Hammond X77 Owners Corner

[Jim McDougall]

Yes - interested ! Can the legs be removed so that the top and legs can be flat packed for shipping?

[Guest]

Hello
Wondering you can help me wiht my X77, After the Organ is on, I have a lot of Hum,
Could you help me please ?
crmc23@gmail.com
Richard

[xbartx]

X-77L parts

I have most of the parts out of an X-77L. If anyone needs something, please let me know.
I can post this in the classified forum if that is more appropriate.
-Brad

[Doddy]

Brad

Have sent you a PM about voice and tone generation stuff.

[bnelson218]

Hello,
Just wondering if there's anyone still active or following this forum? Let me know.
Bruce

[Tigfit]

I am a Newbie trying to learn how to restore a Hammond x77 Organ! Have been working on a Basket case Leslie X77P that came from ???? Have been given some good tips on repairing problem areas. Bottom bearing on drum was frozen and it was spinning in rubber grommet. Lots of parts cleaning. Trying to figure out what is causing a Scratching static sound coming from tremble horn. Maybe Bad caps I guess. My brother has the same Organ so maybe between the two of them we can figure each others problems!

[indianajo]

As much as I am in favor of changing old electrolytic caps, a scratching sound is not usually that. could be a bad connection somewhere that needs reseating or cleaning with contact cleaner. Bad solder joints can also cause this problem. Any connector is a possible source, even breaks in the wires in the cable to the Leslie. Warning, proper flammable contact cleaner can ignite, no smoking, open flame, electricity turned on or off within 10 m of use. Set up a fan before spraying to dissipate the fumes. Do not use professional brominated hydrocarbon contact cleaner, it will dissolve plastics used in hammond organs. The pro stuff is sold at industrial and electrical supply houses for about $30 a can, not much of a temptation.
Once you've eliminated the connectors as a problem, you can push around on the components on the PWB's with an insulated stick to see if you can locate the bad connection. Use a chop stick, dry ice cream stick, or a dead stick pen without the ink filler in it.
If you can't find a connector, broken wire, or bad solder joint, the bad news is that scratching noise can be bad connection inside transistor or resistors. We used to find these with a can of circuit cooler, spraying around likely parts, but most of the good circuit coolers have been banned by the EPA. I haven't seen a can of circuit cooler in 15 years. The sure way to find them is an oscilloscope, finding the place before the sound starts, and the one after where it occurs, to point out the bad part, but that is an expensive tool.

[Admin]

On the organ flip the Main tab up and the Echo tab down so that no signal is being sent to the Leslie from the organ. Does the scratching sound go away?

I'm assuming that by scratching sound you're talking about a static like sound that exists whether the organ is being played or not, not a distorted signal.

[Tigfit]

Thanks for info. I was away for the week and just got back. Good news is I have a Oscilloscope , now to make time to troubleshoot it ! Thanks!

[Analog]

As much as I am in favor of changing old electrolytic caps, a scratching sound is not usually that. could be a bad connection somewhere that needs reseating or cleaning with contact cleaner. Bad solder joints can also cause this problem. Any connector is a possible source, even breaks in the wires in the cable to the Leslie. Warning, proper flammable contact cleaner can ignite, no smoking, open flame, electricity turned on or off within 10 m of use. Set up a fan before spraying to dissipate the fumes. Do not use professional brominated hydrocarbon contact cleaner, it will dissolve plastics used in hammond organs. The pro stuff is sold at industrial and electrical supply houses for about $30 a can, not much of a temptation.
Once you've eliminated the connectors as a problem, you can push around on the components on the PWB's with an insulated stick to see if you can locate the bad connection. Use a chop stick, dry ice cream stick, or a dead stick pen without the ink filler in it.
If you can't find a connector, broken wire, or bad solder joint, the bad news is that scratching noise can be bad connection inside transistor or resistors. We used to find these with a can of circuit cooler, spraying around likely parts, but most of the good circuit coolers have been banned by the EPA. I haven't seen a can of circuit cooler in 15 years. The sure way to find them is an oscilloscope, finding the place before the sound starts, and the one after where it occurs, to point out the bad part, but that is an expensive tool.

I have successfully used plumbers pipe freezing spray and also the cans of compressed air from computer shops for cleaning keyboards in place of circuit cooler. Used one recently to troubleshoot a Farfisa Compact oscillator board.

[Tigfit]

Yes when the Main tab is up and Echo tab is down Scratching static sound is gone! If I then change switches main down and Echo up it plays fine for a few seconds then returns. The longer the Organ is on the sound seems to become less.

Thanks for help!
Bill

On the organ flip the Main tab up and the Echo tab down so that no signal is being sent to the Leslie from the organ. Does the scratching sound go away?

I'm assuming that by scratching sound you're talking about a static like sound that exists whether the organ is being played or not, not a distorted signal.

[Admin]

Yes when the Main tab is up and Echo tab is down Scratching static sound is gone! If I then change switches main down and Echo up it plays fine for a few seconds then returns. The longer the Organ is on the sound seems to become less.

Thanks for help!
Bill

This means that the noise is originating in the organ, not the Leslie. Your next challenge is to identify the channel the noise is on. You're going to need a service manual.

[Tigfit]

Thanks for the quick reply ! I have a service manual and some electronic equipment so that should help! If I unplug each one of the amplifier board inputs one at a time I guess I should be able to figure which channel to start troubleshooting in the Organ. Thanks for the help Again.

[Admin]

The fluorescent music light can cause all sorts of noise problems. Make sure it's off when doing your noise troubleshooting.

[Gavin Brown]

Hi, I wanting to get the Hammond X77, H-395, H-324, and Elegante 3401000. Is there any way I can make them sound the best as possible. Is there anyway that I can make the X77 sound like a B-3 and Elegante and make the H-100 series sound like B-3