Leslie 720

[tobeycat2007]

I must admit to being a bit of a fan of these rather odd looking ( 6 sided ? ) speaker models, they do seem very very rare in the UK now, I'd be interested to hear from any other owners and what they think of them compared to other similar models.
As far as I know they are the only later 11 pin model that did not use the rotosonic drum unit but retained the standard though rather smaller lower speaker and drum similar to the more traditional leslie.
I actually prefer them slightly to the more powerfuil ( on paper ) 715 and 722 models.
Think they where introduced in 1977 does that make them the first 11 pin model introduced, I know they predate the 715 models ?

[jdoc]

never seen a 720 with a rotosonic over here, always the 10", they come up once i a while , cheap, never in the right place at the right time or i would have bought one.....I know i can get 12" IN THERE LOL

[tobeycat2007]

Strange that the earlier 710 had a rotosonic lower rotor but not the 720. Here in the uk only see 3 or 4 for sale each year sometimes less, most have had a hard life also.

[jdoc]

My 710 came with the rotosonic speaker shot, it was not good paper used on them

[andyg]

The 720 never came with a Rotosonic. As far as I recall, the 715, 415 and 720 all appeared around the same time, but I couldn't tell you the exact order. You don't really need a 12" in there as the leslie channel isn't handling anything below 100Hz anyway, but it wouldn't do any harm either! :)

As for sound, it depends how much you like the Rotosonic throb and its slow wind up/down times. Personally, I rather like that sound on LSI Hammonds and other drawbar organs like Gulbransen and Kawai. However, if I were going to put a two channel leslie on something like a Lowrey GAKH, I'd go for a 720, as I think the gentler 'normal' leslie sound would suit those flutes and strings etc a bit better.

710 with a shot Rotosonic? Sounds like someone may have used it in single channel mode without the crossover. I've only personally come across two examples of blown Rotosonic 6x9's. I'd set our two leslies up to match a small organ used in the first half of the evening. In the interval, I hooked them up to the largest organ on stage. Output 50W RMS on the rotary channel vs 30W RMS on the smaller organ. Rather than turn down the gain on the leslies, I lowered the overall level on the organ and instructed the 'star' organist to leave it where it was. You know what's coming.... Yes, for the finale, he opened it right up, set the slider to max and blew all the speakers in both leslies, including all the upgraded units we'd put in the main channels. I swear you could hear the cones rip. That was the last time I ever saw those cabinets, they were never returned, I think we invoiced the dealer!

Apart from that incident, I've found the 6x9's to be pretty robust.

[jdoc]

The 720 never came with a Rotosonic. As far as I recall, the 715, 415 and 720 all appeared around the same time, but I couldn't tell you the exact order. You don't really need a 12" in there as the leslie channel isn't handling anything below 100Hz anyway, but it wouldn't do any harm either! :)

As for sound, it depends how much you like the Rotosonic throb and its slow wind up/down times. Personally, I rather like that sound on LSI Hammonds and other drawbar organs like Gulbransen and Kawai. However, if I were going to put a two channel leslie on something like a Lowrey GAKH, I'd go for a 720, as I think the gentler 'normal' leslie sound would suit those flutes and strings etc a bit better.

710 with a shot Rotosonic? Sounds like someone may have used it in single channel mode without the crossover. I've only personally come across two examples of blown Rotosonic 6x9's. I'd set our two leslies up to match a small organ used in the first half of the evening. In the interval, I hooked them up to the largest organ on stage. Output 50W RMS on the rotary channel vs 30W RMS on the smaller organ. Rather than turn down the gain on the leslies, I lowered the overall level on the organ and instructed the 'star' organist to leave it where it was. You know what's coming.... Yes, for the finale, he opened it right up, set the slider to max and blew all the speakers in both leslies, including all the upgraded units we'd put in the main channels. I swear you could hear the cones rip. That was the last time I ever saw those cabinets, they were never returned, I think we invoiced the dealer!

Apart from that incident, I've found the 6x9's to be pretty robust.

paper was all dry and cracked, not the voice coil or anything

[Guest]

720 is the best 11 pins transistor Leslie, unmodified or modified - doesn't matter!

[tobeycat2007]

Going from the literature/owners manual I think the 720 was introduced late 76 or early 77, says 76 on owners manual I downloaded, the first ones not having a treble response control on the back.
The 715/722 models I think was introduced in about 1978 know the 722 launched with the b3000 in late 78. The 315/415 was slightly later model in about 80/81 by which time leslie sales where dropping and they only sold in smaller numbers, see very few for sale.
The 720 do seem to last very well, it maybe down to the fact they are less complicated than the later models, they do seem very loud I used one in a large club and it coped with power to spare, I remember one female singer claiming it had done her hearing damage it was so loud !

[2-Channel]

You are right! Mine don't have TRC and it is very LOUD!

[Hamman]

I have 3 720's hooked them up to various Hammonds and Conns....extremely versatile and IMO the best design Leslie as it relates to engineering/theory. It usually gets no respect...often seeing them go for pennies on the dollar on CL and E-by. I got 2 of mine several years a go from a church nearby...$500 for both...mint condition. The 3rd one I picked up for $200 a few years later. Only complaint is the cheap 1"x1" wood stand offs on the bottom that break off easily...I had to reassemble mine and glue/screw them back on. Also the cab. is not reinforced very well for touring. But all in all a great Leslie!

[tobeycat2007]

Its good to hear I'm not the only fan of this rather oddball leslie, remember one of the first ones I heard in a club on a large lowrey and just blew me away, it was the loudest leslie I'd heard. I actually really like the appearance much better than the normal square models.

[Guest]

Without the cloth it looks outer space! Love! Also the bassiest!

[tobeycat2007]

Never seen one without the cloth covering, do wonder just why they went for this design ?

[Guest]

Savings!...

[tobeycat2007]

If it was cheaper I'd have thought they would have adopted it for other models, but did not. As it seems to often have been paired with larger lowrey organs ( they needed 3/4 channels hence the 540 option often found with them ) wonder if it was designed with lowrey organs in mind.