Hammond Organs

[greatcyber]

Hi KH,

According to the gent at the moving company, the organ has been there less than a year. He also says that it is in very good working order. I plan on going out to see/hear/play it next week. He is motivated to sell as he is coming into his busy season with moves and needs the storage space. He even told me he would "throw in a small organ and/or an upright piano if I would like." I thanked him, but unless he has a midi keyboard sitting around, I sure don't need another organ if I get that monster. As for pianos, well, I have my casio keyboard and with the Pianoteq software, I can play it and have it sound like a harpsichord or even a beautiful concert grand. That program is AWESOME. If you also like pianos, you should get the demo version. It is available at http://www.pianoteq.com.

I tell you, I am like a kid in a candy store. Since you were kind enough to provide me with the model number of the Commodore, I did further research and found a guy in the states who has owner's and service manuals for almost all the Hammond models. I even found 2 guys who both have this model (with the ebony/walnut/chrome) and one told the other how to fix his when some of the keys stopped working...including cleaning the contacts with a special solvent and even using a standard-type eraser if the corrosion isn't too bad.

So, I'm hoping to get 3 boards to insert that will allow each manual and the pedal board to adapt to midi. So I don't think I could be happier.

And, since reading how many on here get to practice an hour a week in local churches, I'm thinking of asking some of the churches in our neighborhood if I might be able to do the same. There are some grand old churches that I'm quite sure have some fabulous organs in them.

On another point, are you familiar with a Danish organist by the name of Carlo Curly? Or maybe it's Carlo Conti (getting old, you know). He used to be very good friends of a couple of my friends when I lived in Atlanta about 15 years ago. He would visit for a month every year. He gave "private" concerts in a few churches for a close group of friends...they'd all go in at night with bottles of wine and he would just lose himself at the keyboards.

Unfortunately, I was never privy to those, but I have heard him play on records (see, an oldie) and he would also play their grand piano at their house. It was quite a privilege.

[greatcyber]

I just had a phone call this morning from the moving company that is selling the Hammond organ that was the impetus for bringing me to this forum in the first place. Now that the company is past their very busy period they have plugged in the organ to make sure that it does, in fact, still work. They told me it does.

Not being able to leave the house for anything other than short period for the past 8 weeks due to having picked up a parasite somewhere, I finally started to get better last week...after losing 20 pounds to "intestinal disfortitude." So they are going to have it all set up and waiting for me to hear it and check out all the stops and drawbars.

As I plan to turn it into a MIDI machine, I'm pretty certain that I will make arrangements to have it delivered as soon as possible. It will be so nice to have two manuals and a full pedalboard again.

I guess I'll have to spring for an external midi controller device and a couple of touch screens since I am almost positive that I will be purchasing Hauptwerk software.

The organ is a Commodore model as KH was kind enough to identify for me. I'm quite excited about it. I had bought a couple of Opcode controllers, but I didn't realize that they are for use with Apple computers and I have a PC.

I know in another thread that KH said that he can't use a laptop due to not being able to touch type on the smaller keyboard. My laptop is a real powerhouse (actually, it is a gaming machine and is almost perfect for my uses) and I agree with the keyboard issue. I can get used to it, but I wound up getting a wireless keyboard and mouse to attach to it, so it isn't any problem for me. It's just nice having a laptop that is more powerful than many folks desktops.

Will keep you informed on my progress.

Stephen

[methodistgirl]

I'm typing and using a laptop now! This is no desk model.
judy tooley

[Krummhorn]

Hi Stephen,

Happy to hear that the advice given here has been helpful. How far do you have to travel to see this Hammond? You mentioned (I think) it was in the states, but I'm often wrong ... senior moments ya know.

Indeed, some laptop systems are lots more powerful than a conventional system. Nice find obtaining a wireless standard keyboard to operate that computer. It all boils down to what works for each of us.

[greatcyber]

Right about the computers. I needed to replace the old laptop anyway as we take it when we travel. That way we can keep in touch and use it to watch movies. It has a 17" wide screen monitor.

