2 1/4" jacks on ' new ' M3. Output or headphone ?

[Joey_Gleet]

Garage rescue M3 has two 1/4" jacks on left below percussion switches. Are these most likely 1/4" outs that I could use for a motion speaker or, are they likely just for headphones ?

[tpappano]

Hard to tell what they did, could be any combination of headphone or line out. I would just plug in some headphones and see what happens. A line out would probably produce a low volume in the phones, a "headphone" hookup would be louder and maybe disable the organ speaker with something plugged in. In any case, it would be easy to re-configure them for your own purposes 8)

[Joey_Gleet]

I find it interesting that there are two of them.

[tiredoldgeezer]

Things like this were done to hook up a Leslie 145/147 which took a 1/4" signal... well, with some adapting to the 6 pin hookup.

[Joey_Gleet]

Interesting because, once I get the M3 functioning reasonably well the next step is to, of course, find a Leslie or a motion sound speaker. There are two currently in the local market on CL - a Leslie 302C and a 125. I think both are asking $400.

[tiredoldgeezer]

Yeah, that kinda seems to be the natural order of things. Get a Hammond. Get a Leslie. Almost every time.

[Joey_Gleet]

Seems to be almost mandatory, TOG. I must admit to wondering about spending over $1k on an accessory for an organ that I got for free.

[Joey_Gleet]

I plugged headphones into the left and right jacks. The right one has signal to the headphones without cutting out the speaker. The left one cuts the speaker.
Am I right in guessing that there is some sort of interface device with a Leslie that would allow the option of playing through the Leslie with or without the speaker ?

[tiredoldgeezer]

I've never been one to use such a thing, but I'm sure it exists, and if not, could be wired up rather handily.

The speaker onboard the M3 is generally no great prize, but someone might wanna run it. Most folks go to some length to keep the speaker from sounding at all... while the Leslie is around. Both together isn't usually regarded as a happy combo.

That said, I ran a C3 console with a Leslie and Hammond Tone Cabinet on a paddle switch next to the speed switch. That was very long ago and I hardly ever used the tone cab, ultimately replacing it with another Leslie which i ran like that for the next 5 years or so.

[Joey_Gleet]

I think I read that about an A100 series that someone had wired up to mix the two. I could be wrong. What are some good Leslie candidates to pair up with an M3 and what are some Leslie models to avoid ?

[tpappano]

What year is your M3? Early ones had center-tapped output transformers that would neatly drive a 122 (balanced) or 147 (unbalanced). Later ones have one side of the speaker grounded, so better suited to a 147.

[Joey_Gleet]

Serial # 80466. Oil chart has 08/10/1957 as first oiling so, I'm guessing 1957. Would the 1/4" be a good way to go with a motion sound speaker or lesser Leslie ?

[tpappano]

From the serial number it looks like yours has the center-tapped output transformer, so you can hook up to just about any Leslie model by using an appropriate official Leslie "kit", or by rolling your own interface with a socket to plug the Leslie into, a switch for changing speeds, and if a 122-style, a couple of resistors and capacitors. Now I should say that I'm an electronics nerd (and a cheapskate), so rolling my own is just an automatic path that I follow. Others hopefully will chime in with various pros and cons, and I can help with a roll-your-own scheme, and maybe tips on your 1/4" jack wiring 8) Congrats on your "new" M3!

[Joey_Gleet]

I'm lucky to be just up I-49 from Tonewheel General so assistance will be available once I decide what to do. There are a Leslie 302C for $400 and a Leslie 825 for $250 available locally. I'm wondering if either of those would be workable with the 1/4" jack.

[tpappano]

Oh, and on the Leslie 125, I think these were often used with spinets and they might, or might not, have their own amplifier. I think they were sold both ways. Also, I think they do not have the treble horns, only a lower rotor.

[tpappano]

Wow, the 825 might just be the way to go, and seems like a great price (a steal, maybe?) to me, and can certainly be made to work on your M3. From what I can tell from searches, the 302C would work but has a non-rotating woofer, since also more expensive, I'd get the 825 8) Both have solid-state amps so you don't want to overdrive them like a tube amp, but Kon has posted mods you can do to the M3 to get all the sweet distortion you want, without having to overdrive the Leslie. I did this to my M3 which is hooked up to a 720 (also solid-state) and it sounds really cool! For $250, if it were a shorter drive for me, I'd grab the 825 myself 8)

OOPS! Hold that thought, the 825 might also be a single rotor- digging a little more...

[tpappano]

OK, the 825 has a single 12" full-range speaker firing through a 2-speed rotor, with a 50 watt amp. Still seems like it could be a deal, at least better than the 302C. Perhaps other can provide better insight, I personally have not heard what the single rotor Leslies sound like.

edit: Gee whiz, now I'm really confused- now I see pics suggesting that the 302C has both treble and bass rotors, so it may be worth the price 8)

edit again: 302C has rotating *horns* and *fixed* woofer.

[enor]

With the 125 you'll be disappointed about how the treble sounds. With the other one you'll be disappointed about how the bass sounds. Neither is worth spending money on, imo.

[andyg]

But if you got the 125 to get you at least some Leslie animation, you could then look around for a 145 or 147, knowing that those two would be 'plug and play' on the same 6-pin connection as the 125. And you'd sell the 125 for at least what you paid for it.

If you went for the 302C, although you'd have the treble horns sound (and though I know what Enor means, if you're playing at home, you might find that you'll have enough bass) you'd be tied into an 11 pin connection, essentially limiting your choices to a 720 (which would need a Trek crossover installed) or one of the Rotosonic equipped leslies like the 715.

[enor]

330 is 11 pin. As is the new and hot 3300.

[Joey_Gleet]

So, the 125 for about the same price would be a better short term option while I continue looking for a more desirable Leslie , along with a console. I'm a beginner so I'm still working on Londonderry air and Santa Lucia :-) Andy's Hammond restorations is just down the road a few hours and if I ever have 5k sitting around ....

[clem]

Doesn't the 302C also have 1/4" jacks for both audio and footswitch? I had one but it's been a while. I remember thinking it sounded pretty good. Personally, I'd take the good horn/weak bass sound over the no horn/strong bass...and the simulated bass was far from terrible.