Leslie 720 value

[tdh25k]

A 720 popped up locally(ish) recently and I'm interested in pairing it with my M101. Through some searching on this forum, it seems that the 720 is a good pairing for the M101 after some slight modifications for connections, reverb, etc.

The seller is asking $100 and says the cabinet is in rough shape. The pictures she posted are awful (she's working on a new shot) and I'd have no way of testing the speaker. Appearance isn't paramount, but I guess I'd like to know what "rough" really means.

$100 seems like a cheap way to get a Leslie, but it's also over an hour away. As everyone says, a real Leslie will transform the sound of my M101, and since they don't appear used very often...of course, I'm very interested.

I guess my question - if I went and got this and it ended being a bust and didn't work - is $100 still a fair price? Or am I better off waiting for something closer and more desirable?

Thanks.

[snacks]

You need to buy a LCO-1A crossover from Trek II (about $80) to make this Leslie work with a single-channel organ. It's designed for an 11-pin Hammond that split its frequencies internally. That said, it's a two-rotor Leslie, and should suit your needs. I have one that's in very rough shape indeed - a rat lived and died in it - and the refurbishing is going slow. Can't tell you how it sounds because it's still in pieces in my garage. Plus, I paid like $200 for that one, condition unknown.
I'd say go for it, $100 for a two-rotor Leslie is unusually low.

[tdh25k]

You need to buy a LCO-1A crossover from Trek II (about $80) to make this Leslie work with a single-channel organ. It's designed for an 11-pin Hammond that split its frequencies internally. That said, it's a two-rotor Leslie, and should suit your needs. I have one that's in very rough shape indeed - a rat lived and died in it - and the refurbishing is going slow. Can't tell you how it sounds because it's still in pieces in my garage. Plus, I paid like $200 for that one, condition unknown.
I'd say go for it, $100 for a two-rotor Leslie is unusually low.

Thanks for the input. I figured the price was good, but since these sell so infrequently, it's hard to judge value sometimes.

Hopefully this one is animal-free! Good luck with yours...

[tobeycat2007]

if working they are great speaker and loud, some people dont like looks but its sound that counts.

[tdh25k]

Yes, definitely more interested in sound than looks. I'll have to check it out...

[muckelroy]

Even if it's a garbage cabinet, you've probably got at least $100 worth of parts (speakers, motors, amp iron) in there for a rebuild or rehab.

[jdoc]

Just do it....

[Wes]

I'd drive 150 miles for a deal like that.

More if I didn't have a Leslie. Way more.

Wes

[JBW]

I have a 720 that I bought in living room condition for $320, but it also came with a 30 foot cable and a 9 to 1 pin converter. While the price may have been a little high, it is a great sounding Leslie. I would quickly spend $100 for a rough one, just for the parts.

[tdh25k]

Bought it today! Aside from being dirty, it's in pretty decent shape. Seller said it worked but no way to know just yet.

Now begins the painstaking process of connecting it to the M101. Lots of good info buried in forums so I'll see what I can find.

If anyone has any discussion links they want to share, feel free.

Another quick question, there is a 7850 kit on eBay right now. Would that work? I've read the 7830 might possibly be better but not sure...
Thanks guys

[Wes]

If you are decent with electronics, eschew the kit and save a bundle.

Buy a 9-pin female, angle bracket, diamond thingie, and wavy washer from somewhere. Last I looked, Bill Brown (bborgan?) had stock. Find some kind of a switch. A leslie MEE switch can be made to work. You could even mount a three-position switch in your end block, like I did on my L111.

The 9 pin gets switched hot and neutral from the panel behind your run motor. Then take audio signal and ground from your main speaker, and run that to the 9 pin. Finally, run ground, chorale, and tremolo from the 9-pin up to that switch. Pinouts are available on the mosweb site.

This will have the Leslie and M100 sounding all the time. It sounds good like that.

Wes

- - - Updated - - -

PS - I haven't done the 720, but I have done the 710 and the 760. Pretty sure the 720 will need a Trek-II LCO-1A. Check in with trekii.com to be sure. These are reasonably easy to install.

Wes

[tdh25k]

Thanks for the tips. I'm not great with electronics but a friend is alright and my dad is an electronic engineer.

[andyg]

720 and M100 - good combo, and I'd resist the obvious move to run the 720 purely in single channel mode with the Trek crossover.

Main organ signal goes to the rotary channel of the 720. You'll still have to have to build a simple crossover to send the bass into the 720's main channel. Then send the reverb to the 720's main channel as well. Some thinking to do about how exactly this is done and you'll have to make up or buy an MEE switch that can handle two channels. But hey, that's what Dad's are for in this case!

[Wes]

Sending reverb to the main channel without worrying about MEE functionality is easy - combine both signals via 2W 47 ohm resistors.

[tdh25k]

720 and M100 - good combo, and I'd resist the obvious move to run the 720 purely in single channel mode with the Trek crossover.

Main organ signal goes to the rotary channel of the 720. You'll still have to have to build a simple crossover to send the bass into the 720's main channel. Then send the reverb to the 720's main channel as well. Some thinking to do about how exactly this is done and you'll have to make up or buy an MEE switch that can handle two channels. But hey, that's what Dad's are for in this case!

Oh, ok....so you wouldn't use the Trek crossover? I thought that would be one part I couldn't avoid buying. I also thought most folks sent the reverb to the two 8" speakers via the second channel, but I've also read a lot of forum posts that say different things!
I've seen many posts about using $15 Fender strat 3 way switches for the speed and MEE control, so I'll need to look into that.
Thanks for all the continued feedback...very excited to hear this thing.