Ready to ROCK! Custom "Hammond B3" Organ Case

[Old No7]

OK, this is about as off-topic as you can get on a leverguns forum, but I'd like to share...

I guess you could say I was channeling my inner "Pitchy", and I made something that was too expensive to buy...

Many of you know I play keyboards -- especially rock organ -- in a band, and I always wanted a real Hammond B3. The B3 is the KING of keyboards and is a large, heavy electo-mechanical beast (with gears & motors -- that need to be oiled) that weighs in at a svelte 425 pounds without the needed Leslie Rotating Speaker, that weights from 125 to 174 pounds depending on the model used. I'm quite sure you've all heard the awesome Hammond organ & swirling Leslie sound on jazz or rock songs before. Back in the 80's, I gigged with a smaller Hammond M3 Chop, which was cut-down with folding legs, and a smaller Leslie speaker; but even that combo was a 350 pound chore to move around or up stairs and in/out of a vehicle. (Such is the life of a keyboard player -- yeah, I could have chosen the harmonica, but no...)

Anyway, fast forward 40+ years, and my modern electronic Hammond SK Pro 73 organ weighs in at only 25 pounds -- and it has an awesome Leslie speaker effect built into it. Plus, it also has 3 other keyboard voices loaded, including pianos, strings and an analog synthesizer -- and back in the 80's, it would have taken me 3 more keyboards to get those sounds on stage. But as great as it sounds -- it just doesn't have the stage presence of a "real" Hammond B3. There are companies that make organ or piano "shells" to hold newer keyboards, but they're expensive, so I took the plunge and designed and built my own by starting with a foam mockup. Then with a piece of 2'x4' plywood, some pine boards and (4) hard maple legs that a furniture maker in PA custom turned for me on this lathe -- and voila, my B3 lookalike organ case was born.

I didn't keep track of all the hours spend on the design, cutting, gluing & clamping, installing hardware, or then painting, but at the end of the day -- I'm psyched at how well this came out and I can't wait to ROCK IT on Deep Purple's "Hush" and other songs at my band's November 1st show.

My Hammond SK Pro is removed and transported in a double-rifle hard case, the base separates from the upper case (with the 2nd keyboaed) and the legs fold in. So instead of me carrying around a 425 pound B3 with a 150 pound Leslie speaker -- plus 2 or 3 other keyboards to get those other tones -- this setup weighs in at just 90 pounds and is easily carried or moved in only 3 pieces, plus a small bag for the pedals.

Some images of my build process will follow below -- thanks for looking!

Old No7

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[Old No7]

Adding several more images to show the end result...

Old No7

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[Grizz]

That's a seriously groovy setup, congrats on the outcome. Do you have a link to some organ output? I'd like to hear those sounds - - - :)

[wecsoger]

Nicely done.

If you're taking requests, Joe Walsh. "Tend My Garden."

[LeverGunner]

Nice work.

[Bill in Oregon]

Awesome fabrication job, Darryl! There is simply nothing -- nothing at all -- like a big old B3 with the Leslie. It's not your mother's church organ.

[Ysabel Kid]

Don't understand any of it, but it is very cool!

[Ray]

Deleted.

[Old No7]

Don't understand any of it, but it is very cool!

Jay, all you need to understand is...

It's LOUD!

It's a HAMMOND!

And it's ROCK N ROLL!

Old No7

[Old No7]

Thanks for the kind comments guys!

Do you have a link to some organ output? I'd like to hear those sounds - - -

Thanks for asking Grizz! Here's are some links to unlisted YouTube videos of me and my Hammond:

Intro for my "Perfect Strangers" band (click here) with a mashup of Bach's "Toccata & Fugue in D Minor" and Deep Purple's "Perfect Strangers" song, before we jumped right into "Gel" by Collective Soul

My solo on Deep Purples's "Smoke On The Water" (click here)

My organ solo on Steppenwolf's "Born To Be Wild" (click here)

Enjoy!!!

Old No7

[Grizz]

thanks very much.

[gamekeeper]

A very professional job Darryl and I'm sure you'll make it really Rock

[Ysabel Kid]

Don't understand any of it, but it is very cool!

Jay, all you need to understand is...

It's LOUD!

It's a HAMMOND!

And it's ROCK N ROLL!

Old No7

[Bill in Oregon]

Dang bro, you sure can run that Hammond!
We'll be needing a solo on the original.