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sean View Drop Down
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Points: 1155 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Hammond L-100
    Posted: December 28 2007 at 05:13
So, someone put an ad in a local paper selling one of these, so I talked to her and tried it out and I'm buying it for $450. I can't wait to get it, as it sounds and feels great to play.
I was wondering if anyone else here had any experience with this particular model, since the B3 seems the most popular, and that was the only one I had played before, since the guitar center near my house had one but I could never afford it.
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Points: 14693 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 28 2007 at 05:37
I have a L100 model myself (1971 L122); these are a spinet model as opposed to the full consoles, such as the B3, C3, A100 etc, so correspondingly considerably cheaper. Depending on age/condition etc, $450 would appear to be a good price (even better if it's had the conversion to connect to a Leslie).

Although I don't play much myself anymore, you're right in that they're a joy to use; maintenance wise (again, depending on age/condition) the main thing you have to make sure of is regular oiling. This only needs doing once a year, but this is essential to keep the tone generator in good condition - very easy to do; take the back off, look out for two small funnels on top of the tone generator & use (preferably) Hammond oil (easily obtainable online) - just top up the funnel & this will then work its way into the tonewheels.

Assuming you're not going to be gigging the organ, this should last for many, many more years - if any of the valves go, they're fairly easily obtainable online.

Enjoy!

Jon Lord 1941 - 2012
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sean View Drop Down
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Points: 1155 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 28 2007 at 11:30
Originally posted by Jim Garten Jim Garten wrote:

I have a L100 model myself (1971 L122); these are a spinet model as opposed to the full consoles, such as the B3, C3, A100 etc, so correspondingly considerably cheaper. Depending on age/condition etc, $450 would appear to be a good price (even better if it's had the conversion to connect to a Leslie).

Although I don't play much myself anymore, you're right in that they're a joy to use; maintenance wise (again, depending on age/condition) the main thing you have to make sure of is regular oiling. This only needs doing once a year, but this is essential to keep the tone generator in good condition - very easy to do; take the back off, look out for two small funnels on top of the tone generator & use (preferably) Hammond oil (easily obtainable online) - just top up the funnel & this will then work its way into the tonewheels.

Assuming you're not going to be gigging the organ, this should last for many, many more years - if any of the valves go, they're fairly easily obtainable online.

Enjoy!


Well, it actually has the Leslies built in, and the way it feels and sounds it seems like it should be more expensive. The lady I'm buying it from paid $4,250.
Thanks for the tips on keeping it clean. She just got it cleaned but I'll make sure to oil it. As much as I would like to gig with it I probably won't just because it's so old (and hard to move).
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Points: 222 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 28 2007 at 21:14
Originally posted by sean sean wrote:

Originally posted by Jim Garten Jim Garten wrote:

I have a L100 model myself (1971 L122); these are a spinet model as opposed to the full consoles, such as the B3, C3, A100 etc, so correspondingly considerably cheaper. Depending on age/condition etc, $450 would appear to be a good price (even better if it's had the conversion to connect to a Leslie).

Although I don't play much myself anymore, you're right in that they're a joy to use; maintenance wise (again, depending on age/condition) the main thing you have to make sure of is regular oiling. This only needs doing once a year, but this is essential to keep the tone generator in good condition - very easy to do; take the back off, look out for two small funnels on top of the tone generator & use (preferably) Hammond oil (easily obtainable online) - just top up the funnel & this will then work its way into the tonewheels.

Assuming you're not going to be gigging the organ, this should last for many, many more years - if any of the valves go, they're fairly easily obtainable online.

Enjoy!


Well, it actually has the Leslies built in, and the way it feels and sounds it seems like it should be more expensive. The lady I'm buying it from paid $4,250.
Thanks for the tips on keeping it clean. She just got it cleaned but I'll make sure to oil it. As much as I would like to gig with it I probably won't just because it's so old (and hard to move).
 
Hi,
I own a Hammond L-112 since many years. You said that the Leslie is built in, be careful, maybe it's not an L-100 model. L-100 models never had built-in Leslies, that feature came in the late 70's with the coming of transistorized Hammond organs. L-100 model is a tonewheel organ and tube powered, the functionning of that organ is mechanical, that's why it need oil. The Leslie on L-100 model is external.
 
