The Organ Forum

I wasn't sure where to post this, so I just posted it here.  Anyway, someone in my area is offering a free organ.  He describes it as a Hammond in the ad, but it doesn't look like any Hammond I've ever seen.  Notice that the top manual is split in half, and there are no black keys on the side that control settings.  Anyway, here's the organ:

 

 

Thanks so much for your help.

Looks like another LSI... but is this a Hammond?  /action sniffs...  smells like Lowrey....

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Noah Benzing

I believe this is a Hammond Grandee. Yes, it's LSI.

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Home: Hammond T-212, Rhodes Mk1 Suitcase 88, Moog Micromoog, Korg DW-6000

Away: Allen 301, Hammond E-311 + RT-2, Mason And Hamlin 802, Yamaha E-70 + DX21, WurliTzer

Gone: Baldwin 4, Allen Theatre DLX, Hammond J-412, Yamaha Motif 6, Roland D-50

The top manual isn't split, it's missing a key. Also, many of Hammond's later models had preset tabs instead of the inverse preset keys.

 

                                                              -Joe

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Home: Hammond T-212, Rhodes Mk1 Suitcase 88, Moog Micromoog, Korg DW-6000

Away: Allen 301, Hammond E-311 + RT-2, Mason And Hamlin 802, Yamaha E-70 + DX21, WurliTzer

Gone: Baldwin 4, Allen Theatre DLX, Hammond J-412, Yamaha Motif 6, Roland D-50

Yes posted in right section.

 

Organ is a Hammond LSI, subject to the usual inter-board connector problems often mentioned here.

 

This one does not appear to have the number of tabs as does the Grandee, although some may be broken. Can’t see an appegiator as well between the manuals. My guess is a Hammond Monarch.

 

No preset tabs on LSI consoles. Push buttons left and right of drawbars are presets.

Only the top LSI models had preset keys.

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Keith
Hammond 340 Elegante

Yes, a later Monarch with the AutoVari 64.

If it's broken on the outside, doesn't bode well for the insides? Give it a wide berth and go for something that will work.

Andy

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It's not what you play, it's not how you play. It's the fact that you're playing that counts.

looks a lot like my r-100, but i can't be sure as i'm not near it

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Hammond B3
Hammond L-112
Hammond R-124
Hammond H-112
Hammond M2
Hammond 123
Hammond HR-40 tone cabinet
torn apart Gulbransen
Leslie 147
Roland Juno-G
Alvarez 12-string acoustic
Peavey Raptor electric

If it's free as the OP said, it'd definitely be worth a shot in my opinion.  It may very well turn out to be junk as a whole, but there are good parts to be salvaged.  The broken key shouldn't be that difficult to fix;  at least it's on the upper manual.

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"I first saw it sitting in a corner in a Los Angeles studio. I had never seen anything like it before. I put my hands on it... and I knew this was for me." - - - Ethel Smith

This organ is just the big brother to your "crappy 123 Hammond." If you want parts, OK. If you want a nice organ, find something better.

 James

it has drawbars.... so it's not quite like a 123..... as long as the tone generator produces sine waves, i personally would take it. i still think it's a tonewheel model though

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Hammond B3
Hammond L-112
Hammond R-124
Hammond H-112
Hammond M2
Hammond 123
Hammond HR-40 tone cabinet
torn apart Gulbransen
Leslie 147
Roland Juno-G
Alvarez 12-string acoustic
Peavey Raptor electric

No, it is NOT a tonewheel organ.  I have seen several in the shop, and they are totally LSI.  The Tonebars as they are called on these models do produce the flute or sine wave tones as its older counterparts.  I can tell you for sure they can be a mess to repair when they are in a bad shape.  Good luck with your decision on obtaining this organ.  These organs are nothing extra I can sure tell you.  If you want a good Hammond organ go with a tonewheel model in good shape.

 

James

If it's free, you only stand to lose the carriage costs and your time. But don't spend any money on it. Even if you got another key and fixed it up fully, the value would still be probably less than the carriage costs.

TT is right when he says they can be a pain to repair, and this poor old Monarch looks like trouble from the start.

I repeat my usual advice - the best thing to do is to WALK AWAY!

 Andy

 

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It's not what you play, it's not how you play. It's the fact that you're playing that counts.

Gentlemen,

I think you have confused poor old "beaverteeth" enough.

Is it a Hammond? No, it smells like a Lowrey. I think it's a Grandee. But it could be a Monarch. I can't see an arpeggiator, so I'm none the wiser.  It's an Automatic Variation on a Monarch. It looks like my R100 but I can't see.  It's got drawbars so it must be a tonewheel. No, silly, they call them tonebars now. It's a big crappy Hammond that has a little brother.  It's not free if you have to move it. 

I would love to be a fly on the wall when you blokes are with your long suffering partners in the deli dept. of your local supermarket trying to make a decision whether or not to buy the Fat Albert Bratwurst sausages that are on special, as they may or may not aggravate your notorious pre-existing flatulence condition.

SP

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"Live every day as though it was your last.
One day, you'll be right".

OK, Sarah, humorous as always, but if we've confused him, let me bring total enlightenment, entirely free of charge.

1) It's a 163xx Monarch from around 1977, probably a 16322.

2) It doesn't have enough tabs for a Grandee, and there's no arpeggiator.

3) No tonewheels, it's 1st generation LSI, and they're usually the worst..

4) Pile of junk? In this condition - more than likely.

QED

See, if you'd just asked me first.......

[Now ducks to avoid inevitable incoming!]

PS, If Hammond decided to call drawbars 'tonebars' on their own organs, how come they're now getting ar**y about other organs using the term drawbars? We've now got H-Bars on Rolands and Flutebars on Orlas.

 

 

 

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It's not what you play, it's not how you play. It's the fact that you're playing that counts.