Can you believe the M102 Lives!!! Its been ages, Covid and other associated issues haven't helped but we have gotten to a really interesting point today - got is closer than ever to the C3. Scanner is off for a full rebuild now but lookout for a post soon on this! (sorry for the delay!!)
Thanks for posting this Nick - I'm really looking forward to the next installment and especially learning about key click filter removal. I have just bought a '65 / '66 M102 and I'd like to do some of the mods you have lined up for yours.
Can you believe the M102 Lives!!! Its been ages, Covid and other associated issues haven't helped but we have gotten to a really interesting point today - got is closer than ever to the C3. Scanner is off for a full rebuild now but lookout for a post soon on this! (sorry for the delay!!)
Cool man. I have a few Hammonds an L101, L102 (chop), XB2, XK-2 and just last week I picked up a 1 owner M111 for $75 USD in almost perfect condition with all the original paperwork. The receipt says he paid $1849 for it in 1964! Crazy! The only problems are cosmetic which I really don't care about. He kept it well oiled and maintained as much as he could. It worked and sounded great as is but, I'm currently replacing all the electrolytic cans/single capacitors as well as all other non-poly caps. They are cheap enough and it will be a better organ afterward. I also will do the "foldback mod" to get an octave lower on the lower keyboard. Personally, I think it's a more fair comparison to compare the M100(s) with the L100(s). The C3 is closer to a B3 than it is the M100(s). The main differences between the M100(s) and L100(s) are the amplifiers and vibrato. The L100s have a self starting motor whereas the M100s have the Start/Run scenario. The L100(s) are lighter and make a great chop top if you don't need the base. In my opinion, the main reason to get an M100 is the scanner vibrato. The L100(s) has tube vibrato which is still great but if you're looking for the B3 type vibrato, you need a scanner. I use 2 Leslies and bypass the internal amps, reverb, and speakers so don't even consider them when comparing. You can't go wrong with ANY of the "tonewheel" Hammonds really. This guy compiled a decent list of what Hammonds were made and what is in them (there's a lot! lol) theatreorgans.com/hammond/faq/all_hammonds.html.
Hammond spinets contributed to some very important pieces: A Whiter Shade Of Pale, Green Onions and Boston's Foreplay/Long time . Also, first albums of Yes, Pink Floyd, Genesis were recorded using spinet organ
Back in the 90s I rescued an M-103 that was gathering sawdust in a wood shop, and you know what that would've lead to. I bought it from them and had it repaired and made some modifications myself. Speakers where gone so I installed an audio output so I could run a Korg G4 simulator with it and from there to external speakers. Removed the bass pedals and the reverb tank, both now lost when my mom moved to a smaller home.
My first Hammond was an M-100. I added a Leslie 760 and I thought it sounded great. Until I got my C3 with the 122. First, it was as dull as the M-100 before I replaced the dry wax caps, but then, it was a different story. And time to sell the M-100. Years later, I found a great crisp sounding M3 that I still have (with two Leslies). To be honest, it sounds better than the C3, but due to the tiny manuals, it is very limited. I also bought a second M-100 just for nostalgic reasons, but sold it shortly afterwards because it sounded too smooth. Even with the mylar caps they sound very tame. But saying the M-100 is a less desirable organ wouldn't do her any justice! A Leslie and some Overdrive helps a lot to overcome the static tone of the internal speakers. It's got a different sound and many musicians have proved that you can indeed play great music on it. Early Procol Harum songs ("a whiter shade of pale" - one of those songs that made the Hammond widely famous), Frumpy (listen to "how the gipsy was born" - a stunning example of what is possible with an M100), Booker T Jones first album... Once I had the chance to play a highly modified M-100 that just blew me away. Don't know what they modified, but that one sounded better than most B3's i've heard.
Absolutely right Sturzi, thanks for you insight on this. I'm looking forward to pushing on with the project to see how good it can sound. We are currently removing gooey foam and adding foldback. the plan is then to re-route the reverb back into the preamp remove unwanted power amp elements and speakers, remove key click smoothing and hook it up to an overdriven Leslie and take stock. If all is still well then I will chop it in half too! Along the way lets check the resistance wires for each drawbar, look at the vibrato, remove the bass pedals, fix the tabs, tweak the percussion and generally get some polish on it and see where we are! Thanks again !
