The Mellotron Group

I have a C3. I picked up a Leslie 147 box and retrofitted it with JBL 
components. I bought a Leslie 122 amp from Goff Professional and the setup has 
worked flawlessly. The 122 amp differs from the 147 as the audio is a balanced 
line in the 122. 


The JBL horn driver adds that Emerson "spit" to the Leslie. I added a 100 watt L 
Pad to the horn to soften the cabinet for jazz work. 


Leslies are expensive. I got lucky and bought this one used from the Buckinghams 
for almost nothing, then totally rebuilt it. The speakers used totaled 350, the 
amp/tubes/installation kit from Goff was around 750.

And remember the RCA jack on the volume column on the C3 pre amp is an aux in. 
So I play my Kurzweil through it and have used it in the studio to route vocals. 
There are two trim pots on the back of the pre amp for tone and precussion 
volume. Set these to taste. Full open begins to approach the Emerson settings.

Enjoy

Bill



________________________________
From: Jack Younger <e4103s@yahoo.com>
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tue, July 5, 2011 8:02:31 AM
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Somewhat off topic.... Hammond C3 story....question 
or two....

  
Hello, All! 

So, I tend to frequent a particular flea market in Northern Massachusetts every 
Sunday and have found quite a few music-oriented things for short dough over the 
years.  But this takes the cake.  Allow me to set the scene: 


A producer friend of mine and I park the car and just as we are leaving the 
field to where the vendors are (it's outdoors), I notice a bench to a C3.  I 
make a joke about where the organ is and think nothing further on it.  We browse 
around, pick up some small things, see some friends and its time to go so we 
head back to the car.  My friend decides he likes the bench (he recently got a 
CP70b and needs something to use with it) and the vendor gives it to him for 
$25, a sweet deal in and of itself.  I quip "The organ is included in that 
price, right?"  The guy says, "Well there IS an organ that goes with that, but 
you'd have to talk to the woman who owns it."  They have no idea what model it 
could be, "...but it's a Hammond".  We get her number and leave, excited by the 
mystery.

Later in the day, I call her out of curiosity.  Turns out, it was an estate item 
that didn't sell and she says, "We were going to smash it up and toss it in the 
dumpster. You can have it for the moving." !!!!  I ask for pictures and model 
numbers. She sends them to my phone. Lo and behold...indeed, it's a C3! 
 Purchased in 1959, it has sat in their living room, lightly used since then. 
 Unfortunately, the tone cab was sold in the sale, but the organ remains. 
 Apparently, it needs only one tube to function, but its mint, so even if 
there's more to be done, it's most certainly worth it.

Long and short, I have movers grabbing it this week.  So psyched!  This will be 
an amazing addition to the studio and a nice friend for my Mellotron and 
recently purchased Rhodes 73 Suitcase.

Now the questions for the B3/C3 folks out there....

Obviously, I need a Leslie (which is why I'm not crying over the tone cab).  I'm 
looking for a 122, 147, etc. and have a few local leads.  My query is this:

Do any of you prefer a Trek pedal to the half-moon switch?  Tube or solid state? 
 Pros and cons?  There's a great tech here in MA that I'll have go through it, 
but I'd like to avoid any expensive experimentation.  Any insight would be 
helpful.

Thanks, and Cheers!
-Jack