Chopped Hammond B3 (The "Oakland Chop") Full Rig Rundown!!
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- I am thinking about launching a new series of videos called "Mike's Gear Locker" where I feature different instruments in my recording studio in an effort to justify my gear collection to my wife ;) This is one about my chopped B3. Enjoy!!
As a former roadie, I approve of this modification!
Hahahaha!!! Yup 🤟🎹
I have a 60’ b3 that I have added a fisher space expander to. Basically the fisher is a spring reverb that is adjustable .
But I would totally be down with buying a road cased B.
I am all in favor of chopping A100's because they are ugly and mechanically identical to the B3/C3. The latter two instruments are lovely and more valuable so should be left as-is.
Besides, the digital clones have gotten so good and are so much more convenient than any chop - and the audience will not know the difference - I don't know that a chop is really practical.
Bill Beer was another legendary Hammond tech, but Tyler Drabick @ Boss Organ is the man currently that's doing great works with Hammonds.
Yes Bill built some legendary chops. I agree Tyler is killing it!! Thanks for watching 🎹🎹🤟🤟
Had an A back in the late 70’s. That sob flipped over in the tour bus, set it up at the gig, put a little oil in it and fired right up like WW2 tank! So happy it still worked. The kids at the deaf camp danced better than ever to our BOC, BTO and LED Z.
We soon decided to chop the legs and added new screw bolts to them and some side handles to go up and down those school steps to the auditoriums so, this brings back memories. Always thought that it would be a great idea to fully chop into a new frame like yours. At least we added the Edward’s Percussion unit to B3 and beafed the 147. D6 clav on top, CP-70 and CS-80 on the side. Chopped Mini in a box with remote keys to hang along with an Elka string machine atop the piano. That was as portable it got for our poor backs as commoners.
Love hearing these stories!! What a rig to travel with wow ! I travelled with a Rhodes Suitcase, B3 w 2 145 Leslies, D6 and a Moog for Years, now I do Yoga and work out to try to save my poor damaged back lol. I am sure you put your back to the test w that MONSTER rig. And a CS80? Amazing!! Imagine what that would be worth now. Love to see a pic of that rig. Thanks for watching the vids and take care :)
Santana re-tuned the whole chopped organ. The third Santana Chop organ was a disaster and left in SLC storage unit in late 70’s. They didn’t use solid state anything as were the cases simply beat up from Roadies
The Oakland chop is freeking Amazing.. Thanx for sharing!!
Thank you, glad you liked :)
Thanks for the demo and nice shoutout to Bob Schleicher...used to go to his shop for repairs and visit, play on his setup with the tall boy leslie while he works on my repairs. And their dog would come by and listen as well.
Oh wow!! That is really cool :). He surely must have been one of the greatest in the business!! Thanks for sharing that 🎹🎹🤟🤟
I am so pleased that you've shared your hammond chop with us!! Finding a b or c3 is the easy part. The genius of a quality chop is almost impossible today. My studio 1964 b3 is much to nice to touch so i settled for an xk5 dual manual for the road with conversion boxes for 3-145 leslies.
Your skill with the keys and effects makes me jealous plus the Trek spring reverb.
Enjoy Mike! You've earned the right to own a piece of hammond history!!
3 145’s? That’s awesome!! Thanks for the compliments. I love to play and am extremely grateful to get to hang w these beautiful machines !! Thanks for checking out the vid 🎹🎹🙏🤟
Someday I'll find a photo to send you of my old chopped B-3. Built into a flight case with my string machine; a 3 manual instrument. (weighed a ton)
Sounds amazing, would love to see!!
I'm pretty sure Bob built around 130 of these altogether
The more the better!! Hope you are well :)
Cory Henry has entered the chat..
Awesome gigging road organ, it sounds superb! Thanks for the video!
Thank you! I really love it. Glad you liked the vid :)
Man that thing is built like a tank, and equipped like Cadillac! It's everything a player could dream of, and unfortunately most of us will have to just be content with dreams. I bought Steve Walsh's old C-3 forty-five years ago and would love to have it gone through and then have some of the goodies you have on yours added, especially the reverb unit. My organ tech, Jesse Dotson, in Asheville NC, was reputed to be one of the best Hammond techs in the southeastern United States, but sadly he has gone on. The organ has its own road case, so shipping isn't as big a problem as it would be otherwise. I'll check some of the names etc mentioned in this video and see what pops up. I know this: work on these beasts (pardon the J Lord allusion) gets pretty expensive, but hey, you just go around once right? Thanks for this great rundown of your rig. You should be proud as peaches of it! Rock on!🎹🎹🎹🔥
Thats amazing, you should get it all fixed up!! The fellow at Boss Organs is apparently an incredible tech :) Glad you enjoyed the video, Thanks for checking it out!!
Awesome video Mike. Interesting mods for sure! I really hope that you make more gear collection videos! I mean gear pron is the best kind of pron right :) I wonder what Jon Lord(I believe Tom Scholtz did aswell) used for his spring reverb I remember seeing him in some old video during ripping solos pushing and spanking his Hammond and getting those cool springreverb abuse effects. If you want some gnarly distorsion effects I can recommend using a Marshall The Governor pedal in between the organ and the Leslie,mind you I used a M100 organ and a 760 Leslie so getting a growl needed some external gear, but still a really growly sound that worked well together with swell control that could go from clean to seriously distorted sound easely.
