Gorgeous Hammond Model D

[Th'Rift]

Picked up a beautiful Model D this week from a church in a small community in Newfoundland. It was donated to the Roman catholic church by the United states navy base. It's in fantastic condition, all things considered. I'm going to be picking at it and cleaning it for awhile, so I figured it'd be a great opportunity for you cats to take a look inside and hopefully help provide some insight, and suggestions as I go. The forum only allows 5 pictures at a time, bare with me as I add more and explain what I'm seeing! Here's the front end, no percussion, upper and lower presets, nice little dedication.

[Th'Rift]

Classic old switches, start and run, like an old diesel engine. A trem chorale switch, and a mechanical swell pedal.

[tpappano]

Very nice, awesome actually!

[Th'Rift]

Back end, power amplifier? Seems out of place. Mounted on a piece of wood, not factory spec. Black and red wire from the side has been cut, perhaps to connect to house speakers? Big Cable leads to a housing on the organs left side, where a power cable also connects. Needs furthur examination.

[Dewey643]

That power amp looks like it is from a Leslie speaker cabinet! I wonder who dreamed that up,...putting that power amp in there.

[Th'Rift]

Im thinking that at some point the Leslie 122 that was paired to this organ crapped out. Probably just needed some simple service, but to make things easier for the church they just took the amp out, clipped the output and wired it to the house speakers. I believe the leslie then ended up at the local piano/ organ shop where it was being turned into a two channel solid state thing until I bought it a bunch of months ago, before I got the organ. Picked up the organ, found the amplifier inside and when I put it inside the leslie the screw holes matched up and everything, perfect fit.

[Th'Rift]

Seems like somebody took an amplifier from a Leslie and mounted it in here. Scrubbed some grime and found some sockets. Anybody have any info here? I've got a busted leslie 771 (we'll get into that later) , and a 125 with a shot power amp. I'd love to hear this thing pushing the 771.

[Th'Rift]

That housing I mentioned, plus the power cable. Connects to the top shelf from a plastic tube cable channel. 6 pin connection from here to the leslie amplifier.

[Th'Rift]

[Th'Rift]

TG, chorus generator in behind it, hard to photograph. It ran when I started it. Didn't scream.

[Th'Rift]

[Th'Rift]

Not sure what that box with the dates on it is, anybody? The dates I'm pretty sure are quality control checks, or installation dates. Also, the mess is the preset wiring chassis. Switchable presets on a piece of musical equipment from the 40s is blowing my mind. So innovative, and ahead of its time, as the mess probably shows.

[Th'Rift]

A few identification plates, oiling instructions, etc

[Th'Rift]

A leslie kit mounted on the ceiling. In and around the amplifier.

[Th'Rift]

That's essentially the tour! I'm curious as to my options for leslie connection. I have a 771 I'm going to be working on, I'll link the post when it's up. I'm wondering what could be done with that leslie amp in the organ. Think I could put it into the 771 body, use the 771 motors on the (what was it a 122) amp? I'd freak out if I could get this thing singing horns without buying a friggen leslie kit.

[Th'Rift]

The story, I picked this thing up about an hour outside my town, from a church. Myself and my equally small statured friend drove out with my father and a trailer, got in there with a hand truck rated for 400 pounds, locked the genny, tilted her back on the hand truck, laid the works of it on the floor on the truck's 4 wheels, and simply wheeled it out, pushed it over a few bumps and carefully flipped her upright into the trailer. Strapped her in tight with blankets and straps, and went back in for the L-112 (did I mention there was an L-112?) Beautiful day, no clouds, sun shining, no problems perfect extraction. Icing on the cake? Didn't cost more than gas and a sandwich, nothing like a free Hammond.

[NittyRanks]

That's cool. So the Model D was free also?