A  good tip to recognize, if it had drawbars, you had big chances to be in presence of a tonewheel organ. If the organ had presets only, then it's surely a transistor organ. Ask the seller to be sure what you brought. Also, be careful with oiling , transistors organs don't need oil. Transitors Hammonds are very good, my first Hammond when i was a kid was a transistors organ and I liked it a lot, and it featured a built-in Leslie, wich is very pratical but a lot of Hammond fans prefers the sound of tonewheels organs like the L-100, but as long as you like the sound, that's the important thing.
 
Happy purchase.
 
 
 
 
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sean View Drop Down
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Points: 1155 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 29 2007 at 04:37
Originally posted by pierreolivier pierreolivier wrote:

Originally posted by sean sean wrote:

Originally posted by Jim Garten Jim Garten wrote:

I have a L100 model myself (1971 L122); these are a spinet model as opposed to the full consoles, such as the B3, C3, A100 etc, so correspondingly considerably cheaper. Depending on age/condition etc, $450 would appear to be a good price (even better if it's had the conversion to connect to a Leslie).

Although I don't play much myself anymore, you're right in that they're a joy to use; maintenance wise (again, depending on age/condition) the main thing you have to make sure of is regular oiling. This only needs doing once a year, but this is essential to keep the tone generator in good condition - very easy to do; take the back off, look out for two small funnels on top of the tone generator & use (preferably) Hammond oil (easily obtainable online) - just top up the funnel & this will then work its way into the tonewheels.

Assuming you're not going to be gigging the organ, this should last for many, many more years - if any of the valves go, they're fairly easily obtainable online.

Enjoy!


Well, it actually has the Leslies built in, and the way it feels and sounds it seems like it should be more expensive. The lady I'm buying it from paid $4,250.
Thanks for the tips on keeping it clean. She just got it cleaned but I'll make sure to oil it. As much as I would like to gig with it I probably won't just because it's so old (and hard to move).
 
Hi,
I own a Hammond L-112 since many years. You said that the Leslie is built in, be careful, maybe it's not an L-100 model. L-100 models never had built-in Leslies, that feature came in the late 70's with the coming of transistorized Hammond organs. L-100 model is a tonewheel organ and tube powered, the functionning of that organ is mechanical, that's why it need oil. The Leslie on L-100 model is external.
 
A  good tip to recognize, if it had drawbars, you had big chances to be in presence of a tonewheel organ. If the organ had presets only, then it's surely a transistor organ. Ask the seller to be sure what you brought. Also, be careful with oiling , transistors organs don't need oil. Transitors Hammonds are very good, my first Hammond when i was a kid was a transistors organ and I liked it a lot, and it featured a built-in Leslie, wich is very pratical but a lot of Hammond fans prefers the sound of tonewheels organs like the L-100, but as long as you like the sound, that's the important thing.
 
Happy purchase.
 
 
 
 



It did have drawbars, but I'll look further into what it may be.
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Points: 14693 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 02 2008 at 03:29
When you say it has a built in Leslie, do you mean it has the converter kit to be connected to a Leslie cabinet, or has a revolving bass speaker in the cabinet itself? If the latter, it's not an L100 series.

Jon Lord 1941 - 2012
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sean View Drop Down
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Points: 1155 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 06 2008 at 02:03
Originally posted by Jim Garten Jim Garten wrote:

When you say it has a built in Leslie, do you mean it has the converter kit to be connected to a Leslie cabinet, or has a revolving bass speaker in the cabinet itself? If the latter, it's not an L100 series.


The revolving speaker is built into it. I was under the impression that it was the L100 because the owners manual that came with it was for that series. However, I looked into it and I believe it is an Aurora.
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Points: 14693 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 07 2008 at 03:49
That's one of the models I know of but know nothing about...