Can you believe the M102 Lives!!! Its been ages, Covid and other associated issues haven't helped but we have gotten to a really interesting point today - got is closer than ever to the C3. Scanner is off for a full rebuild now but lookout for a post soon on this! (sorry for the delay!!)
My Hammond M-162 has potential, but it is at a current state of disrepair. Certain drawbar harmonics need to be replaced or repaired, the volume seems to be cut in half when compared to the brightness of the C3 at my former church (my best guess is that I need new tubes... but they all seem to light up whenever the organ is switched on, so I’m not sure if it is broken tubes or stuck tone wheels), the organ is also missing the “fold back” found on the full-size C3 and B3, and the reverb system hasn’t worked since before I owned the organ. The good news is that the Chorus Vibrato works perfectly! It sounds identical to the C1 and C3 setting found on the full-size C3 and B3. So yes, the M100 series can sound like a C3, but NOT identical. Even if the organ was functioning perfectly WITH the fold back feature, the pedal sustain feature is what holds the organ back from sounding like a B3/C3, because you can’t completely disable the sustain.
Can you believe the M102 Lives!!! Its been ages, Covid and other associated issues haven't helped but we have gotten to a really interesting point today - got is closer than ever to the C3. Scanner is off for a full rebuild now but lookout for a post soon on this! (sorry for the delay!!)
I have a Thomas "Paramount Deluxe" dial manual organ with a built-in Leslie from 1968, l believe, that l plan on restoring. I've searched for videos on TH-cam, but all l've found are vids on various Hammond models. Any help would be appreciated, Thank you.
I got a L 122 in a garage sale. It's in very good shape, all original, tonewheel is ok but the volume is very very low. I replaced some tubes and cleaned the RCA inputs and connectors, but still the same problem... The volume/expression pedal makes no effect and the pedal drawbar makes a hum (constant note) when pushed. Any tips on why the signal is so weak?
On Facebook I saw a sale for an hammond 101 and it was $175 I cried when j missed the deal. $175!!! Works great just need cleaning up Was this a killer deal oh what?
BV is good. Depends on your use really. It’s an early model, I’d like one in my collection but probably wouldn’t play it as much. It’s a Tonewheel and has the same vibrato scanner as the C3 I think. No percussion though. So it depends on what sounds you want to get out of it. Seems cheap? Clearly not the collectible one , yet. Of course they will all be collectible one day. The 100year mark will help but I may not see what with mine!!
@@nickfoley7348 ahh. Ok yea I was looking for a hammond for studio use only. The 101 was ideal which I could get it in and have a vintage vibe sound on for recordings. I guess my search continues !
Great job but how about wooly bully watch it now 😮
Nick, you are very helpful... and entertaining as well. I love your accent!
Why thank you mate
Can you believe the M102 Lives!!! Its been ages, Covid and other associated issues haven't helped but we have gotten to a really interesting point today - got is closer than ever to the C3. Scanner is off for a full rebuild now but lookout for a post soon on this! (sorry for the delay!!)
Thanks for posting this Nick - I'm really looking forward to the next installment and especially learning about key click filter removal. I have just bought a '65 / '66 M102 and I'd like to do some of the mods you have lined up for yours.
There have been some delays as
You can imagine! Will update with a video as soon as is possible
Can you believe the M102 Lives!!! Its been ages, Covid and other associated issues haven't helped but we have gotten to a really interesting point today - got is closer than ever to the C3. Scanner is off for a full rebuild now but lookout for a post soon on this! (sorry for the delay!!)
Yes Nick we need that update asap!!🎉
Awesome, Nick! Thanks for this vid!
George Barabas cheers! There will be more in this sub-thread no doubt! If there’s anything you need to know or see just let me know.
