Hammond T 500 Series Spinet reliability

[jwhite1362]

I have the opportunity to acquire a T500 (exact model ??) Hammond spinet for the price of getting it back to being operational. Once operational, are these models relatively trouble free compared to the older tube amp models or are they less reliable? Good Hammond service technicians are scarce in my area! Thank you! Jwhite1362

[enor]

The scanners in them are really bad, and they are prone to poor connections between internal units. I'd definitely say less reliable than the tube models (but then again, almost nothing is as reliable as a tube/tonewheel Hammond).

[andyg]

The two big issues are the 'loo roll' type scanner and the auto-accompaniment board.

That type of scanner can be noisy. I had one that was really quiet and one that was noisy even after a strip down and rebuild. Just down to luck.

The lower manual and pedals are routed through the auto-accompaniment board. It's the connectors to and from that board that can be an issue. I've also heard of the boards cracking. The connectors can be cleaned if necessary and it's pretty easy to spot a cracked board and fix it. Some owners remove the Rhythm III unit and bypass the auto-accompaniment board completely, effectively making the organ into a T200.

Apart from that, and the usually non-functioning cassette deck (if fitted), the T500 is probably just as reliable as any other Hammond, tube or solid state. Apart from that one board, everything is hard wired. Wire wrap connections might do from a drop of solder if they misbehave. Very few T500s have seen any outside use, so have had a gentle, sheltered life!

If you were planning on modding the T500 so it plays more like an M100, say, then the mods on Carsten Meyer's work should work but there may be some small differences on some of the boards. But maybe you're one of those potential owners who like the T series for what they are, a very nice, very playable home organ, just the way it is!

There are plenty of threads

[Brendon Wright]

I've also found that they're sensitive to having their insides being messed with more than is necessary.
Getting it running is a worthwhile job but endless modifications like I have done will cause the spider-web of wires to become ever so fragile.
Moderation is the key to dealing with those innards... short of a cunningly robust redesign and judicious use of cable ties.
If ya don't already have a Hammond I'd say GO FOR IT!
But if you have the opportunity for an M100 you'll be forever happy.

[Papus]

With patience, a steady hand with a soldering iron, and a bit of luck you can turn the humble T-Series into a fire-breathing, key-click spitting beast, like THIS! (You'll need a proper Leslie too LOL)

Disclaimer: I am not a keyboard player. Audio sample for novelty purposes only.