Issues hooking up a B3 with 122

[Guest]

Greetings, this is my first post and I'm at a loss for what to do next. I appreciate any and all help.

i have a Hammond B3 I've used for a few years. It has a 1/4 out that I plugged into a Leslie 3300. Sounded great. I just got my hands on a Leslie 122. I can't get the two to work together and I need some advice.

The issue: At its best I can get the Leslie to power up. It starts on fast then slows down, then it begins to hum and grows louder while switching to fast. At this point the hum dies down but doesn't disappear and it will play but I can't switch to slow, it only stays on fast.

I have tried two different Leslie kits. The older kit I took out of an old M3 I acquired and the newer kit was already installed in the B3 when I purchased it. When I first tried it out I was using the 6pin out installed in the back of the next to the legs and back of the pedal board of the B3. That sounded awful and it wouldn't switch. I wired it up through a different 6pin cable I took from the M3 and just completely bypassed the one in the B3, that helped the sound but the speed issue is still happening and there is still a lot of hum.

Ive put all new tubes in the 122. I tested it using the 1/4 out on the B3 into a Trek II pre-amp pedal then to the Leslie and it worked with that.

I don't know what else to do. I find it hard to believe that both Leslie kits are bad. But it works with the preamp pedal, so I wonder if I need to purchase a new kit? I've never heard the newer kit work and the older one looks like it was on fire briefly at one point but I have heard that one work when it was in the M3.

Any ideas?

[andyg]

Did you actually check to see if those kits are 122 (6H) type kits. The same 6 pins are used for the 6W leslie 147 hookup and they are NOT compatible.

So more details please and preferably some photos so we can get an idea of what it is you have.

[Kurzweil]

You did well for your Hammond/Leslie post to stay on the Home Organ page. Usually, it would be moved to the Hammond page. For the very good reason that many more people that actually know Hammonds might see it. http://captain-foldback.com/ is a site that will give you the correct wiring in the event that there is a problem with your Leslie kit. It will also tell you more than you ever wanted to know about Hammonds and speakers. Usually, a B or C model Hammond cannot operate without the appropriate Leslie or Hammond tone cabinet connected. The reason is that the B-3 power supply has no plate voltage output. It gets that from the speaker amplifier's power supply. The fact that yours worked with a 3300 (which is a modern 9-pin cabinet) implies that the B-3 has had some modifications done to it.

The tubes in your Leslie are probably the most reliable part at this time. Capacitors are a more common cause for hum and are fortunately inexpensive and easy to replace with rudimentary soldering skills.

[andyg]

I moved the thread when I replied back in March! The move did not 'stick' for some reason. We never did hear back from the OP.

[skydawg]

3 series organs do not need B* from a Leslie or tone cabinet,hence the 5 pin socket on the connector box.

[enor]

Usually, a B or C model Hammond cannot operate without the appropriate Leslie or Hammond tone cabinet connected. The reason is that the B-3 power supply has no plate voltage output. It gets that from the speaker amplifier's power supply. The fact that yours worked with a 3300 (which is a modern 9-pin cabinet) implies that the B-3 has had some modifications done to it.

Kurzweil - that's incorrect. The earliest Hammonds (30s and 40s models) need external power, but starting with the "-2" series that's no longer needed.

[Kurzweil]

News to me. But I apparently had the pin count incorrect also. The 760 is a nine pin. The 3300, and all modern Leslies, are 11 pin.