Cool man. I have a few Hammonds an L101, L102 (chop), XB2, XK-2 and just last week I picked up a 1 owner M111 for $75 USD in almost perfect condition with all the original paperwork. The receipt says he paid $1849 for it in 1964! Crazy! The only problems are cosmetic which I really don't care about. He kept it well oiled and maintained as much as he could. It worked and sounded great as is but, I'm currently replacing all the electrolytic cans/single capacitors as well as all other non-poly caps. They are cheap enough and it will be a better organ afterward. I also will do the "foldback mod" to get an octave lower on the lower keyboard. Personally, I think it's a more fair comparison to compare the M100(s) with the L100(s). The C3 is closer to a B3 than it is the M100(s). The main differences between the M100(s) and L100(s) are the amplifiers and vibrato. The L100s have a self starting motor whereas the M100s have the Start/Run scenario. The L100(s) are lighter and make a great chop top if you don't need the base. In my opinion, the main reason to get an M100 is the scanner vibrato. The L100(s) has tube vibrato which is still great but if you're looking for the B3 type vibrato, you need a scanner. I use 2 Leslies and bypass the internal amps, reverb, and speakers so don't even consider them when comparing. You can't go wrong with ANY of the "tonewheel" Hammonds really. This guy compiled a decent list of what Hammonds were made and what is in them (there's a lot! lol) theatreorgans.com/hammond/faq/all_hammonds.html.
Hammond spinets contributed to some very important pieces: A Whiter Shade Of Pale, Green Onions and Boston's Foreplay/Long time . Also, first albums of Yes, Pink Floyd, Genesis were recorded using spinet organ
Wow! Had no idea. Boston- Just assumed that was a B-3. So I learned something new today :: DEC 03, 2022.
Jon Lord used a Porta-B (essentially an L-100) on Machine head. (Smoke on the water)
@@scottbc31h22 no, he used his Hammond C3, there are numerous pictures from the recording sessions.
Back in the 90s I rescued an M-103 that was gathering sawdust in a wood shop, and you know what that would've lead to. I bought it from them and had it repaired and made some modifications myself. Speakers where gone so I installed an audio output so I could run a Korg G4 simulator with it and from there to external speakers. Removed the bass pedals and the reverb tank, both now lost when my mom moved to a smaller home.
My first Hammond was an M-100. I added a Leslie 760 and I thought it sounded great. Until I got my C3 with the 122. First, it was as dull as the M-100 before I replaced the dry wax caps, but then, it was a different story. And time to sell the M-100. Years later, I found a great crisp sounding M3 that I still have (with two Leslies). To be honest, it sounds better than the C3, but due to the tiny manuals, it is very limited. I also bought a second M-100 just for nostalgic reasons, but sold it shortly afterwards because it sounded too smooth. Even with the mylar caps they sound very tame. But saying the M-100 is a less desirable organ wouldn't do her any justice! A Leslie and some Overdrive helps a lot to overcome the static tone of the internal speakers. It's got a different sound and many musicians have proved that you can indeed play great music on it. Early Procol Harum songs ("a whiter shade of pale" - one of those songs that made the Hammond widely famous), Frumpy (listen to "how the gipsy was born" - a stunning example of what is possible with an M100), Booker T Jones first album...
Once I had the chance to play a highly modified M-100 that just blew me away. Don't know what they modified, but that one sounded better than most B3's i've heard.
Absolutely right Sturzi, thanks for you insight on this. I'm looking forward to pushing on with the project to see how good it can sound. We are currently removing gooey foam and adding foldback. the plan is then to re-route the reverb back into the preamp remove unwanted power amp elements and speakers, remove key click smoothing and hook it up to an overdriven Leslie and take stock. If all is still well then I will chop it in half too! Along the way lets check the resistance wires for each drawbar, look at the vibrato, remove the bass pedals, fix the tabs, tweak the percussion and generally get some polish on it and see where we are! Thanks again !
@@nickfoleyuk Both of my M100's were in too good condition for any tinkering. But I have plans with a downbeaten L-100 to change this and that ;-)
Can you believe the M102 Lives!!! Its been ages, Covid and other associated issues haven't helped but we have gotten to a really interesting point today - got is closer than ever to the C3. Scanner is off for a full rebuild now but lookout for a post soon on this! (sorry for the delay!!)
