Thread: Hammond organ and Leslie speakers in the studio

Bob,does your Nord Electro have a dedicated Leslie socket (like some other makes have)? It didn't appear to have one judging by the website info. The reason I ask is because you mentioned that you might want to get a Leslie for the Nord. Be careful here because a Leslie that is designed to hook up to a Hammond usually uses a multipin connector, and requires an external preamp/switching box to use a "standard" electric guitar or a keyboard with a 1/4" jack....
Try to get a matched set; I have seen people that bought, say, an A-100 (a C-3 with an amp/speaker system built into it), and then a Leslie that was "supposed" to match up to it , and found that the wiring had been "modded" to accept a different model cabinet.
As for some sources of info, try the organforum.com and Google Dr.Fishsticks for Leslie wiring and switching kits. Also, there are a number of Hammond/Leslie parts suppliers on e-Bay (but you knew that already, I'm sure).
I have an M-3 spinet that is a load of fun on Saturday nights after a couple of shots. REAL organ players love the "waterfall keys" and I took the little Leslie 45 with a 12" Jensen and rocked it with a 12" Altec driven by a Dual Showman Reverb head. Not what you are looking for, I'm sure, but still a hoot. There's nothin' better than a real Leslie moving all that air around the room.

I too have an early 60's M3 in my room. It hasnt been "doctorized" as of yet but I know it will someday. I had a model 20 Leslie that I gave to the good Doctor for a Christmas present one year as he had three or four of these M3's floating around. The one I have was 'free to a good home'.....It didnt start well but the Doctor knows these things and now it works perfectly.

One of my bands has a fellow who collects B3's. Some fun huh.....One of them is a 57 year and was owned by Jimmy Smith.


For all you youngsters, thats something you should look up.

The Nord does not have a Leslie socket, but I figure I would be getting a preamp/adapter for a 1/4 inch jack anyway so that I can use it as a guitar amp. I realize the the various preamps/switching kits can add a lot to the cost.

I'm not a real organ player, but I love the waterfall keys as well. But that's one reason that some of the spinets like the M-100 series are much cheaper - diving board keys.

Dave - Does the B3 collector allow people to touch the Jimmy Smith B3? Awesome!

It stays under wraps mostly. The 1960 gets played.