Me widowed Mum selling Dad's Lesile 21H and clueless on price...

[Guest]

Greetings Organ Forum!</p>


Trust this last-minute plea for info appropriate this forum. My mother, nineteen years after my Dad's passing, is finally selling his Leslie model 21H (S/N 16638) and is clueless on price. She's located in Petaluma, CA, an hour north of San Francisco, and saw a "Leslie wanted" classified in the local Press Democrat. She called the fella this morning, and he's dropping by tomorrow the 6th of May 2009 at 1:00 PM to inspect it and likely pick it up. He's offered her $200 US. AFAIK, Dad was the original owner, the cabinet is in very good condition, though the unit has not been energized for 20 years. Knowing that it's difficult to pin-point an asking price without actually seeing the unit, checking the innards and such, am hoping you all could field a few numbers my way. I'm thinking $800 is more appropriate figure. Your thoughts?</p>


Hope to hear from you!</p>


Regards,</p>


Hal
&lt;mailto:[email protected]&gt;
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[CEB]

Re: Me widowed Mum selling Dad's Lesile 21H and clueless on price...



I don't know. It is only a single speed model. They made those with 2 different amps I believe, a 20 watt model and a 30 watt model.</P>


I wouldn't want it because it is a single speed Leslie, but if someone was handy and wanted to convert it to a 2 speed model it would make a nice speaker. </P>

[Guest]

Re: Me widowed Mum selling Dad's Lesile 21H and clueless on price...



Thanks for quick reply CEB. I've since found (don't know how missed it earlier) the "Leslie 21H Locally" thread, so am thinking $800 for working very good condition unit in Sonoma County CA isn't extreme. As someone noted, they don't make these any more.
</p>

Hard to pin down value! I see Ebay posts from $2k for unrestored used unit to just the wooden cabinet for $100.00.</p>

I've got enough tech savy to see which amp is installed (tube type dead give-away methinks) just out of curiosity.</p>

Be well and thanks again!</p>

Hal
&lt;mailto:[email protected]&gt;
</p>

[johnny b3]

Re: Me widowed Mum selling Dad's Lesile 21H and clueless on price...



Leslies with little to no wear on the wood cabinet are those that can fetch the most money. Sounds like this one is going to be clean! I think this will have the old style amp (not sure of the wattage) because it is a 21. They switched to 22 when the amp was upgraded. I'm almost positive your leslie contains a Field Coil type bass woofer which alone can fetch hundreds on ebay. </p>

and yes...they don't make these anymore. they're LONG gone. Even if you haven't powered it up in years, there's nothing to these amps and there is nothing that can't be repaired. Very likely that it needs to be serviced because it has moving parts which need to be lubricated, belts replaced, maybe the amp needs some new components, etc. This pending maintenance should NOT bring down the value. </p>

IMHO, If the cabinet is in extremely nice shape (no dings, chips, scratches etc) it can easily be worth $1000 or more. $200 is a joke. $800 would be very generous on your part. </p>

Do you have the organ, or any electronic switches or cabling for the cabinet? Pictures?</p>

[Guest]

Re: Me widowed Mum selling Dad's Lesile 21H and clueless on price...



Many thanks for the post Johnny. I'm advising Mom to hold to $800 firm. I've taken the day off tomorrow and will make the hour drive to provide moral support. Will snap some pix to post and just for old times sake. Dad originally paired the Leslie with a Hammond chord organ (model no. unknown) around 1965 (guessing), which he sold around 1974 and bought a Yamaha so we kids would learn to play the two-keyboard style. Bleah. My kid brother actually moved on to playing accordion! The shame!</p>

I believe Mom may still have the original controls (two I think, side-mounted semi-circle doodads) and maybe the cables, though I vaguely remember many problems with the Yamaha dealer getting the new Yamaha to talk to the Leslie.</p>

Much appreciate your post and advice. Will let you know how it goes.</p>

Regards,</p>

Hal</p>


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[H_Keyz_85]

Re: Me widowed Mum selling Dad's Lesile 21H and clueless on price...



Hal,</p>

</p>

We would love to see pics of the Leslie, if you can, get some pics of the inside as well. If it hasn't been used in 20 years, I'd imagine the motors will most certainly need to be oiled and the tube amp serviced. More than likely the buyer will be aware of this if they know anything about Leslies. Unless the buyer plans to service the amp himself/herself, it can cost $200-$300 to have a tech do the job. Converting to two speed operation will also cost another $200 or more depending on which option the buyer would go. The buyer may take that into consideration when they look at the price. Not trying to discourage you about the $800, but given it is a single speed Leslie, and the time frame that it has set unused, expecting to get $800 may be wishful thinking. </p>

</p>

At any rate, best of luck to you and hey, I've been wrong before so don't feel like you have to take what I say as the gospel truth. :-)</p>

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Take care,
</p>

[Guest]

Re: Me widowed Mum selling Dad's Lesile 21H and clueless on price...



