Hi! I have been looking at Hammond organ models in EBay for the last wee while. Where I live in Ireland, the C models are much more common than the B models. As I h ave looked at them, I thi my heart I changing towards the C model. However, there is one feature that I am also interested in and that is the four-leafed clover-like coving finish around the side panels of both the organ and the stool. The design seems to lift that solid, sudden and arguably dull side profile - makes em look more feminine of something Firstly, what is the name of that coving I referred to - can't see to find the term for it on Google. As well as that, I have only been able to see this on CV and C2 models. Was this not included on the c3 models as well?

They are called quatrefoils.. C models had them until around 1959 or thereabouts. You are smart to consider a C, they are the same as the equivalent B model for less money..

Thanks, Ken. I've pretty much made up my mind that either a C2/3, with quatrefoils is what I'm looking for (unless one of you guys decide to tell me that one model is better than the other) but I now have a question regarding Leslie speakers. I passed up on a C3 this afternoon because of the missing quatrefoils but interestingly the dealer was offering a pristine Leslie 145 with the organ. The Leslie 145 tends to be quite popular over here but I'd heard some negative reports about this model despite its having the same cabinet and basic circuitry as the 122; the only difference being the way the two models receive/process the signal. Is the 'noise' picked up by the 145 that big a deal? Listening to Hammond organs being played, I've noticed how some Leslies seem to switch from chorale to vibrato quite quickly and others seem to slow down or speed up more gradually. Is that just my imagination or do certain models respond more quickly/slowly to the switch?

The 145/147 uses unbalanced input and mains speed switching. It does respond more quickly to speed control than the 122. As far as spin up/spin down speeds, both models depend on the belt tension and can be adjusted for your preference.

The 122 has balanced input and is more of a challenge to interface to an organ. The 145/147 is considered more universal and is very easy to interface. Personally, I have never noticed one being more noisy than the other. It is true that the one type of circuit is more SUSCEPTIBLE to noise, but that does not make it more noisy. It really depends on there being noise to be picked up and amplified.

I have converted Leslie amps to a 122 type or a 145/147 type and the difference is in the speed switching circuit and the input to the 12AU& tube. After that, they are pretty much the same.

I`ve played these loads o` times. The 122 Leslie was designed, I think, for the C3 which also had it`s own speaker cabinet. The i45/7 Leslies were able to utilise a preamp box which rendered them suitable for portable organs that were around then; also guitars.

The earlier Leslies utilised plywood; the later ones used chipboard. The earlier ones wwere far superior in both tone and volume. 40Watts, they kicked out. Unbelievable!

I bought a 180W Sharma because of the low output from my later 147 . . .

If you used a Leslie as well as a straight amplifier and cabinet you got a stunning effect. I had an M100 which was not cut in two. It was bloody HEAVY!