TSeries Chop

I am writing this page as a guide to chopping the T-Series organ. Feel free to add information. I am in the process of chopping mine, so I will edit as I progress.

Removal of Leslie and Internal Speakers; moving terminal strips to below front-piece.

First, you must remove the internal Leslie and Speakers. The leslie, if you have it, is on a hinge. You must undo the brackets holding it in, and it will swing out. Then you must unscrew the hinge on the right side. Then, unplug the 5-pin connector on the left side, and simply remove the leslie unit. If you still wish to use this unit, you can make a simple wire for it out of 5-lead Thermostat wire or equivalent, and some 18-gauge speaker wire. You can also build a cabinet for it.

Then, you must remove the two 12" speakers. Get a good understanding of the wiring of the speakers - Realise what wires go where. Note that certain wires have to go to the cross-over and the circuitry for the headphone jack (which you can also use as a line out. Trace the signal paths and make sure you know what wires to connect to make the signal go to the leslie unit plug and the headphone jack circuitry. Then remove the speakers.

Next, you must remove the two small terminal strips from the baffle board (the front board)to below. One is the crossover for the leslie, one is the circuitry for the headphone jac. I put all this stuff in an ABS plastic box from Radioshack. Now might be a good time to remind you to make sure your organ is unplugged. The transformer on the left side - this is the transformer for the music lamp on top. There is 120V coming from the main to the terminal strip next to this transformer, and this voltage is here even when the organ is turned off.

Removal of the Music Lamp

You don't need a stupid music lamp on top of your organ. If you're chopping it, that means you want to gig with it, and if you're gigging with it, most of your music is going to be memorized anyways, and if not, you'd still look really lame up on stage with a little white light coming from your organ. Plus, it'll be easier to chop because that's about 4 or 6 wires you don't have to include in your chop plugs.

Unplug the light up top. It is a four-pronged Molex connector. Next, MAKE SURE YOUR ORGAN IS UNPLUGGED. You'll be dealing with 120V main if you don't. Now, see that transformer in the base on the left? This is the transformer for your music lamp. Now look where your Motor/Vibrato Scanner Assembly is. See the little sheet metal box mounted on the TWG chassis? Unscrew the cover. YOUR ORGAN BETTER BE UNPLUGGED. Locate which two wires connect to the transformer/plug/terminal assembly on the base. Cut these two wires. (or unsolder them, whatever. If you cut them, put elec. tape over the ends to avoid "problems") Then, remove the transformer and the terminal strip next to it (the thing with the cardboard cutouts on it.) You should be able to remove both these completely from the organ.

Removal of Rhythm III unit

There are several reasons why you might want to do this. I will list some of them. All of them applied to me.

1. The organ will be easier to transport if you dock 2 inches off the top, and a decent amount of weight aswell.

2. I don't need a stupid drum machine if I play with a drummer all the time anyways.

3. My keyboards have better rhythm machines, if I were so inclined to use one.

4. I need to put another keyboard on top of the organ, and taking a couple inches off will make it easier to reach up there...

5. I don't like the Rhythm III.

6. If it were shorter, it would look cooler.

I'm sure you can think of many more. Anyways. In the T-500 service manual, available for sale reprinted on eBay or as a download, also for sale, there is a schematic for making a substitution plug. You need to make this, or else your lower manual and pedals will not work when you remove Rhythm III. It is a very simple plug. You can also find the schematics on Carsten Meyer's site. When I say simple, I mean, it is REALLY REALLY SIMPLE.

I used the terminal strip from the back of the tape player to make the plug. (Yes, I removed the tape player aswell.) When Carsten says "The 180 Ohm 5W Resistor may be omitted without any drawback", he means to omit the connection to the pin aswell. If you don't do this, you will cause a short-circuit and both 1.5A fuses will blow. Also, as far as I know, you can omit that black +25V wire. I haven't noticed any problems with it not connected. If you're noticed anything, feel free to put it here.

Anyways. Once you do that, remove the unit, and take a circular saw, and cut the couple inches off. BE VERY CAREFUL if you value the finishing on the organ. It's easy to screw up the edges. You also may need to plane off the top, depending on how nasty the cut was, and what cabinet you have. I took the easy way out and painted the exposed wood with black oil-based paint, but I supposed you could put thin strips of vermeer. Next, you can either put the original top back on, or put a thinner piece on.

This article will be continued soon...