The original Hammond B3 tonewheel organ is analog all the way, utilizes an AC synchronous clock motor turning the 96 separate tonewheels at fixed speeds on shafts in front of separate electromagnetic pickups. These generated signals are mixed in a resistive additive network that involves those famous drawbars plus hidden 9 bussbar switching on each key, which is then fed to an analog tube driven preamplifier and out to the anlaog tube driven rotating speaker cabinet known as the Leslie.

The mechanical tone generator MUST be lubnricated periodically using only the recommended paraffin free oil. A frozen or locked tone generator, or one that has been run dry until the bearings are worn is the bane of the B3 organ collector. Many get killed by tinkerers and handymen that do not understand what should be done before going inside. Since the price of an original working B can exceed $10,000 easily these days, if the organ doesn't start up when using the Start and Run switches in a proper fashion, anyone in this situation would be well served to call a qualified organ service technician rather than attempt to free up a stuck generator on their own unless they are well versed in electromechanical technologies and troubleshooting.

Hammond Suzuki now sells a digital clone of the B3, which may lead to confusion on the topic, the real reason for the need to digital clone with samples like that is one of production costs, in today's manufacturing environment the amount of machining and hand wiring/assembly that it took to build a B3 in the 50s and 60s is absolutely a barrier. Even with that, the new Hammond Suzuki B3 organ comes in at a street price of around $25,000US.

There are nuts like myself who keep the old B's running and even rebuild them to showroom floor condition, every part of them is well known and documented these days.


--Mac

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