Many of the acts that play the casinos here request B3s with their backline requirements. My friend at the music store has several and he sends a truck with two guys, leslies, dollies, etc., and has everything all set up for them.
You'd be surprised how many still request DX7s!
He makes more off one backline setup than he would in six months of selling arrangers at the price he has to make them now. So he doesn't sell arrangers any more. By the time he buys the arrangers, pays freight, and of course has to charge sales tax, he can't compete with the on line guys and make it worthwhile. If he gets stuck holding one or two that don't sell, he is in the hole, and this is such a small market chances are they won't all sell. BTW he has a BK5 that can be bought RIGHT.
I'm pretty sure Vanilla Fudge had roadies!
DonM

Wow! He is doing very well. Having the stuff there all set up for you is far better than lugging a big 425 lb. Hammond B-3, or the even heavier C-3, which is why most touring groups have such requirements at their next venue.

Some players do carry a real Leslie to run their chosen clonewheel through, the former is usually boxed and mic'd.

DX-7's are especially popular with groups doing 80's music, as there was hardly a song during that era that didn't have the ubiquitous DX-7 E. Piano or the DX-7 Bass featured in the mix.

I've got oodles of DX-7 sounds on my Tyros4, including several realistic versions of that characteristic, and somewhat overused Electric Piano, and they still come in handy for certain tunes.

Ian

I still use a DX-7 and, sometimes, even a Hohner Clavinova, although they're getting hard to maintain.


R.

What is hard to duplicate is the "feel" of the Hohner Clav...lots of synths/samplers/arrangers have clav sounds, but the feel isn't there.

Stevie Wonder, one of the masters of the clavinet, still uses a Hohner D-6 (or E-7) on stage despite the plethora of synths that mimic it's sound.

They are surprisingly heavy too, although looking at them you wouldn't think so.

What model are you using Russ?

Ian

Oh Happy days, I am getting all filled up, there's not many people around now that want to sit and listen to Hammond sounds, most are dead, twas an acquired taste anyway not for everyone and bit like the Beatles, I couldn't stand them, jazz played on a Hammond either, no sense to it....

Control yourself, sir...it'll be okay...we don't have to trade our Tyros4's for a Hammond.

I sure don't miss dragging that big old B-3 in and out of the gear truck, especially after a gig and after enjoying a few too many toddys for the body.
Downright dangerous!

Ian

Ian, I have only used my old Hohner one time in the last year, on a short recording (commercial, actually). It's pretty fragile and the reeds are hard to work on. The repair guy for my Hammonds and other older equipment is in his mid-70's and always busy.

I got mine from a customer about 10 years ago. His Dad played the hell out of it...so much so that the cover was almost gone and many of the reeds were bad. I put it back together, but it's like an old restored car...pretty and neat, but you wouldn't want to drive it to California and back.

The DX-7 is a little more stable and gets played 4 times a
month.

BTW: Like everyone else, I tried to play the intro to Superstition like the recording and was never satisfied. Then, last year, I found an article that said that Stevie used about 13 tracks on that piano part and delayed some of the synchronization, making it nearly impossible for one person to play the piece live. If you listen closely, you can hear multiple strikes on notes.


R.
(Not sure what the model is. Think it's a D, but got it as a basket case).

I have a rack full of DX7 modules (DX02 ????). I think it was called the DX16 or something. I haven't looked at it in years but if anyone is interested in it or any of a number of 'vintage' modules and synths, let me know.

chas

That would be a Yamaha TX-816 Chas...essentially 8 DX-7's (or TX-7) in a rack mount unit.

http://www.sonicstate.com/synth/yamaha_tx816/

Awesome sound...there was a piano patch available that used each module for a part of the piano sound, one for hammer thunk, another for string resonance etc...it was pretty convincing back in the day.

Ian

One of my favorite sounds is a Gibson 335 through a 147RV, using the Leslie pre-amp, speed switch. Did a single that way with a drum machine for several years. Played a bass line with my thumb.

Love the sound of moving air!

R.