Leslie Cab Question

[micahturner]

I found an old organ that needs some work this weekend, and I noticed on the console that it has controls for a Leslie. I've seen cabs that were separate from the organs, but this one looks to be built into the organ. It has controls for reverb and speed. Does anyone know anything about this particular cab, and if it would be worth taking apart to get the Leslie components?

[anderbass]

What brand/model organ?

[micahturner]

That is some information I was I would have written down. I know I'm not being much help, I was just hoping that someone had experience with it.

[seamonkey]

You can still buy Leslie replacement parts.
i.e. HammondWiki - Where To Get Leslie Parts

But why bother? many a modeler or pedal off the exact same mic'd sound of the well known Leslies. The leslie effect is familiar on tone wheel organs, but not so much for bass.

[will33]

Look inside the back of the organ. Some had a sort of pseudo rotary speaker that consist of fixed speaker with a styrofoam bowl mounted in front of that spun. The bowl had an open portion for thr sound to escape out the side vent in the organ body. I experimented with mine by lining the opening with tinfoil hoping the highs would project out of the styrofoam a little better. Seemed to help a little bit......maybe.

Guys have homemade these things by mounting a speaker with a big salad bowl over it with a hole cut in one side and the bowl was attached to a fan motor....the "saladbowl leslie".


Wurlitzer I think it was had another version of a rotary speaker that looked like a spinning hammer with a pair of little 3" or so speakers mounted in the "hammerhead" facing away from each other, a counterweight on the other end and the whole contraption, speakers and all spun around. Also pretty cool.

[will33]

If yours is the foam bowl type, it'll be mounted on a door that swings open in the back of the organ. Belt tension is important. If the belt is too tight it can burn up the little electric motor that spins it. It should be loose enough so it takes 7-8 seconds to go from standstill to full speed. That thing will be connected to the rest of the organ by a 7 or 9 pin plug. I think you use either that same plug or another one to connect a separate big leslie cab.

Mine also had a 12" woofer crossed over with a 12" wizzer cone mointed facing back toward the player. It was a T500 model, later '70's solidstate, not the '60's B series tubers.

[micahturner]

I'm probably going to have to go back to the place where it is at to take a better look at it. Thanks guys.

[Pilot172]

Leslie speakers were, for the most part, a woofer and tweeter mounted vertically that fired up though a rotating horn. They were designed aound the Doppler effect (why a train horn increases in pitch as it approaches, then decreases in pitch as it moves away...). The speed control increased or decreased the rpm of the horns.

The rotating assembly gave the virbrato to the classic Hammond organ sound. I wouldn't think they would provide the low end response needed for bass guitar.

Originally Posted by micahturner

I found an old organ that needs some work this weekend, and I noticed on the console that it has controls for a Leslie. I've seen cabs that were separate from the organs, but this one looks to be built into the organ. It has controls for reverb and speed. Does anyone know anything about this particular cab, and if it would be worth taking apart to get the Leslie components?

[will33]

These "built into the organ" ones use fixed woofers for the lows with higher frequencies coming through the spinning parts. Didn't some of the big box leslies have a down firing woofer with the hf horns spinning up top? The ones I've seen are set up that way.

[Jeff Scott]

Originally Posted by will33

Didn't some of the big box leslies have a down firing woofer with the hf horns spinning up top? The ones I've seen are set up that way.

Yes, that is how all real Leslies worked. The horns spun, but the high frequency driver (along with the down firing low frequency driver) was in a fixed position facing up into the spinning dual horn.

[will33]

I thought so, the ones I've messed with anyway. Not that I can play keys in public or anything....just love them.