Model E typewriter-key presets can be replaced with keyboard keys?

[normende]

Hi,

I was wondering if it is possible to replace the typewriter buttons in a model E with keys.

I don't have access to a model with keys, so I don't know if the base mechanism is the same and if it will just require to get the keys and replace the current set up with them.

Anybody ever tried that?

Thanks.

[skydawg]

Why would you want to do that? The E is the only Hammond to have those buttons.Unique and rare Hammonds should be preserved,IMO.

[muckelroy]

It’s not like you play the presets like playing keys. Keep the originals.

[KC9UDX]

I will play a chord on my key presets to get mixed presets. But I would never modify an E for keys.

[JoeyB3]

I love it when someone asks a simple question and all he gets in return are opinions on why his question should not be answered....

The answer is YES - the mechanism is the same, and if you have the parts you can eliminate the typewriter keys and replace with standard Hammond preset keys.
Sacrilege, yes. But doable if that is what you want to do.

Now....wasn't that simple?!?!

[normende]

Hi all,

I was just wondering if it was possible, I didn't mean to do that.
Anyway if it could be done with the chance to revert the process that would be fun to try it, but I agree with the concept of keeping things as they were meant to be by the designer. Down here for those who are not into this if the organ doesn't have the reversed-color keys it is not a Hammond :)

More. I received the organ with all the wiring replaced by modern awful plastic wires (not the ones in the tone generator, all the rest related to AC internal connections). Red, blue, yellow, orange, bright and clean awful wires. Painful to look at.

I slowly started replacing all of them with cables covered with fabric but not new ones. I planed to use used, old ones (not degraded) coming from old kitchen appliances found on the street. I was in a search for a while. It took me a lot of time but I did it and now when I remove the back cover I can enjoy that overall old look inside of the organ.

Someone had canibalized the original tube preamp taking the output transformer and the capacitor cans out of the chassis. They added a transistor preamplifier inside of the organ. They also drilled (oh my) a hole in the console to add an electronic vibrato switch.

I rebuilt the original tube preamp but that hole was driving me crazy. It is located exactly where vibrato switchs are in organs that come with it.
I decided to remove the small plate with the model and serial number which is placed inside of the organ on the reostat box and stick it over the hole. That is the only thing I changed from the original setup but believe me that plate is beautiful and shows the model and serial number of the organ and also covers that painful hole. I like it a lot so no regrets and it is also reversible (things look different when you can bring them back to the way they were).

Thanks again!

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks Joey for your concepts! :)

[JoeyB3]

As a fan, restorer, and (self proclaimed) expert on the Concert Model E, I would be very interested to see any pics you may have of the mods that were done to your organ, and your solutions to fix them! Kindly post whatever you have here so we can all take a peek!!

Joey