Hammond Models

Well Known Hammond Organ Models

(In chronological order.)

• Model A (1935-1938)

    The original Hammond.  Similar in appearance to the B series but with a shallower case.  No vibrato or percussion.  Had a tremolo which provided an amplitude modulation to the sound. X3 ^-^ needs more info

• Model AB (1935-1938)

    The B series console was developed to allow room for the ChorusGenerator in the Model BC.  When the organ was sold without the chorus generator, it was called the AB.  Basically the guts of the A series in a B console.  Interestingly, this means that there were no organs called the "Model B".

• Model BC (1936-1942)

    A ChorusGenerator was added which provided slightly off-pitch tones to imitate more closely the sound of a pipe organ.  The off-frequency generators were from 8% to 4% off-pitch and were only applied to the fourth octave and higher.  A 48-pole (!) drawbar was used to activate the chorus.

• Model E (1937-1942)

    Classical or concert organists wanted a 32-note radial arc PedalClavier instead of the flat 25-note pedal board Hammond designed.  The Model E was designed with the AGO pedals, an expression pedal and pedal position indicator for each manual, additional pedal drawbars, and four toe piston presets.  The reverse-colored preset keys were replaced with typewriter like buttons.

• Model BA (1938-1938)

    B series console with a very tall case to provide room for an Aeolian-Skinner player mechanism.  For a series of photographs detailing the Model BA: http://www.organhouse.com/aeolian_hammond_player.htm

• Model C (1939-1942)

    Churches were reluctant to purchase the open-legged consoles of the A and B series, so the C console was developed to provide an appearance deemed more acceptable in a church.  Throughout this model's life it was absolutely identical to the B series.  C models, particularly the C-3, were more popular with English players than the B-3.

• Model D (1939-1942)

    This is a C console with a ChorusGenerator.

• Model G (1941-1944)

    D for government issue only.  (Some of these were surplused after the war.)

• Model CV (1945-1949)

    The tremulant effect found in pre-wwII consoles was unconvincing and the chorus generator of the BC expensive.  So JohnHanert developed the ScannerVibrato.  The CV was the first Hammond sold with Vibrato and VibratoChorus.

• Model BV (1946-1949)

    B style case with vibrato/chorus.

• Model M (1948-1951)

    First Hammond organ intended for the home market.  44-key offset manuals and 12-key pedals.  A B series stripped down to the essentials.  No presets.  Built-in speaker and 11 watt amplifier.

• Model RT (1949-1949)

    Similar in appearance and features to the CV except the console was widened to provide room for a 32-key radial pedal clavier.  Has a monophonic pedal solo unit to provide 32' voices, reed and string voices.

• Models B-2, C-2, RT-2 (1949-1954)

    B, C, and RT consoles with selective scanner vibrato added and a tablet for NORMAL/SOFT volume.

• Models S, S-4, S-100 (1950-1966)

    The Model S chord organ introduced a innovative method of playing chords with the left hand on a 12 x 8 button array.  One column in the array for each note in the octave from D# to Fb arranged in fifths.  Each row in the array plays a variety of different chords.   The right hand plays melody on a polyphonic 37-key manual.  Two pedals which played either the tonic and fifth of the chord being held.

• Model M-2 (1951-1954)

    Model M spinet organ with selective scanner vibrato added.

• Models B-3, C-3 (1955-1974)

    Same as B-2, C-2 but with the infamous Hammond Percussion and the smooth drawbars and all metal expression pedal frame (except '54 B-3, C-3s)

• Model RT-3 (1955-1973)

    RT-2 with percussion added.

• Model M-3 (1955-1964)

    M-2 with percussion and smooth drawbars (if applicable).  Perhaps the best choice for those wanting B-3 champagne on a beer budget.  Similar in sound but missing foldback, presets and an octave of tonewheels.  Used on several famous recordings that most people think were recorded on a B-3 (see AllTimeHammondPopHits for a list of some of these.)

• Model A-100 series (1959-1964)

    Get a B-3's guts, shove 'em into a sawed off cabinet, and throw a (not quite) PR-40 in it (what can I say, it's gettin' late on the east coast).  An M-3 on steroids!  Everything that's in a B-3 in some of the nicest (and ugliest) cabinets Hammond produced.  Includes speaker, amplifier and reverb.

• Model M-100 (1961-1968)

    The best spinet made apart from the M-3's.  It has the START/RUN deal and a genuine ToneWheel generator and Scanner vibrato. There are a number of variants (M-102, M-111, M-143, etc.) but electro-mechanically they are all the same. The different variants just refer to cabinet styles. MatthewFisher recorded the organ part of "A Whiter Shade of Pale" (AWSOP) using an M-102.

• Model L-100 (1961-1972)

    M-100 without scanner vibrato and non self starting (IE self starting motor)

• Model F-100 Extravoice (1961-1964)

    Derided by organ fans, this 4½ octave, single manual, spinet sized instrument is nonetheless a very significant product.  It descends from the Novachord and the Solovox, and is thus not an organ at all, but would be better described as a synthesizer oriented toward string and woodwind sounds (sort of an electronic Mellotron?).  Choice of 3 different polyphonic sounds for each of left and right sides of the split keyboard.  The "extra" voice is a mono, solovox type circuit which can be layered over the right half of the keyboard.  This voice has rather extensive options for timbre, and 4 octave tabs allow a very wide range, or "stacked" sounds.  12-pedals and a knee expression lever.  Instant antique vibe.

• Model A-105 (1962-1974)

    Same as am A-100 except this one's in a C-3 style case

• Model Grand 100 (G-100) (1963-1965)

    The biggest Hammond Made.  It is non-standard with the 32-note pedalboard and this time has an extra large tone generator and a VERY complex vibrato scanner.  Has stops instead of drawbars and a huge external double      wide rack mount cabinet
    containing the power supply, 5 motor-driven tremulants (single motor drives 5
    scanners with a single belt) and the audio speakers (3 Dynaco Stereo 70's plus a
    Dynaco Mono amp for the bass).

• Model D-100 (1963-1969)

    The "Cadillac of Hammonds."  Tipping the scales at 575 lbs, this beast is just an
    RT-3 with a built in PR-40.  Just like an A-100 (except better).

• Model E-100 (1965-1969)

    Really Po' Man's A-100 (tee hee).  Anyhow, this one has 5 different voices for
    percussion a self starting motor, and some other effects.  Oh yeah, it only has a
    few presets and only one set of drawbars per manual.  What a drawback (pun)!

• Model H-100 (1965-1974)

    Average Poor Man's A-100 (tee hee).  Anyhow, this one has a HELL OF A LOT of effects
    like the many percussion voices, string bass etc.  Has a very complex vibrato system.
    Self-starting motor and literally all of the bells and whistles.  Oh yeah, this one
    has 2 additional Upper manual drawbars per set of drawbars, 2 additional for pedal,
    and 1 extra for lower.

• Model X-66 (1965-1972)

    This and all organs following have NO TUBES in them whatsoever.  This one is ALL
    transistor, but not all of the ones following.  Only has a top octave TG.  Has
    standard keyboards and presets, but has "diving board" keys (like spinets and
    some consoles).  49 note arpeggiator, reverb, attack percussion, sustain perc.
    Very non traditional look.

• Model X-77 (1967-1975)

    This one is the successor of the X-66, in a sense.  Has the same drawbars as
    H-100.  Has the arpeggio and percussion like the X-66.  Bigger TG than X-66.
    Has sustain, reiteration, and cymbals and brush.

TopicHammondModels