Jon Lord 1941 - 2012
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Points: 1155 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2008 at 19:37
Originally posted by Jim Garten Jim Garten wrote:

That's one of the models I know of but know nothing about...


i actually had trouble finding any information about it, it's just not that popular, but i think it sounds great an i'm really enjoying it.
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Points: 8844 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2008 at 20:15
Originally posted by sean sean wrote:

Originally posted by Jim Garten Jim Garten wrote:

That's one of the models I know of but know nothing about...


i actually had trouble finding any information about it, it's just not that popular, but i think it sounds great an i'm really enjoying it.


That's what counts Thumbs%20Up

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Points: 1155 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2008 at 04:54
Originally posted by rileydog22 rileydog22 wrote:

Originally posted by sean sean wrote:

Originally posted by Jim Garten Jim Garten wrote:

That's one of the models I know of but know nothing about...


i actually had trouble finding any information about it, it's just not that popular, but i think it sounds great an i'm really enjoying it.


That's what counts Thumbs%20Up



indeed, and even though it's not a b3 at least i can say i have a hammond. it feels good to finally say that, i've wanted one for so long. now for that mellotron...
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Points: 14693 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2008 at 12:35
Good luck, Sean!

Rare beasts these days & bloody expensive..

Jon Lord 1941 - 2012
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Points: 1155 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 10 2008 at 02:57
Originally posted by Jim Garten Jim Garten wrote:

Good luck, Sean!

Rare beasts these days & bloody expensive..


It's unfortunate, they are wonderful. Isn't Hammond producing a new B-3 now?
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Points: 222 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 10 2008 at 23:29
Originally posted by sean sean wrote:

Originally posted by Jim Garten Jim Garten wrote:

Good luck, Sean!

Rare beasts these days & bloody expensive..


It's unfortunate, they are wonderful. Isn't Hammond producing a new B-3 now?
 
Unfortunately, Jim is right. Present owners who brought them 10-15 years ago during the revival keep them and don't want to sell them.That's why they are rare and expensive and that's why when there's one for sale on Ebay, it sold for ridiculous high price,even for non-working units.
 
Streetly in England realeased a new one in Spring 2007 called the M4000,wich is a multi-stations machine,a bit like the MarkII was but in an M400 cabinet. I've heard that the popular alternative band Arcade Fire brought one past Fall to use it on their next album. They seems to be neat and convenient and a lot more reliable than a lot of their vintage counterparts.
 
 
Yes, Hammond Suzuki produced a new B3 some years ago but is very expensive (a lot more than their vintage counterparts) and  are not true tonewheels organs but virtual tonewheels
 
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Points: 14693 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 16 2008 at 03:12
Are you referring to the B3000?



I think the best thing that can be said of these is Hammond at least tried; look around at the reviews & you'll rarely find a good one; tinny sound by comparison to the original, poorly built (no waterfall keys ) & presets to be avoided. They come up occasionally on Ebay & may go for a couple of thousand sterling, but you can get true tonewheel full console Hammonds (C3 or A100 usually), which will give a real sound for less money.


Jon Lord 1941 - 2012
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Points: 11 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 29 2008 at 20:41
The L100 series are cool. Very rock'n roll sound thru at leslie 147 (at least on full volume). It's what Keith Emerson used (besides his C3 which was too heavy and expensive to throw around on stage).
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Points: 14693 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 13 2008 at 07:31
Also used by Thijs Van Leer of Focus on most older recordings (uses a split B3 these days), Ian McLaghan with The Faces/Small Faces (utilising a wonderful whistling high range I've not yet been able to get) & I believe it was a Hammod L100 on 'Whiter Shade Of Pale'

Jon Lord 1941 - 2012
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Points: 2 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 10 2008 at 09:34
Hi there,

I have an Hammond L122 - just bought it for almost no money, I really never played it much.
Now I'm just scared of turning it on since it's not been turned on for a long time and I've read that it should be oiled every year - does anyone know where I can get hammond oil in europe?

cheers
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Points: 14693 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 10 2008 at 12:27
At a pinch, any light machine oil should be OK to use - at any rate, you're unlikely to damage it by turning it on, unless it's completely seized (very unlikely).

Due to the specific nature of the task, I'd recommend you do use the real thing - the following is in Canada, but ships worldwide

Hammond Oil

Jon Lord 1941 - 2012
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Points: 2 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 10 2008 at 14:14
thanks a lot, I'll check it out!
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