MOTUnation.com

The Story of Laurens Hammond.
This is the Hammond behind the B3.
Quite the inventor.
I never knew anything about him, so this was interesting. Kinda breezy, like an ad for the company, but assuming it's true, he was really an impressive guy. I'd always wondered about the person who invented the electric clock motor; it was one and the same Laurens Hammond.
It is what it is. Maybe you'll like it, too.

Shoosh

Really cool Shoosie! Wished I could have been there to give input on the B3. My back still hurts from lugging that thing around for gigs!

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Wouldn't be complete without https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Leslie

Wow. That casts a different light on Hammond. He may have been quite an inventor, but apparently he had a tin ear. All theory and no soul. How did he hear a Leslie speaker and NOT say "I've gotta have that in my organ?" I had a Conn organ, and even it had a Leslie speaker, way back in 1968.

Shooshie wrote:Wow. That casts a different light on Hammond. He may have been quite an inventor, but apparently he had a tin ear. All theory and no soul. How did he hear a Leslie speaker and NOT say "I've gotta have that in my organ?" I had a Conn organ, and even it had a Leslie speaker, way back in 1968.

'Tweech his own, but I'm with you there Shoosh. In fact, I recently picked up the ultimate Leslie simulator... a real (compact - 12" woof) Leslie. The 85 lb. 100 watt baby has had casters installed and now makes its home in my studio. I do a fair amount of organ work, and clients appreciate the real deal!

Shooshie wrote:Wow. That casts a different light on Hammond. He may have been quite an inventor, but apparently he had a tin ear. All theory and no soul. How did he hear a Leslie speaker and NOT say "I've gotta have that in my organ?" I had a Conn organ, and even it had a Leslie speaker, way back in 1968.

I found this part especially amusing:

Wanting to keep control of their organ's sound, Hammond went to great lengths to defeat Leslie's invention: changing connectors on newer models, and forbidding Hammond organ merchants to sell Leslie speakers. In 1965 his company was acquired by CBS; Leslie remained as a consultant long enough to see Hammond's death in 1973, at which point Hammond's company warmed to the invention, officially honoring it in 1978. Leslie retired in 1980.

It's kind of funny, in hindsight, that Laurens Hammond went so far as to make an active effort to thwart using a Leslie with his organs. Amazing.

We visited his castle a couple of times on school trips and with cub/boy scouts, then I went again once or twice as an adult. You gotta go if you really want to understand the man. Besides which, Gloucester is a cool town.

James Steele wrote:

Shooshie wrote:Wow. That casts a different light on Hammond. He may have been quite an inventor, but apparently he had a tin ear. All theory and no soul. How did he hear a Leslie speaker and NOT say "I've gotta have that in my organ?" I had a Conn organ, and even it had a Leslie speaker, way back in 1968.

It's kind of funny, in hindsight, that Laurens Hammond went so far as to make an active effort to thwart using a Leslie with his organs. Amazing.

Mind boggling! I can somewhat relate to an older gentleman yelling at young kids to get off his lawn, since he spent his life getting it all green, and doesn't have the joints and energy to fix the damage they do, but "you whippersnapper inventor, you'd better keep your speaker off my electronic organ" is just rife with questions. It doesn't harm it, it gives more options to more people, which means more sales, and it just sounds good. Plus it has a switch for those moments you don't want a tremolo. I can't figure it at all.