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[Die BREMSSPUR]

Gentlemen,

What are the differences between the B3 and the H100?

More specifically are there significant differences regarding tone that cannot be produced by the H100 vs. B3...

Thanx

lemme nough

tik

[archtop]

Hey Tik

I'm not the hammond expert we're waiting on.

but here's some quick googeling tasty morsels.:


Model H-100 Series



Production Years:
1965 through 1974

Cabinet Size:
50 1/2" wide, 26 1/2" deep, 50" high with music rack, 445 lbs with pedals and bench.

Finish:
H-111 Traditional styling in Mahogany
H-112 Traditional styling in Walnut
H-133 French Provincial in Cherry
H-143 Early American in Cherry
H-182 Italian Provincial in Walnut
H-195 Mediterrean in Oak
H-262 Institutional Model with locking roll top...Walnut, some preset and other differences.
H-324 Comtempory in Pecan with built-in Auto-Rhythm
H-382 Italian Provincial in Walnut with built-in Auto-Rhythm
H-395 Mediterranean in Oak with built-in Auto-Rhythm - HX100 like H100 in X66 cabinet


Manuals:
Two 61 note manuals with overhanging keys. 25 note detachable pedalboard.

Controls:
One expression pedal effecting both manuals and pedals...tone compensated photo-cell type. Kick switch mounted to pedal cancels vibrato "immediately". 9 presets and 2 adjust keys for each manual. 2 sets of 11 drawbars for upper manual, 2 sets of 10 drawbars for lower manual. 4 pedal drawbars. 28 tabs for percussion, vibrato, sustain, reverb, etc.

Amp/Output:
Stereo amplification plus a bass channel. Two 8" speakers and one 15" speaker. Mixture of solid-state and tube circuitry.

Features:
96 tonewheel generator with self-starting synchronous motor. Tones go up to a high B (around 8,000Hz), then foldback. Foldback note: 16' goes all the way down, the higher harmonic in the mixture drawbars does not foldback. Reiteration, percussion touch control, harp sustain, string bass, lots of vibrato/chorus controls, reverb controls.



Model B-3



Production Years:
Jan 1955 to 1974

Synopsis:
The archetype, it is equipped with Hammond chorus/vibrato providing 3 levels of chorus and vibrato, selectable for each manual independently. It is equipped with Hammond Percussion. The percussion has four controls: ON/OFF, Volume: NORMAL/SOFT, Decay: SLOW/FAST, Harmonic: 2nd/3rd.

Cabinet Size:
With pedal keyboard and bench: 48.75x46x49.5 (WHD, inches), 425lbs with bench and pedalboard.

Finish:
Walnut/Cherry

Manuals:
Swell and great, 61 playing keys each.

Pedals:
25-note radiating detachable pedalboard.

Controls:
9 preset keys and 2 sets of 9 adjustable harmonic drawbars for each manual. 2 adjustable (16' and 8') for pedals.

Amp/Output:
Internal preamp.

Features:
One expression pedal controlling swell, great an pedals.

[Jeff Roberts]

The B3 is all tube. The H100's are a mixture of tube and solid state.

[Fibes]

There are guys who make great B-3s from 100s.

A bud of mine just got a B-5.

That one comes after B-4.

[Greg Dixon]

I own a H111 (Mahogany Model). Obviously you need a Leslie to get 'that' sound. Mine is an early one '66. They changed them in the late '60s and replaced the percussion section with transistors.

They were meant to be an improvement on the B3. Apparently they had some problems early on, which gave them a reputation for being unreliable. The tonewheel section is the same, except it can produce higher harmonics than the B3 and has extra drawbars.

Tonally, it's very close to a B3. I'm sure if you compared them side by side there would be subtle differences, but nothing significant.

Best of all, you can get them for a small fraction of what a B3 or C3 goes for.

[Bryson]

I'm lookin' over a three leaf clover
that I overlooked be-three

-Bugs Bunny

[Die BREMSSPUR]

Thanx for the input and the inside information from Warner Brothers.

This H100 comes with two original Hammond Leslies, one that sits low but is double the width and the traditional high one.

It is from 1969.  Greg, I wonder about the degree of difference due to the solid state sound.  I would balk at the purchase if it was so extreme...

The salesman told me that B3's vary in sound from one to another.

He said that the preamp and distortion is what gives John Lord his sound, as well as of course, John Lord.

He said there was no difference generally between the two, except the fact that one costs eight times more.

Then I called my tech, and his keyboarder said the same thing.

I am very worried 'cause I have a limited budget and didn't want to cart this monstrosity up to my studio only to have musicians scoff at what an idiot I am for having a shitty H100.  