Keyz,</p>

Many thanks for your thoughts. Mom would be tickled just to see the unit pressed back into service by one with musical inclinations. Not sentiment so as much as "get to work!" I'm thinking.</p>

Thanks for the encouragement on photos. Will make a point to snap some.</p>

&lt;chuckle&gt; Is there a Leslie registry like there is for classic muscle cars I should update? "On &lt;date&gt;, ownership of 21H S/N 16638 transitioned from..."
</p>

Off to Ma's.</p>

Be well!</p>

Hal

</p>

[johnny b3]

Re: Me widowed Mum selling Dad's Lesile 21H and clueless on price...



http://www.tonewheelgeneral.com/agelist/agelist.php</p>

(looks to be 1957, though the other entries only have a 33% confidence level).</p>

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I would say that anybody with a hint of mechanical knowledge can take care of the motors and other moving parts with relative ease. The amp, while it may need tubes and service may indeed cost near 200$ of a tech's time. There are very helpful online tutorials available about complete leslie servicing. If you are up to the job...just say so! Also, it's completely normal for most all old leslies to be caked in dust on the insides. I think half the fun is buying an old leslie, gutting the insides, cleaning and servicing the components, overhauling the amp and playing the instrument with pride from that day forward. But that's just me.
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Those leslie half-moon controls (one should be "off - on" tremolo switch, the other a speaker selection (Main-Echo-Ensemble) are worth a pretty penny on ebay. If there is a connector box which was housed in the organ where these switches connect to, a kit with all the parts runs around $200 on ebay, although the switches alone are what people are after. The 6-pin cable for the leslie run around upwards of $60 new.</p>

Also, to give you an idea of what your leslie is capable of (if paired with the correct organ - MUST be a hammond console organ or it'll blow the organ or itself up), check this vid out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIB2ywz3S9o</p>

Ya, the option of two speed "chorale" is cool, but the transition from dead-stop to full speed is something very unique on its own (of course, thats available as a brake option on the two speeds as well). Just listen to the sound on the vid... it speaks for its self.
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[Guest]

Re: Me widowed Mum selling Dad's Lesile 21H and clueless on price...



Many thanks again for the info!</p>

Have confirmed Mom does have the original two switches and the tremolo control box. The speakers are the original Jensens, the bass being an electro-dynamic. Even found a box labeled "spare motor" containing an General Industries model D-10.</p>

Have posted some pix at http://img4.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=img0105v.jpg.</p>

Regards,</p>

Hal</p>

[H_Keyz_85]

Re: Me widowed Mum selling Dad's Lesile 21H and clueless on price...



Johnny beat me to it. I was also going to post that Hammond Age List link.</p>

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I may have been a little premature in my judgement on the price. I was totally not even thinking about the fact that 21H's have the field coil woofer. That is probably the most valueable part in the speaker. You may actually get that $800 just for the fact that it is stock 21H with the field coil woofer.</p>

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Great pics! That is a really REALLY nice Leslie.
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[johnny b3]

Re: Me widowed Mum selling Dad's Lesile 21H and clueless on price...



Wish I was the owner [:'(]</p>

She's a beaut! A rarity that its 50 yrs old without a scratch.
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[Guest]

Re: Me widowed Mum selling Dad's Lesile 21H and clueless on price...



Wow...I want it...</p>

$800 is a steal. I know because I would pay it in a second. What is that feeling you get when you see an old Leslie or an old Hammond? The first thing that hits me when I see these pictures is the smell. I swear I can smell that thing. I walk into my basement and i can smell my M3 and the hair on the back of my neck stands up and I get goosebumps...I love it.</p>

Mike
</p>

[Guest]

Re: Me widowed Mum selling Dad's Lesile 21H and clueless on price...



Many thanks for all the response gang. I was worried that no one would see the original post in time to get info my way, but you all were right on top of stuff and we were able to provide Mom informed counsel.</p>

Mom left voice-mail with the fella that posted the "Leslie wanted" advert in the local paper letting him know she wanted $800 for the unit. He thought that was outside of his budget and elected not to make the drive down to see the unit. Pity that, because it really is a gorgeous piece (Added a couple new pix to gallery here).</p>

In any case, I'm much more informed about the Leslie, have even more appreciation for just how cool a guy my dad was, and have a new found appreciation for organ lovers everywhere and especially you all on here. Mom's happy to have the Leslie parked in the corner of the living room where it still looks great.</p>

Be well all and thanks again!</p>

Hal</p>

[johnny b3]

Re: Me widowed Mum selling Dad's Lesile 21H and clueless on price...

HA, I had a feeling you'd become a convert!!! Welcome in.