new life for my Hammond B-3 sounds…

This post could be a little too music equipment speak for some of you, but enough people comment on the old school Hammond sounds I use on my CD’s and gigs that you might just appreciate this. Besides – I am excited.

I know I have pretty decent organ sounds happening on my gigs. A few people have even commented how they loved that I used the B3 on my last cd (which I didn’t – I used synths and effects to get that sound). But anyone who ever spent time sitting next to a B3/Leslie rig or listening to bands that use this instrument would know the difference, probably right away.

I miss using the B-3 and the 122 Leslie (I don’t miss moving them but… ) that sound and feeling of playing that instrument is something I spend a lot of energy striving to recreate.  

Yesterday the box came to my house with something called the neo ventilator – an effect box made in Germany that Hammond B3 enthusiasts are beginning to get really excited about. My wife was laughing at me because I was like a little kid at Christmas. My keys were packed for a gig so I had to go break them out and set everything up. I was sure the unit was sound pretty good, but I couldn’t really hope it would really make me let go of that secret desire to strap the dolly around the B-3 and Leslie and haul them to my next show.

I would have written this yesterday but I couldn’t break away from this thing long enough to type. I just kept stripping effects off of every organ patch I could find and trying it out. I am floored.

Now I haven’t done any blindfold tests comparison against a live 122, but that feeling I would get on gigs where I missed having those big boxes (not the one that comes after moving them, the one that comes when your performing with them)… it has been replaced with more anticipation for a performance than I have had in a long time. I can’t wait to get this on stage! It’s inspiring. It’s engaging. It’s the best thing since sliced bread! (I actually slice my own bread but…) It really is a phenomenal effect.

Also, I want to thank Bruce at Ashby Solutions for the nice work he did on the footswitch and the stereo bypass upgrade, as well as the time he took to walk me through the options so I was confortable I was getting the right configuration. Simple stuff but sometimes I feel the days when customer service meant providing a service to your customer is gone. It is refreshing to do business with someone that takes pride in what they do and is committed to making sure the person they are doing business with walks away feeling great about the experience. Thanks Bruce.

So you’ll get a chance to hear this at the next show! And on the next CD. And for a long time to come should you stay interested.

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