Day after day I speak with
people about Hammonds and Leslies. Musicians, church people, backline
people, recording studio people, homeowners who have a Hammond in
the den.
It seems to be a universal
belief that Hammonds don't need rebuilding or maintenance if they are still
making noise. The fact that the motors spin and sound comes out is - for some people - living proof that all is well in Hammondville.
It's almost impossible to
explain or convince some people how much their Hammond will benefit from a
complete rebuild. I wish it was possible in every instance to place
one of my own B3s and a couple of Leslies right next to theirs, for a
side-by-side, hands on comparison.
The cost involved in a complete
rebuild is the single factor which I hear the most about. Frankly, I think
it's a fair assumption that most Hammonds have cost absolutely nothing to
maintain over the last 30 years or more, for most owners. That
is to say, except for replacing a tube or two, most Hammonds have had no service
work or rebuilding performed on them at all.
In my personal estimation, this
"free ride" can't last forever. Hammonds
are extremely complex electro-mechanical devices, and there are so many areas
which require attention, cleaning, and rebuilding. There's no question of
"if", it's only a question of "when".
Below is the
"ultimate repair procedure" for those Hammonds which the owners decide
to give or throw away.
When someone hears a fully
rebuilt Hammond, and has the opportunity to play it alongside their own, their
reactions are humorously predictable. The sad part about this article is
how many people refuse to set aside the needed cash to take care of the series
of problems which exist.
Instead, they go on playing a
Hammond that sounds like garbage. Somehow they're able to
justify the maintenance-free existence of their Hammond, and expect it to
perform properly, while it's actually degrading daily, right under their
hands. My experiences with this kind of Hammond owner has proven to me
that they typically "yes, yes, yes" you to death, then do nothing at
all to correct it. In other words - they just waste my time. I find this quite frustrating, since I
usually get a call
- invariably at the very last minute - to come and "put a Band-Aid" on
the problem. I try and explain that the organ needs much more than a
"quick fix", and should be treated with reasonable respect. My
words aren't heard, because it would require money to get the Hammond
straightened out properly. Most owners seem to believe a can of Pledge and
a dust rag will take care of everything. I guess I'm bitching here.
It's time for a laugh.
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POURING YOUR HEART
ALL OVER IT |
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Showing incredible
finesse and style, it takes a really unique "class player" to turn a
B3 into this, then proudly put a picture of it on his webpage.
If this had been a ProKeys rental,
$1000.00 would have been added to the price for complete manual disassembly, cleaning, and
reassembly. The plug would have been pulled long before it got
this far, and the organ packed up immediately. As the lid was
closed, the player would have had a choice: get the hands away, or get
packed up with the organ. Where I come from, this is known as abuse
and damage.
Also located on that webpage is a rave review that predicts "Booker T. and the MGs
will be quaking in their boots." Best of luck to Patrick Benfield. May
these hallucinations become reality no later than 2190. |
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