Hammond B3 Organ Substitute

[M Fowler]

I am using a midi ready guitar Fender strat through the Roland GR33 midi with rotary speaker effect, dial in the midi functions and go for it.

Can't afford the XK1 at this time but that is what I want to buy even though the Nord is better it also cost more and I can use any keyboard for piano needs.

Mark

[vibratoking]

I have a midi setup with a Godin Freeway SA and Axon 100. I submit, that you just can't play good keyboards on a guitar. Sure, you can do things that are passable sometimes, but there are too many limitations related to triggering midi with a stringed instrument and the fingering limitations on a guitar.

That is one technology that just isn't there yet and I believe I have the best money can buy at this time.

[M Fowler]

Yes I agree it doesn't make the cut does it

I use the saxophone, piano, organ, flute and trumpet the most but wish I had a good keyboard instead.

[vibratoking]

Mark - It's good to know someone else has come to the same general conclusion. Sometimes I wish I could clone myself. Other times, I wish there were less than one of me.

[M Fowler]

I hear you.

I told the band I'm not using the Roland anymore, about 6 months ago and heard complaints from the guys but I have stood my ground and stopped using it completely.

It's so good to be free from that midi and get back to my lead playing. I never liked the loading down the midi did. I had to run two separate amps a bass amp for the midi and one of my amps for the guitar sound but still got bleed through. I have fixed that Roland twice so it's on it's last life now.

Mark

[bcmatt]

Is there a good modern version of the great Hammond B3 that won't break the bank nor require two gorillas to move it around?

I don't play keyboards but that would sure be a great incentive to learn how.

This isn't modern, but I use an M3 (spinet version of the B3) usually found for less than $400. It can be moved by two Chimps instead of two Gorillas. Leslies can be a little hard to find but I got a 142 (same components but slightly shorter than a 147) for only $200 from a church along with an L100.
So, while it's not REALLy portable, my hammond rig does have a very warm tube sound for cheap and it will fit in my mini-van with my amps and guitars. Of course, I don't play keyboard, but I'm looking for a girlfriend who does...

Our band is anxious to get a portable clonewheel as well (as soon as I can find a hot keyboard playing girlfriend), and we have always been taken by the Nord Electros (because we demand use of my rhodes in addition to hammond), but good clonewheels aren't cheap.

We were trying out some organ patches on different keyboards in a music store a few weeks ago and I would be very sad to replace my m3/142 with those sounds. They just didn't seem "real" enough to me...

[M Fowler]

A local kat is using a XK3 through the motion sound KP-200S and I love the B3 tone he is getting.

Mark

[selloutrr]

motion sound are a sweet leslie clone. very nice imaging and control over volume

[vibratoking]

+1 on the Motion Sound. Our B3 player started using one instead of the his 147. What a great unit. Small and powerful.

[TUBEDUDE]

Charlie Hunter manages a reasonable facsimile of a hammond/ leslie.

[selloutrr]

http://hammond-organ.com/

http://www.musicworldonline.co.uk/keyborgan//

[Reeltarded]

I have Hammonds. Native Instruments B4 does a really good job of faking it, and you can patch your guitar through the leslie without a break-in.

[M Fowler]

That was a good site thanks.