My sister had one in our living room. It was a fabulous instrument. She ended up donating it to Marquette University where students still enjoy it today. For me, I now play a Mason and Hamlin grand Piano.
A great tribute, proving that Hammond is more then only B3's. As far as I am concerned the most misunderstood Hammond is however the Novachord. Where the X66 was an answer the Novachord was so far ahead of it's time nobody had yet asked the question. :-)
Great video! I find it diffcult to place it soundwise because I do not know the period and competition that well so I'll gladly take the authors remarks as a reference, It surely looked great anyway. Late 70ties style on a 60ties organ! Those after it styling wise surely look like retrograde steps.
I am not sure but did not the X66 have a different tone generation system with only top octave mechanical tone wheels and freq. dividers for the rest? Yea, it is not a B3 but could do a lot of groovy stuff.
Mike Bracchi, I've got a couple of questions for you. I worked for a Hammond Organ Studio when the X-66 came out. In fact I was the third person in the studio to get to play it when the first one came in. First, I know there was a Leslie designed for it, but I can't remember the model, do you know? At the time I worked for the Studio Laurens Hammond was still living and we couldn't even acknowledge the existence of the Leslie, let alone sell them. :) Second didn't some of the last X-66's produced have the rhythm system built in them? Seems like I can remember this, but I might just be having a brain freeze. Thanks for a great video.
The X-66 didn't come with a Leslie but a similarly designed speaker cabinet though some performers and home organ customers retrofitted their instruments to accept a Leslie.
Electro voice/Leslie was still a separate company (not owned by Hammond) in the early 1970s, but they made a kit to install the Leslie 122 on to the X-66. Our Wisconsin music store probably had one of the last X-66 units made. Before I installed the 122 on the X-66, I didn't think the organ was all that great, but I fell in love with it after the 122 install. The store had a 4800 SF showroom with tile floor. That organ filled the room with fantastic sound! I made an LP recording of that organ before we finally sold the instrument. We had a difficult time finding a customer for the instrument because we were in a small market. The man who bought it lived with his mother and had to install the organ in a small basement room which was too small for the instrument. As they say with pipe organ installations, the room is half the organ. That little basement room was not well suited for that X-66, but the store owner was happy to have the instrument out of inventory. (A few years later I bought the store.)
Someone gave me an X-66 AND 2 tone Cabs. Can they be run STEREO?? AFTER changing out the power cord and maybe transformer, maybe it will give me some MAJESTIC Hammond Sounds?? Thanks for your very informative Site.
Compared to the X-66 the Concorde is a bloated, boxy, heavy lump of wood that lacks any kind of elegance. I wonder why Hammond stopped making attempts at developing the aestethics of their organs.
I would imagine that if anyone had one today and it broke down, perhaps Hammond no longer supports parts for it. I had a Yamaha HS8 that blew one of the main processor chips and no way I could find that part. It was not even a common processor. It was specially made for Yamaha. So I disassembled that and save the bass pedal board and the 2 keyboards. I was able to find a Yamaha HS4. A step down, but better than nothing. Even if I came across one of these Hammond X 66 instruments, I wouldn't accept it. Besides the repairs nightmares, that thing is way too heavy. LOL And frankly, listening to this video, I really don't like the sound of it so much. I much more like the sound that my Korg PA700 produces.
My sister had one in our living room. It was a fabulous instrument. She ended up donating it to Marquette University where students still enjoy it today. For me, I now play a Mason and Hamlin grand Piano.
El órgano Hammond X66 es una bestia, hablando musicalmente. Es imponente y magestuoso. Gracias por este video. Saludos desde León Gto.
... HAMMOND X 66 is the Best organ ever Made,as simple as that...... it's just celestial,perfect.....!!!!
Great and important documentation of this history. And the others you do on your channel. Please continue. Thanks
A great tribute, proving that Hammond is more then only B3's. As far as I am concerned the most misunderstood Hammond is however the Novachord. Where the X66 was an answer the Novachord was so far ahead of it's time nobody had yet asked the question. :-)
Many thanks Mike for presenting a very informative look at the X 66. Truly a great instrument.