Nothing like a good distortion pedal ;)
I'v e gat a chopped C3. I literally men "chopped. Some one chut the cabinet off the bottom..relatively aggresive, but Ok. There is a metal welded frame that ..IMHO probably weighs more than the wood cut off??? I guess this made it more portable ?? But Hey it mine for now. I bought this in the mid to late 1980s. It needs an overhaul. Then and still now. The percussion is intermittent and many notes vary a lot in volume... it plays but it needs the caps changed and a general overhaul.
Thanks for sharing your rest-o-mod. I've seen something similar. A German organistin Barbara Dennerlein has a modified B3 that has effects etc.. IDK if it is a "Oakland chop"
She's rather diminutive in size...but has great punch in her playing style. . Anyhow...thanks for the presentation of the cool features ..and the Trek II is ..well you have to break a few eggs to make a good omlet. I like how you failed to put a number on your well umm ... collection? I certainly wouldn't ...especially not to the wife :)
Hahahaha. My wife actually encourages me….. lol. I am lucky I guess. But either way it’s good to keep the “details” to a minimum. Thanks for watching. Love hearing about your C too!! Awesome 🎹🎹🤟🤟
What company makes the cheek block reverb/Leslie switch inserts?
Bob custom made them. So unfortunately he has passed and they are not available. Thanks for watching!!
Hi Mike! Thanks for share this awsome monster. Please let me know if the master behind this project let the schematic/diagram of the modification and if you could show this too. I am writing from Brasil and even with my very poor english I learn a lot with your channel and videos man! I have two Hammonds and I am thinking seriously about customize one and try to make a dream like this you shared with us . This vídeo was definitely an inspiration to me. God bless you man
Hello :) Thank you for watching the videos and supporting the channel, I really appreciate it!! I do not have schematics for it unfortunately. it is a very simple build, all of the parts inside are from Trek II in the USA. The Pre Amp, The Reverb, The EQ's etc. As soon as you convert to a solid state pre amp it gets way easier to save space and do a chop. Would love to hear your playing and see your Hammonds one day!! Thanks for reaching out :)
I think I can spot a Crumar Spirit next to your wall.
Very curious to find out what you are using it for in your set-up
(I have one as well)
The Crumar Spirit is amazing but that is actually a vintage Oberheim OBX 🎹🎹🤟❤️
Great video! I would love to own one of these chops.
Thanks for watching!! If you can find one it is worth every penny 🎹👊
awesome video thank you!
Thanks for
Watching 🤟🤟🎹🎹🎵🎵🙏🙏
The Lunch Box is totally insane. Boss Organ Rox!
I wanna try one!! heard such good things :)
Where is the turning wheel located, I don’t see it .
The Leslie speaker is in an isolation booth right behind me. If you are interested I show it in this video ruclips.net/video/z_5fd7iUpN0/видео.htmlsi=Y-louVZuu8wp6-4b thanks for watching!
I drive a .......I DRIVE A DODGE STRATUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The first step is talking about it Connor!! lol. Thanks for watching 🎹🎹
A dream to have. I always wanted to own a Chopped B3, whether it was Bob Schleicher's or Bill Beer's instead of the "traditional" ones, as they were always the things my idols used in Rock N' Roll. Great video! A real joy to watch
I agree. I couldn’t believe it when this one showed up (only 6 hours away in Canada). They just have a different vice than the traditional ones. You should get one! Thanks for watching :)
I see Tyler once or twice a year. He’s the real deal. Super nice. Very talented tech.
A couple of my student have bought lunch boxes and they are really stoked with them!! Can't wait to get my hands on one :) Pls say Hi to him for me!!
I had a 55 Ford f100 that I hauled my original ccabinet 63 B3 with organ trucks strapped on each end, and 2 122 Leslies! It was very snug but I still had room for two KC550's and a Motif 88. AND I loaded and unloaded it myself. Wouldn't even think of doing that now. I had a velcro leslie switch. My B3 and 122 now doesn't get moved. But I wouldnt hesitate to if I could find anybody that really appreciates a B3 enough to jam with an old man.
You have my utmost respect!! A true gladiator. One of the originals. Nothing says I am not f#%cking around like a B3 and 2 Leslie’s. Carried in a sweet truck too!! Hats off to you sir :)
Very nice! I suspect the only modern musical instruments we will find in the afterlife will be a Ludwig trap kit, a Fender Jazz bass and Stratocaster, and a Hammond organ.
