a trekII percussion unit.

gr. X66 Hammond

[back52887]

The model K was the later solovox, a one-note at a time square wave mini-keyboard with a small amp at the end of a very thick cable, which was attached to a hammond or a piano and built immediatly before and after the war. The "D' was a "BC" in a church case. The D-100 was an RT-3 with a built-in amp, reverb, and speakers (or an A-105 with 32 pedals and a solo pedal unit [which was a pedal solovox]).

Lee

[Orgrinder010]

I was just thinking, the first pic is modified with all the newer components, right? Well, then that has been many things in its life. Starting as a model K, it was then fitted with scanner vibrato, thus making it a: KV, KVC, or with the vibrato being split, a K2. With the introduction of the AO-28 and REAL hammond percussion, it just became a K3. Interesting, huh?

[X66 Hammond]

Hello,

here the specs. of the dutch tonewheel society K.
manuals 2x5 octave,2x1 octave reverse preset,2 drawbar set per manual,25 pedal with 2 drawbars (same as B3).
Every key is pressure adjustable from 20 till 50 grams.
Generator,tonewheel 13 till 91, extra chorus generator tonewheel 56 till 91.
Build in preamp for 2 tonecabinets,connection kit for lelsie 122,147 and PR 40.
Tremulant and rheostat expression pedal with foot switch for the leslie.

gr. X66

[back52887]

To have chorus generators and percussion is certainly a retrofit. I know the company did retros to add scanner vibrato to prewar models, but does anyone know of the addition of percussion to an older model by hammond techs?

The foot switch on the expression pedal sounds like what was used on the prewar "X" series speakers (eg.DXR-20) to turn the paddle-wheel tremelo on. I suspect it would work for a leslie switch as well.

But the "K" designation? Something is off.

Lee

[Adamsloth]

I have been looking for historical info about the Hammond model K of late 1930s-early 40s (not a solovox). I
understand that it is similar or the same as the model BC but unable to
find out about the history of this organ. Some sites show an organ in
the C3 or B3 cabinet as a K which is confusing and not many web sites
give it a mention as it seems like a rare model. Does it have the full 91 tone generators? hence giving the big bass on the bottom octave.There is one for sale in Australia and I have checked it out. To me it looks like a BC. (B3
cabinet, tremulant, chorus generator, no percussion, an 11 or 9 pin plug
to the tone cabinet with angled slats half way down and 2 Jensen
speakers and 7 valves in the amp. The ID plate says it's a K. The organ
has been sanded back, the mahogany original lacquer is apparent on the speaker.
Can you inform and refer some links about this model.
thanks,
Adam

[andyg]

Adam

Your questions seem to be answered a few posts above with the details of the dutch model K. European models seem to have C style consoles with 91 wheels and a chorus generator. For any more info, you could find some of the other Hammond K threads on the forum.

Incidentally, there's a 1960's K100 spinet on ebay at the moment.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hammond-K100-Series-Organ-with-Stool_W0QQitemZ7351055909QQcategoryZ16219QQrdZ1QQc mdZViewItem will get you there.

Andy G

[hh]

I just got the guts of a K100 for free, and it has a tube amp with reverb. I'm thinking of using it for my M3 to add reverb. Does anybody have schematics for the K100? Does anybody know if its amp is the same as another more popular model?

Thanks,
hh

[johnnyhasbeen]

All I can tell you is my kids love it, and getting kids introduced to a Hammond even if it ain't the real deal is cool by me as a blues guitarist. I cat I know who works on most of the old Hammonds in my part of the world was by over the holidays and got very close to the Highway Star tone out of it. That impressed me. Finding very little info available for it though.

[andyg]

Not much more info available than you've found in this thread!