John Ferguson I have one for sale
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Well put together. Thank you.
Great video! I find it diffcult to place it soundwise because I do not know the period and competition that well so I'll gladly take the authors remarks as a reference, It surely looked great anyway. Late 70ties style on a 60ties organ! Those after it styling wise surely look like retrograde steps.
Did the X66 use the same key contacts (the rods) as the rest of the tone wheel organs or did it have different type of key contact ?
I have the Heinz Alexander record. One of my favourites!!
私は、皆様は、HAMMONDオルガンといえば「Ｂ3」と代名詞になっていますが、その良さは充分に承知していますが、私には使いこなす技量はなく、Ｘ66で楽しんでいますよ。とても素晴らしい、私の「宝物」です。
I am not sure but did not the X66 have a different tone generation system with only top octave mechanical tone wheels and freq. dividers for the rest? Yea, it is not a B3 but could do a lot of groovy stuff.
sorry, I should have watched the video through, before I commented.
My church when I was a kid had a Hammond h111
Mike Bracchi, I've got a couple of questions for you. I worked for a Hammond Organ Studio when the X-66 came out. In fact I was the third person in the studio to get to play it when the first one came in. First, I know there was a Leslie designed for it, but I can't remember the model, do you know? At the time I worked for the Studio Laurens Hammond was still living and we couldn't even acknowledge the existence of the Leslie, let alone sell them. :) Second didn't some of the last X-66's produced have the rhythm system built in them? Seems like I can remember this, but I might just be having a brain freeze. Thanks for a great video.
Jim Key I have one for sale
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The X-66 didn't come with a Leslie but a similarly designed speaker cabinet though some performers and home organ customers retrofitted their instruments to accept a Leslie.
Electro voice/Leslie was still a separate company (not owned by Hammond) in the early 1970s, but they made a kit to install the Leslie 122 on to the X-66. Our Wisconsin music store probably had one of the last X-66 units made. Before I installed the 122 on the X-66, I didn't think the organ was all that great, but I fell in love with it after the 122 install. The store had a 4800 SF showroom with tile floor. That organ filled the room with fantastic sound! I made an LP recording of that organ before we finally sold the instrument. We had a difficult time finding a customer for the instrument because we were in a small market. The man who bought it lived with his mother and had to install the organ in a small basement room which was too small for the instrument. As they say with pipe organ installations, the room is half the organ. That little basement room was not well suited for that X-66, but the store owner was happy to have the instrument out of inventory. (A few years later I bought the store.)
Wonderful music.
Somebody knows the name of the songs which appears on the video?
Someone gave me an X-66 AND 2 tone Cabs. Can they be run STEREO?? AFTER changing out the power cord
and maybe transformer, maybe it will give me some MAJESTIC Hammond Sounds?? Thanks for your very informative Site.
Thanks a lot !
You missed the Hammond Grandee in there about 1974.
Se me olvidaba, es el órgano que tocaba el maestro Juan Torres qepd.
Compared to the X-66 the Concorde is a bloated, boxy, heavy lump of wood that lacks any kind of elegance. I wonder why Hammond stopped making attempts at developing the aestethics of their organs.
organfairy I have one for sale
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Thanks for the great info but as a Hammond I think the X66 sounds like crap
Piece of junk. Had in my nightclub...kept the Hammond tech in new cars ans vacations. Would not stand up to nightly pro playing.
I would imagine that if anyone had one today and it broke down, perhaps Hammond no longer supports parts for it.
I had a Yamaha HS8 that blew one of the main processor chips and no way I could find that part. It was not even a common processor. It was specially made for Yamaha.
So I disassembled that and save the bass pedal board and the 2 keyboards.
I was able to find a Yamaha HS4. A step down, but better than nothing.
Even if I came across one of these Hammond X 66 instruments, I wouldn't accept it.
Besides the repairs nightmares, that thing is way too heavy. LOL
And frankly, listening to this video, I really don't like the sound of it so much.
I much more like the sound that my Korg PA700 produces.