@@nickfoleyukHammond talk never ceases to fascinate me, so I'm looking forward for more to come 🙂
Very belated comment, the vibrato scanner is the same as in a c3, the delay line has two less stages in it and the switching is not as complex.
My Hammond M-162 has potential, but it is at a current state of disrepair.
Certain drawbar harmonics need to be replaced or repaired, the volume seems to be cut in half when compared to the brightness of the C3 at my former church (my best guess is that I need new tubes... but they all seem to light up whenever the organ is switched on, so I’m not sure if it is broken tubes or stuck tone wheels), the organ is also missing the “fold back” found on the full-size C3 and B3, and the reverb system hasn’t worked since before I owned the organ.
The good news is that the Chorus Vibrato works perfectly!
It sounds identical to the C1 and C3 setting found on the full-size C3 and B3.
So yes, the M100 series can sound like a C3, but NOT identical.
Even if the organ was functioning perfectly WITH the fold back feature, the pedal sustain feature is what holds the organ back from sounding like a B3/C3, because you can’t completely disable the sustain.
Can you believe the M102 Lives!!! Its been ages, Covid and other associated issues haven't helped but we have gotten to a really interesting point today - got is closer than ever to the C3. Scanner is off for a full rebuild now but lookout for a post soon on this! (sorry for the delay!!)
At 3:48 Halloween III Silver Shamrock Commercial! Three more days to Halloween, Halloween, Halloween … 🙃
very helpful thx!
I have a Thomas "Paramount Deluxe" dial manual organ with a built-in Leslie from 1968, l believe, that l plan on restoring. I've searched for videos on TH-cam, but all l've found are vids on various Hammond models. Any help would be appreciated,
Thank you.
Hi Bobby, I’m not sure I’m going to be able to help you on that one, it’s not an organ that I am familiar with
I'm not a fan of Hammond for hire but I watched your video anyways. Am I in trouble?
Yes .all it took was one for me. Then I ended up with 4
I got a L 122 in a garage sale. It's in very good shape, all original, tonewheel is ok but the volume is very very low. I replaced some tubes and cleaned the RCA inputs and connectors, but still the same problem... The volume/expression pedal makes no effect and the pedal drawbar makes a hum (constant note) when pushed. Any tips on why the signal is so weak?
Have you checked the bulb on the expression pedal?
Hum could be a pedal stuck down, knocked in transit
@@nickfoleyuk No, i haven't. Do you think that's the cause of the weak signal? Instead of some old faulty capacitor?
@@nickfoleyuk I'll check the springs beneath them, thanks!!
@@Bolation worth checking, if broken it will exhibit these symptoms
It won’t be too long actually.
On Facebook
I saw a sale for an hammond 101 and it was $175
I cried when j missed the deal.
$175!!! Works great just need cleaning up
Was this a killer deal oh what?
Hugely ! They are out there just need to keep looking 👍🏼
@@nickfoleyuk omg!! I’m about to cry lol
Yes man he just sold it
@@nickfoleyuk would you recommend a BV hammond model? I saw one online for $500 !
Let me know your thoughts
BV is good. Depends on your use really. It’s an early model, I’d like one in my collection but probably wouldn’t play it as much.
It’s a Tonewheel and has the same vibrato scanner as the C3 I think. No percussion though.
So it depends on what sounds you want to get out of it. Seems cheap? Clearly not the collectible one , yet.
Of course they will all be collectible one day. The 100year mark will help but I may not see what with mine!!
@@nickfoley7348 ahh. Ok yea I was looking for a hammond for studio use only. The 101 was ideal which I could get it in and have a vintage vibe sound on for recordings. I guess my search continues !
Great content!
Is there any sort of modification for the lower keyboard to sound an octave lower?
I think you con fold back again from the bass pedals but I would have to investigate that
@@nickfoleyuk I believe you can do it. Hammondwiki I believe gives you schematics to do so
@@hobokenhi-fi5212 Yup. I’ve done it, thanks !
Scanner chorus can be used.
Not the vibrato.
Since you invited me to not watch the video, offer accepted!
💕💕💕
I was actually able to do the opposite with my Hammond C2, I was able to make it sound like my Hammond L102.