Yamaha B75N Electone

This is a spinet organ an it is about 20 years old. Every function can be figured out very easily, no programming or other modern stuff, only levers and buttons in happy colours. Although you don`t really need the manual, it is very complete.

Like other manufactuers (Wersi, Solton...) the Yamaha folks tried to equip the organ with everything you need to substitute a full band. It has two 3-2/3 octave keyboards with really satisfying action and one octave of bass pedals. The polyphony on each of the keyboards is seven sounds with the bass pedals you can produce one sound at once.
It has a rhythm machine with 16 different styles which you also can combine to get other useful and/or interesting grooves. Then you have the auto- chord, auto- arpeggio, auto- bass and other automatic gimmicks every REAL organ player hates.
The Electone offers for the upper keyboard a range of five flutes, "trombone", "trumpet" and other strange sounds. On the lower keyboard it is basically the same but a little less. There are seven presets of piano, harpsichord, banjo and others. Interesting is the flutes` sound because in a limited way you can produce Hammond- like sounds, also because this organ has some kind of percussion for the upper keyboard and some effects I will describe now.
The effect called tremolo is in a way like a Leslie- simulation because you can chose between slow/fast and the speed changes gradually like rotating speakers. Then you can activate a Chorus which is also very useful imitating the Hammondsound. In addition the organ has vibrato, Sustain for the upper keyboard, slow attack, pedal sustain and reverb.
The intrument is in no way upgradable and has no MIDI either. But it does have a headphones, an IN and an OUT jack. I must not forget to mention that it comes with a "beautiful" simulated American Walnut Gain finish.

My intrument sounds like the old 70`s or 80`s organ models made for home use. That means the voices like trombone, trumpet, clarinet, oboe and strings do not sound that way. Neither do the presets, but they are quite funny. Thats the reason why I usually leave them turned off, so they don`t spoil my fun trying to imitate a Hammond with the two available attack sounds and the flutes 16`, 8`, 5-1/3`, 4`and 2-2/3` which may not be enough but to me it`s quite fair.
On the other side when I'm in a wacky mood I activate the rhythm machine with a fast tempo, switch on the auto- arpeggio and the nasty trombone and trumpet sounds, add the vibrato and turn my organ into a hell- machine for making cheap German techno music that could lift me on the top of the charts if I wanted.

When I bought the organ, being advertised in a local newspaper, the volumelever for the presets I hardly use was already a bit broken and once playing it in my room I saw a small amount of smoke coming out of the Yamaha. But it showed no damage, so I can nearly say it is as good as new. It`s fully solid state and very robust so I can say it will last at least as long I have enough money to buy a good old Hammond.

Don`t have a clue about that.

The organ was extremly cheap because for 50 Deutschmarks I didn`t get a small crappy organ, but a pretty big Instrument(although Yamaha manufactured way bigger ones), which partially gives me the sound I dream of and partially gives me the sound my worst nightmares come from, depending on which levers I activate. But I can deal with it.
Three years ago, I think, it was my first instrument with a keyboard (I actually play guitar) and it introduced me to the pleasure of working with organs and pianos. If I lost it somehow I maybe would buy a Hammond or lacking the money I`d buy another Electone, maybe a bigger one, if I could reach one for litte money. That means more than 50 Deutschmarks, because this in NO money for such a lovely Instrument.