I found an M-3 and I need help dating it.

[Guest]

Hello, Missi here, I'm Farndurks' other half. Ever since we found him the A102, we've been Hammond crazy here. I discovered that I can play the organ and actually like it better than my beloved piano. I'm now on the hunt for a Hammond of my own! [:D] I think I've found an M-3, for less than 3 bills and it's within a decent driving distance away. I just need some help with figuring the age. Is there a website to go to or a formula to use?The serial number is 82155. </P>


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These are pictures from the ad. Thought they may help in aging this beauty.</P>


Any kind of help would be welcomed and appreciated. [:)</P>


Peace, </P>


Missi</P>
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[bourniplus]

Re: I found an M-3 and I need help dating it.



Hi Missi,</p>

according to this: http://www.tonewheelgeneral.com/agelist/agelist.php it would be a 1955 or 1956
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[Guest]

Re: I found an M-3 and I need help dating it.



Hi, Thanks for the info and quick reply! [:D] I'd been to that site...but, there were several different dates, so all I got was confused. </P>


So if I got it right...the only sonic difference between the M-3 and a console, is the lack of foldback, right? One more thing...the vib scanner, delay line, tonewheel generator and percussion are pretty much the same, right?</P>


Please let me know if I am off here. I am such a newbie at all this Hammond stuff. I want to be sure and make an informed decision.</P>


Peace,</P>


Missi [:)]</P>

[TheAdmiral]

Re: I found an M-3 and I need help dating it.



You're pretty much got the hang of it! [Y] Only big difference besides foldback is shorter keyboards and pedalboards.
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It will have the field coil speaker (4 wires). Important to know if you need to work on it or add Leslie connector.
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[Brendon Wright]

Re: I found an M-3 and I need help dating it.



G'day Missi!</p>

The M3 is the king of all spinets, without any question.  </p>

Brian can add foldback and manual tapering easy (well, it'll take a few evenings... and I've got gran's old recipe for both of those) and I saw on another post this morning.... he could even add coloured lights under the manuals!!!!!!! Man, I'd love that.... </p>

-Brendoon </p>

[Guest]

Re: I found an M-3 and I need help dating it.



Hey B-doonage. It's Brian this time. Sorry for the schitzophrenic act going on here, she's promised she'll get her own account tonight (hint hint, Missi [;)]).</P>


Anyhow, she actually likes the spinet tone, well at least what she knows of it so far. Whiter Shade of ...., Boston's Foreplay/Longtime, and a PILE of Jyu-Toob vids have set the hook with her. So I think (hope) I'm spared the foldback torture. And we've a bit of a romantic notion in this spinet. When we met (on October 14th, 1979) I owned an M100. It was a total rag-a-muffin, beat down hard but loved lots inmy 4 year *turn* in it's ownership history. So the whole spinet thing is a little bit timely for both of us. Maybe someday I'll dig up an M100 like the one I had in my youth, it'll go good with the A102...... *dreamin' again ....* [:)]</P>
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[Brendon Wright]

Re: I found an M-3 and I need help dating it.




Coo!</p>

My dream is to be a real artist.... to write what I like, record what I like and draw what I like without having to fulfil a brief for some client! Man, that'd be so cool. I mean, if what goes around comes around.... we've got 1,000 books around the house, hunnerds a comix hidden out in the shed in my boxes (wating for the boys to get old enuff to read 'em without tearing em to shreds!) Splintillions of tapes, LPs and CDs.</p>

The only thing that's come around is the odd idea that anyone with that many books and records must be bone idle!!</p>

Not quite what I was looking for.... </p>

 </p>

...When you look at the history of DNA, you wonder why th' hell creative types are still around!</p>

I suppose it was some creative joob who caused a remnant of us to survive the last ice age. Probably invented an igloo or summat and figured how to trap mammoths.</p>

You never hear of Mambutterflies.  I bet they died at the start of the iceage.</p>

Anyhow. Today's problem is there are too many people being encouraged to have imagination, then you end up with all these worthless labourers feeling discontent cos they think they should be led zeppelin rather than window cleaners.</p>

Ten years as a window cleaner was all I could handle... and I'm still not led zeppelin.</p>

Bah. </p>

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[Guest]

Re: I found an M-3 and I need help dating it.

[quote user="TheAdmiral"]


You're pretty much got the hang of it! [Y] Only big difference besides foldback is shorter keyboards and pedalboards.
</P>


It will have the field coil speaker (4 wires). Important to know if you need to work on it or add Leslie connector.
</P>


[/quote] Thanks for all the good information. [:D] Do you still have your M-3s? Was there anything you did </P>


not like about them? I have watched alot of you tube videos and listened to some mp3's, and I am hooked. This will </P>


be my first Hammond, but definitely not my last! </P>


Peace, </P>


Missi [:)]</P>
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[redoctoberff]

Re: I found an M-3 and I need help dating it.

That's a nice looking M3. I really like the dark red (is it walnut? Form A1 I believe) cabinet color on those earlier models. The serial number is pretty close to my '55...I'll have to go pull it away from the wall and check...but anyway combined with the 251 (should that be an option) it should sound amazing. The waterfall keys are an added bonus compared to most other spinets.

[TheAdmiral]

Re: I found an M-3 and I need help dating it.

[quote user="Farndurk"][quote user="TheAdmiral"]


You're pretty much got the hang of it! [Y] Only big difference besides foldback is shorter keyboards and pedalboards.
</p>


It will have the field coil speaker (4 wires). Important to know if you need to work on it or add Leslie connector.
</p>


[/quote] Thanks for all the good information. [:D] Do you still have your M-3s? Was there anything you did </p>


not like about them? I have watched alot of you tube videos and listened to some mp3's, and I am hooked. This will </p>


be my first Hammond, but definitely not my last! </p>


Peace, </p>


Missi [:)]</p>
<p mce_keep="true"></p>

[/quote]</p>

Hi Missi,</p>

Yes, I have all three M3's and looking for another I like them so much (my list is what I currently have not what I used to have). The main thing is they physically play as well as a B3 because of the waterfall keys. The smears are the same. Only the lack of foldback makes them weaker sounding on the upper notes. If you start smears at the low end of the upper manual and end them where the foldback stops you can't tell it's not a B3. I use a cut down model in my band since it's much easier to transport. If you focus your playing in the lower part of the keyboard it's a full sound without adding foldback. I have not yet added it to mine simply because I can't have it out of service for very long and I'm just too busy. That's why I'm looking for another with a bad cabinet to cut down so I can alternate them, ie, adding foldback, etc to one while still having another to play. My other two are too nice to cut. The waterfall keys are the majic. They're fast, tough and will take more punishment of agressive playing than the diving board types (I've been pounding them for 50 years!). That's why the M3 is so great plus the AO-29 amp is very similar to the B3 AO-28 amp in sound. Be sure to add a Leslie or two or four! Then Farndurk will be begging you to play it! [:D]
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