Super Awesome Saturday!

[timbo_93631]

So I was trolling Craigslist early this week and I came across a '68 Hammond M103 that wasn't working for $50.  I called the seller and he held it for me all week until my Dad and I could go pick it up this morning.  I am so freakin stoked, it is in perfect condition just the tone generator is gummed up from it sitting for about 10 years unplayed.  I have been looking for one for so long and today I finally became the proud owner of a Hammond freaking organ.  I am freaking out.  Yeah!  I have some oil on the way, hopefully flushing the gummy stuff with naptha and some fresh oil will free things up.  Awe-sum!

[irmcdermott]

Dude. Wow. That is awesome. So jealous right now!

[courtneyisaboy]

holy steal batman!!!

[sgmezei]

NICE dude!!! The tone of those badboys is unreal. I did a paper on one for a sound synthesis class last year and man they are complex. I hope it is just gummed up!

Crank some Deep Purple on it!

[JakeFuzz]

Awesome! Those things are incredibly well made. I hope its not that giant assembley of rotating metal wheels and pickup coils underneath that is bad, I've seen that assembly and it is pretty intimidating.

[alanp]

You do realise after teasing us, you're going to have to post photos of the before, during, and after cleaning of the gumming? 

[slimtriggers]

   Very cool!  Congrats.

[Haberdasher]

I hope you get it working, that is too cool!

[jubal81]

Gorgeous! I can't believe you found one in that good of shape for that price. Congrats on the score!

[timbo_93631]

I got a little time to check it out tonight after the wife and kids went to bed.  I shot the tone generator with WD40 to start breaking up the gum, gonna let it sit on the bearings and gears until the Hammond oil gets here.  I have been reading a bunch about it and a 50/50 mix of oil and naptha lighter fluid will eat the WD40 and gummy stuff and then you can wick it out of the little troughs and reservoirs and refill with fresh Hammond oil.  Amp checks out good, I think the cap can is even in good shape.  A nice bonus was the Amperex ECC83 in the phase inverter spot.  Popped in a JAN GE 12AX7 and squirreled that Amperex tube away.  I am surprised at everyone's excitement levels over this.  I know some of you guys are pretty monster guitar players, but maybe more than a few of us are closet organ freaks!  Will keep you posted.

[bigmufffuzzwizz]

That's awesome! Even more than the organ I've always wanted a Leslie speaker cab...

[TNblueshawk]

$50  Man, you basically got it for free. I would have paid that for a completely non working one.

[timbo_93631]

    Yeah, I know....  I still can't believe it.  I have been looking for one in this shape literally for years and expecting to pay some dough for it too. 
    Tone Generator update:
Got my bottle of oil in yesterday, trying to free up the TG, it is rotating okay now but the start motor can't get it rotating fast enough for the run motor to take over.  It is going pretty fast but it isn't as free as it needs to be because it coasts back down to stop pretty quickly when you let go of the start switch without engaging the run switch.  My shop reeks of Hammond oil now, and so do I.  Hopefully a little soak in time will do the trick!

[timbo_93631]

Tone generator is free now and AC motor takes over, so much fun jamming on it this morning!!!  It has a few weak tones, but none are missing, I think we messed up some of the bass pedals moving it though as the dolly slipped under them going through the doors  making some of the pedals intermittent.  One key on the bottom register doesn't feel right either, like loose compared to the other keys, maybe missing a screw or a loose screw or something...  Still.  I am SUPER STOKED!  Will update as discoveries are made and issues are resolved.