If they realize I am an idiot, I want them to appreciate me for me and not the size of my organ...

Anyway, what the fukk was I talking about?

Oh yeah, I got all this great advice here butt...I told them not to worry, that I would post this question on my internet forum because there were a lot of famous Americans who know more than you dumb Germans.

I can't wait to tell them that Bugs Bunny was cited.

"a whole mess of messerschmitts!"

lemme nough...

thanx
tik

[Greg Dixon]

Hey Tik,

Well I'm not a Hammond expert or an American.... although I have read the book Hammond Beauty in the B! What do you mean about stupid Germans when we're talking about audio?

Mine came with a double wide Leslie. It's a 222, which is the same as a 122, except in the 'furniture' cabinet. The all tube/valve Leslie is more important than having transistors in the organ. Check out which model Leslies they are. Hammond didn't sell Leslies until much latter, as Mr Hammond hated the Leslie sound.

My clients love mine and I'm talking about some great players, some who have had extensive experience with B3s. They don't look as cool as a B3, but the sound is there.

[Die BREMSSPUR]

Greg Dixon wrote on Fri, 23 March 2007 09:21

Hey Tik, Well I'm not a Hammond expert or an American.... although I have read the book Hammond Beauty in the B! What do you mean about stupid Germans when we're talking about audio? Mine came with a double wide Leslie. It's a 222, which is the same as a 122, except in the 'furniture' cabinet. The all tube/valve Leslie is more important than having transistors in the organ. Check out which model Leslies they are. Hammond didn't sell Leslies until much latter, as Mr Hammond hated the Leslie sound. My clients love mine and I'm talking about some great players, some who have had extensive experience with B3s. They don't look as cool as a B3, but the sound is there.

Sorry, the famous Americans and "dumb" Germans was sarcasm.

Sarcasm really doesn't translate well in this medium.



Thanx for your opinion on this.

The thing comes with two Leslies, one that I didn't see, which is the upright one, which they said had to be restored.  So I am just guessing but probably no trasistors in the cab....

I am going to pick it up for sure then.

Thanks again...

tik

[Jeff Roberts]

Greg Dixon wrote on Fri, 23 March 2007 08:21

The all tube/valve Leslie is more important than having transistors in the organ.

+1

And you can never have too many valve Leslies........

[Electric Warrior]

Die BREMSSPUR wrote on Fri, 23 March 2007 09:08

Sarcasm really doesn't translate well in this medium.

Have you ever tried emoticons?

[Die BREMSSPUR]

Electric Warrior wrote on Fri, 23 March 2007 18:57

Die BREMSSPUR wrote on Fri, 23 March 2007 09:08 Sarcasm really doesn't translate well in this medium. Have you ever tried emoticons?

It's a societal taboo....

[Han S.]

I own a H112 and I was lucky to buy it from an old man who couldnt'play at all. He had this Hammond because he wanted to own a Hammond.

So he had put a small dot with a marker on every C key in order to be able to at least play a C cord.

So this organ was as good as new, which is very rare these days.

I can assure you that the H100 sounds nearly as good as the B3/C3/A100, but Hammonds are like guitars, some sound better than others.

If you wanna buy a Hammond tonewheel organ, bring a specialist with you, cause when the organ needs an overhaul you're in trouble.

The most popular and most expensive Leslie is the 122, which is different from the 147. The 122 has an extra tube.

There's nothing that sounds like a genuine tone wheel organ, it behaves like an oilstain within the mix and it makes people horny.

[Joe Black]

I'll add that for some 'clients' it's not going to matter how much your "organ" sounds like a "B3", it's not. I've seen doofusses of the Highest American Order scoff at a C3 because it's one letter shy of a B3, but certainly closer to Jesus. Pengooins are just like chickens.

Anyway, neither the B3, the C3 nor the H1xx will get the sounds my Hammond Model D gets with the dual tonewheels creatign chorus of the highest magnitude and driving a PR40 with that darker then the blackest of nights oil can reverb. And yes Mildred, if you kick a cow hard enough in the udder, milk will spurt from it's ass.

[Greg Dixon]

Han S. wrote on Sat, 24 March 2007 11:45

I own a H112 and I was lucky to buy it from an old man who couldnt'play at all. The most popular and most expensive Leslie is the 122, which is different from the 147. The 122 has an extra tube.

I bought mine from someone in a retirement home. I'm the third owner. There's a receipt from 1973, when the lady I bought it from purchased it, for $4600. It came with the service manual and a pile of Hammond brochures and user guides.

One of the 12AU7s in the 122, is for the switching circuit, it doesn't affect the tone.