No, the organ is local; it's about a half hour away. I can hardly wait to check it out. Will let you know.

Stephen

[greatcyber]

Just got back from trying out the Commodore. Unfortunately, the pedalboard was not hooked up but was sitting next to the organ. The guy at the shop said he couldn't put it in by himself, but there really wasn't enough room for him to have done it anyway.

The organ is dirty, of course, from being in storage and it has one broken tab for some instrumental sound. All of the drawbars work as do the presets.

The ONLY problem I could hear was that no matter which settings were being used out of the six octaves on the lower manual the highest 4 "c" notes sort of "chirped" when played. A piano tech there told me that they had a similar experience during the Jazz Festival and it turned out to be a loose wire that needed to be soldered. They gave me the name and number of an allegedly fabulous organ technician in the area.

I also read where organs that have been in storage probably need to have their contacts cleaned with something (it's called ox something) and that it is strong enough to get the crud off the contacts but not caustic enough to damage them.

So, I am going to call the tech and ask what he thinks. Bottom line, I am still planning on purchasing the organ. I still feel that $500 is a good deal for purchase and delivery. It has built in leslies so I don't need even more extra space for separate speakers, luckily. I know they sound better, but space is an issue for us. I'm going to have the organ delivered next week.

The place was really incredible. It was inside a piano tuner's storage facility and workshop. There were pianos and pieces thereof in just about every configuration you could possibly imagine. Lots of antiques. From what I saw, they know their pianos and restore them with the utmost of care.

Film at 11.

Stephen

[Krummhorn]

Great to hear that things went well, Stephen.
Sounds like this organ really wound up in the best storage place possible. I would shudder to think what kinds of extensive damage could have been incurred at a non musical instrument warehouse. Big difference when musicians or those who truly appreciate musical instruments are the ones doing the moving and storing.

Contact points can be fussy - especially when they are not used for an extended period of time. De-Oxit might be the contact solution you may have read about - I've heard of it being used for this purpose on older electronic instruments.

Years ago as an Allen Organ road technician, I used a newer dollar bill to clean the contact points when I had nothing else to use on a service call.

[jvhldb]

.... (it's called ox something) and that it is strong enough to get the crud off the contacts but not caustic enough to damage them.

Stephen

I serviced my Yamaha last month using "electric contact cleaner", that's all I could find in the RSA. Worked like a charm.

[greatcyber]

KH, yes it was De-oxit that I read about using. jvhldb, thanks for the input. I'm going to see what the organ tech feels would be the best solution for the problem. The bottom line, of course, is to get all of the keys in working order without "chirping." It was really a strange sound...and obnoxious. Stephen

[greatcyber]

Today, it arrived at long last.



It's too bad that the drivers forgot to load the bench onto the truck. I won't get that until next week some time. Doesn't it firgure? Now, if I can only find that organ tech's name that they gave me a couple of weeks ago I'll set about having it serviced.

I'll keep you updated as to how it goes turning this into a Midi beast.

Stephen

[Krummhorn]

Stephen,

Impressive picture - I mean the organ looks like new with all the chrome pieces. The whole organ looks in very good shape.

Bummers about the bench - you could fake it with a picnic table bench and some pillows ...

[Mat]

It looks great. Looking forward to hear you play it.

[greatcyber]

Thanks guys. I think it is going to be a fun project...either that or a lesson in Extreme Frustration. But, thanks to CT's postings of all the PDF music it will be fun to dive in once I can actually sit on something that straddles the pedals.

Stephen

[matsoljare]

That's a very interesting looking Hammond. Are there any features that distinguish it from the "classic" Hammond type, sound wise?

[greatcyber]

Other than the built in "poly-syntheses/percussion" (boy, is that dated or what?) it does sound quite a bit like the B3 I learned on. I can't really play it yet because of a problem with 5 of the "C" notes. 4 on the lower and the high C on the pedalboard "chirp" instead of play the note. When I bought it, they thought it was from a loose wire. I'm waiting to get the organ tech's number and have it thoroughly serviced before I start "modifying" it.

Stephen