Leslie speaker

[TNblueshawk]

Has anyone ever run up on any plans out there in the webz to build a leslie speaker system?

[dan.schumaker]

I've seen this floating around...

https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/25852-diy-build-your-own-rotary-speaker

[TNblueshawk]

Thanks. I actually just ran up on that one. The power of Google images and drilling into things.

I was sort of hoping someone on this forum might have taken a stab at it themselves.

[Leevibe]

Best way is to watch Craigslist for an organ with a built in rotary speaker. You can often find them for next to nothing. Pull out the leslie module and have the organ hauled off. Look for one with a 2 speed motor stack and you're golden. I have one that a friend gave me with the "cheese wheel" baffle and 2 speed stack with a 10" driver. I've run my 5E3 into it and it sounds killer. I have yet to build a cabinet for it because as cool as it is, it's just not something I would probably use apart from recording. But the slow rotating leslie tone is the best chorus/phaser type sound you can get. Kick it up to fast for SRV.

[thesmokingman]

I've owned one in the past. this isn't the sort of thing you just hack up out of nothing. I'd recommend the 122 so you get two speeds, rotating horn and rotating bass baffle, and balanced signal input. but honestly, you're going to get what comes available and hope that it hasn't been hacked up by prior owners and passed off as what you'd want/need.

now if you want to try to hack one up out of nothing, I supposed the biggest challenge will be the rotating horns as coming up with a couple two speed motors or rotating baffle isn't a big deal nor is coming up with a more guitar-friendly amplifier than Leslie came up with

[Leevibe]

122s are crazy expensive. The organ module I have is a leslie brand and it is ready to be dropped right into a cabinet. My amp sees an 8 ohm load so it's easy to hook right up to it. The motor stack runs off of 110. In my thinking it's the simplest and cheapest way to get the Vibratone sound. I have a full size 2 speed leslie with the 147 amp and it's a whole different sound than the little organ module, which is nearly identical to what Fender put into those amps. I think the biggest difference is that the Vibratones ran in parallel with a fixed speaker too so it was never purely the rotating baffle sound. Either way, it's fun stuff to mess around with. If you build one, make a WIP thread.

[timbo_93631]

I'm pretty sure I have one in a box in the garage pulled from a Thomas organ, IIRC I have the rotating baffle, the speaker baffle, motor etc.

[TNblueshawk]

I'm pretty sure I have one in a box in the garage pulled from a Thomas organ, IIRC I have the rotating baffle, the speaker baffle, motor etc.

Hmmmm...scratches chin  Any thoughts on selling all that stuff?

Great info guys. I've just begun thinking about this and I did intend to hack it up from nothing or rather gather up the pieces etc... Why I'm doing this I don't know given I just play at home. I guess for the same reason I have 80 pedals and more amps than I need. I'm still in the do I want to do this stage. I love wood working and would enjoy making the cabinet as well.

[matmosphere]

I think there is a good instructable about making the DIY one Dan posted.

[EBK]

Best way is to watch Craigslist for an organ with a built in rotary speaker. You can often find them for next to nothing.

In the US, you can simply check someone's driver's license to see of they are an organ donor.   

[Leevibe]

I'm pretty sure I have one in a box in the garage pulled from a Thomas organ, IIRC I have the rotating baffle, the speaker baffle, motor etc.

Hmmmm...scratches chin  Any thoughts on selling all that stuff?

Great info guys. I've just begun thinking about this and I did intend to hack it up from nothing or rather gather up the pieces etc... Why I'm doing this I don't know given I just play at home. I guess for the same reason I have 80 pedals and more amps than I need. I'm still in the do I want to do this stage. I love wood working and would enjoy making the cabinet as well.

Man, I completely understand the itch to just build something cool for the sake of the project and the challenge. That's usually what drives me and there are always plenty of people around to show me why my ideas are impractical. I just don't care what they think. I want to have fun! I say if you want to build it from scratch, just go for it!

Here's a link with a picture I posted that shows my Leslie module: http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=23131.msg226819#msg226819

And, if you're at all interested, here's a long thread about my Hammond/Leslie project:  http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=23835.0

[TNblueshawk]

I'm pretty sure I have one in a box in the garage pulled from a Thomas organ, IIRC I have the rotating baffle, the speaker baffle, motor etc.

Hmmmm...scratches chin  Any thoughts on selling all that stuff?

Great info guys. I've just begun thinking about this and I did intend to hack it up from nothing or rather gather up the pieces etc... Why I'm doing this I don't know given I just play at home. I guess for the same reason I have 80 pedals and more amps than I need. I'm still in the do I want to do this stage. I love wood working and would enjoy making the cabinet as well.

Man, I completely understand the itch to just build something cool for the sake of the project and the challenge. That's usually what drives me and there are always plenty of people around to show me why my ideas are impractical. I just don't care what they think. I want to have fun! I say if you want to build it from scratch, just go for it!

Here's a link with a picture I posted that shows my Leslie module: http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=23131.msg226819#msg226819

And, if you're at all interested, here's a long thread about my Hammond/Leslie project:  http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=23835.0

Good night Lee. Just read that beast of a thread. Man, you were in deeeeeeep. Fascinating and no way in heck I could tackle that even if I had your cool friend.

[thesmokingman]

I guess uncle doug hacked half of one together

... I mean I get it, sort of, but having had the full boat I'm prejudiced ...

[Leevibe]

Good night Lee. Just read that beast of a thread. Man, you were in deeeeeeep. Fascinating and no way in heck I could tackle that even if I had your cool friend.

Oh, trust me. It was all him. I would have been way too scared and there's just too much I don't know. If you had a resource like that, you'd be surprised what you would probably tackle. It's about the same level of complexity as a pedal build with lots of off board wiring. It's just bigger parts. OK, maybe like a 4-circuit multi with lots of off-board. Still, you could totally do it. The big limiting factor isn't the work, it's the knowledge to put it all together.

I guess uncle doug hacked half of one together ... I mean I get it, sort of, but having had the full boat I'm prejudiced ...

Yeah. It's a similar but different sound. TBH I'm not huge on the guitar through fast Leslie sound. It has its place but it's just not something I would use much. But, the guitar through that same little setup on slow sounds soooooo cool. I wouldn't do it if I couldn't have the slow speed.

[TFZ]

There are rotary speakers from other manufacturers as well, that go for way less money than real Leslies. If you're in Europe look for Dynacord for example.