I was nostalgic tonight and was listening to some rock tunes from the early 80's. I couldn't help notice that a Hammond B3 was clearly playing in the background........

How the heck did you bring one of these beasts to a gig??

Cut the legs....and cut my leslie 147 in half also. In the 1960S..what a glorious time to be a keyboatd player.

It sure was. I had a new B3 with Krueger bass and an Echoplex and 122r Leslie. The clones are quite convincing to a younger audience but there is nothing like the real thing.

Bernie

The B3 player in a Classic Rock band I was in here in RI had large piano legs on hinges bolted into the sides ... when it was time to move it there was one of us on each corner, we would swing the piano legs up and hoist that beast on our shoulders and into the van ... obviously that was the hardest part of any gig ... Ah, the joys ...

Roll or Carry dollies specifically designed to move Hammonds. Did it myself in and out of a van, one end at a time. More than 4 steps or the length of the organ I needed help. In and out of my basement many times. Had custom covers for both the organ and leslie and when it went to a church it still looked good. Always had at least 2 B3's. Gig one and practice one. Practice ones got traded and sold many times. Now I'm down to a 16 Lb BK9 Wow !
For those who chopped up a classic instrument and want to restore it there is a company making new B3 cabinets in three different finishes.
Saw it discussed on the Keyboard Corner website.

Wish we had the clones that are around today back then .

In the mid 60's I worked for a Hammond dealer in Trenton, NJ..

I was the demo guy and another fella was the closer...we did home demo/sales....We had an equipped Ford econoline van with the dollies ...I had to split commissions, but sometimes the hauling needed another pair of hands and a back..

The incentive to sell the organ we were demoing...was very high

It didn't take me very long, to realize a travel buddy was needed...and I stared to ask folks what floor level would the organ be..If not the first floor, I would suggest they look at a Conn organ also.

He lives !! Where you been Fran ?

Mine has it's own small covered trailer. Two of us can move it with straps and dollies.

It stays, for the last 14 years, at a country club, where we have jazz night once a week.

One of the waiters is a country preacher, who plays a little m1. He and his son move my B-3 to the room it is to be played in, along with a Rhodes, 147RV ans a PA.

Everyone is right. Weight, frequency of repair, difficulty of transport....there is still nothing like the real deal.

that's why you STILL see them on many national stages.

LOVR THE B!

R.

Today just throw a SK1 your arm & hit the stage...simple.

Gents...I carried a b3 with 2 925 leslies for over 20 years along with a rhodes piano, fender piano bass, arp and moog synth plus all the amps to go with them....today if i want organ i play my vr09 - 12 lbs and has great organ w/drawbars, piano and synth and play thru our pa system which the singer brings....couldn't be easier....steve c


mox8, vr09, dgx 650, pa900, psr 910 and microarranger.

Until last year I lugged around a chopped B3 and leslie. It was time to "lighten" the load for sure. At first I got a SK1- 73, with Leslie 2101mk. Awesome sound, but missed the second keyboard. I corrected that by purchasing a SK1-88 with another Leslie 2101mk. All lightweight keyboards and 2 Leslies that are easy to move. All fit on a commercial grade 2-wheeler with addition swivel wheels mounted to the handle. No more transportation logistics problems. Once your ear becomes tuned to the Hammond sound, there's nothing that compares. Still playing and gigging after 40 yrs.