Hammond C3

Once youve started it up ,select a preset and just play and enjoy

Fully polyphonic , organ action ,classic sound , it's a proper hammond after all .

The tonal response changes with the pedal position , wind it up , it just gets better !

I totally rebuilt mine , and it will last another 40 years , if gigging - where have all my friends gone ? - i would carry a few spare tubes (cheap) just in case.
Mine was working after 40 years with little work .

Hammond (uk) no longer existing , but Goff and Tonewheel hospital (usa) and others are there to help and keep these beasts going.

I hope it's not stolen, as there are few around , i've played for 25 years plus and it's a great lump of wood/metal/plastic to make music with , just dont let anyone put their drinks on top !
A great talking piece and conversation starter , then turn it on !

Sit behind the wheel...turn the key (well, push the button)...fire it up and take off. Presets ?? Editing patches ?? Manual ?? GET REAL !!

All the things it has are all you need....

This is the king of the organs, and sounds like it as well...

Hammonds would survive a nuclear holocost with the cockroaches...these things were built to LAST...period !! Thank God you wouldn't need a backup...can you imagine hauling TWO of them ??

Hammond (not Hammond-Suzuki) went belly-up long ago...there is no factory customer support. But the popularity of this beast has left a need for techs to service them, and fortunately there are many out there.

With what I paid, I STOLE this puppy, a mint '67 C-3. Still looks and plays like new. I actually sold my old road warrior B-3 to get this...I prefer the look of the C's (no, I am not English). For those of you out there crying about what little I paid, get this...I also picked up 2 mint 147's for $500.00...so, for $1300, I got a mint C-3 with 2 equally mint Leslies. Deals don't get much better, folks !! Read 'em and weap.....

The C3 is the same thing as a B3, but with a lot more lumber around it. So its heavier, as if the B3 wasn't heavy enough. Nothing sounds like a B3 or a C3. Whats a manual?

it has two manuals(keyboards)and will make a sound for every key you wanna hold down. Pretty easy to use, once you get used to it. Not much for expansion, but there are a few mods you can do. Not midi, there are retrofits, but why? no sequencer.

Sounds like a Hammond. Extremely expressive. no velocity or after touch. Its an organ, after all. Onboard effects are chorus, vibrato and percussion(percussion being ading a extra short pitch to the first key you hit).

Never has failed on me, though you need to add oil to it regularly(not kidding). If you get one, get some oil and a service manual from Goff, so you will know how to take care of it. I would use it on a gig without backup, but not without a forklift. Its heavy...Really heavy...your band mates will hate you.

None really, mine was made in 1959 or so. Goff will answer tech questions promptly by email,even if you arent a customer. God bless Goff. Mine had spent its most of its life in a church storeroom.

It was worth many times what I paid for it. I doubt I could afford to replace it if it were stolen(I doubt they could get it out of my studio without the aforementioned forklift). I probably couldnt afford another one(or find anotherone for that matter). If you can find one, and you like the B3 sound, get it. I compared it to the roland, the Oberheim, and the new hammond, but there is no comparison.

Easy.Crank her into life, and fiddle.There are only a bunch of switches
and a load of drawbars to play with.

As far as I can tell polyphony is unlimited. Keyboard action to a pianist (me )
is unusual but strangely satisfying. Extremely fast but more controlled than most boards
I've tried. Drawbars control harmonic volume, there are several types of chorus
and vibrato on offer and a genuine LOUDNESS pedal.Percussion adds an
extra 2nd or 3rd harmonic on the swell.

Really what these puppies are about. Don't treat the drawbars as if they
are some precise science.Mash em in and about and you'll soon discover
which shapes and transitions sound right. They sound fantastic with a
leslie (mines a 145) but genuine tube overdrive plays as large a part of
this as the spinning cone.They also sound absolutely EVIL (good) through
Marshalls.This is the only instrument (drums excluded)I've played that
can take on a flat out guitar.Personally speaking, I find the size,
shape and character of the beast extremely inspiring.

Never broken yet.If you buy one please do yourself a favour and check
ALL the mains wiring. Mine had gone brittle and the insulation cracked
as soon as I looked at it....DODGY! Also get some to check all the earths
and install a proper 3 pin plug on it.Be very carefull around the leslie
switch. As far as I can gather this actually switches MAINS voltage!
I can now totally understand all those stories about rock bands getting
electrocuted in the seventies.

Forget about it. Average age 40 years. There are however a myriad of aftermarket experts
who are very helpful.Problem is it is often very tricky for them to
diagnose problems without taking a look.

Not really applicable.Anyone who could get it out of my place
deserves it. I love the thing to bits which undoubtedly predjudices my
review slightly but I defy anyone who plays one cranked not to fall in love
as well.Been playing 15yrs.Also guitar for about 2yrs.Other stuff is only
my strat and a sweet Marshall that I also play the hammond through
sometimes.