And that will be all we need :)
This was probably one of the coolest videos about your gear. Thanks so much for sharing. As good as my XK3c (upper and lower manuals) and Leslie 3300 is, nothing beats playing on my C2 (converted to C3 features). I’m sure the XK5 feels/sounds more genuine than the XK3c (especially chorus sounds) but nothing beats playing on the real deal. Solid state or not, there’s just a genuine feel that can’t be replicated to date. I’m excited for your Wurlitzer video if you do one. I’ve got a 200 that I’m hoping to get working and sounding better and I’d love to see what mods you’ve done (if any). Appreciate the insight and stories, not a lot of players are as open to discuss. 🍻
Thanks Chris!! I am an open book. Love to share. Really appreciate the support man!! 🎹🎹❤️❤️
Hi Mike, great idea to show all your gear. I didn't know about this oakland mod. I am located in Germany; do you by any chance know people or companies in Europe, who do these kinds of mods or sell modded Hammonds? Being quite late to the B3 party, I really enjoy your content. Tkanks a lot!
This is what I found.... If I hear of anyone else will let you know;
Massimo "Max" Caldonazzo
Rome, Italy
Cell: +338 353 14 85
Cell (Outside Italy): +39 338 353 14 85
Email: m.caldon@flashnet.it
Web: members.easyspace.com/maxcal
Contact: Massimo "Max" Caldonazzo
Affiliations:
Unknown
Comments: Only technician in Central Italy. Performs field service on all Hammond and Leslie products. Also performs repairs on Moogs and other vintage equipment.
Performs Hammond chops, "MIDI-fication" of keyboards and pedal boards, "tweaks" tube amplifiers as well as building his own line of hi-fi pre-amplifiers and final amplifiers.
Last Update: Jan 2001
@@UniverseofKeys That‘s great. Thank you!
Thank you!
Information is great! Would love to see more video of the gear while listening. Thanks for the video!
Thank you will keep in mind :)
Bill Beer called his products portablized. Not sure what he had against the word chop.
I have heard that! Very interesting. He sure made an amazing product 👏👏🎹🎹
It was because it was not just legs chopped off. It was well thought out. New carcass for starts with RMI style folding legs. It was stained black if the tolex was marred. It took a full week to build one. Billl's design of the solid state preamp. Keys were removed and washed. new felts. We use double pole switches wire as if single pole for dependability. Even the expression pedal circuit was designed to play at full volume if something happened to the pedal. the cost in 1976 was about $1100 plus the organ. which is why Billy Preston and Daryl Dragon went to a competitor and then regretted it.
Bill brown built a nice chop organ for me and there is another one like yours same dude that built yours in Charlotte NC good stuff don’t care for the leg set up frames are better🔥👍
Bill Brown was a legend!! I wish this one had the frames. Agree 100%. Better for set up and tear down. Thanks for watching!!
Great video! Thanks for the upload...
Thanks for checking it out George :)
Great mod! I chopped a Leslie 125 that has a lower rotor and no top horn so that it is now piano bench seat height.
Love to see that!!
I’ve got an xk 2… and I love it
Great board!!! Enjoy :)
Thanks for your video. I knew Bob. He built mine. Mine looks just like yours except mine is mahogany colored. He also customized a bench for me and added string bass for my pedals.
Send me some pics!! That is so great!! I bet it’s beautiful :)
Okay, but I need your email address
universeofkeys@gmail.com
Aw man loved this video. The chop is so perfect and the wah is awesome. I’d love to add a delay. We also have an FJ Cruiser. I loaded up the leslie in it. Nice Wurlitzer at the end I’m waiting for one to come available
We will take over the world…. One FJ Cruiser at a time!!!!!!
@@UniverseofKeys saddle up!
:)
At the end of the video, Sound sooo good !!!
Thank you 🙏 🙏🎹🎹
Thanks for sharing this video Mike ! 👍🏼😎
Thanks for checking it out :)
We at Keyboard products (Bill Beer) Built the Portables for Santana and Chester Thompson in the 70's. This organ looks like a copy of Bills design. BTW the Santana organ fell off the plane onto the ramp and survived.
Not surprised it survived. Your organs were legendary. I am sure a lot was borrowed from them for Chester Thompson and Santanas current chops which were both built by Bob. First time I saw a chopped organ was Tom Coster w Santana w a Bill Beer chop. And I know Chester played one for a long time. Awesome quality and history!! SO many artists played Bill Beer chops, Sly, Christine McVie..... Like EVERYONE. And they are still being used on stages everyday. A testament to the workmanship!!
Around 2000 I spoke to a tech in New Orleans who had the Santana organ which needed preamp work. I told him Bill was very secretive about the electronics. I built many of the modules and never saw a schematic. the semiconductors had their numbers erased and were color coded. I suggest using a Trek preamp and was told they are too shrill. Bill was careful with the tone and added RL networks to tame it. The two organs we liked were the Santana and the Clapton organ (Dick SImms) we scope them and started to set the tone generators to those specks in 1976. FYI Bill hated the term "Chopped" His were portablized@@UniverseofKeys
@@UniverseofKeysYou are correct. Both Chester and Carlos's chops were built by my brother Bob in Oakland. I helped out on both. Could be Bill made some too, but the Oakland Chops were definitely made in Oakland. Thanks for the homage to my brother's work. Also, most chops were not really sacrificed B3's but rather A102s which could be purchased for a fraction of the price and nobody liked the french provincial style.
I LOVE Dick Simms. An organ player that should go down in history as one of the greats!! Thanks for all the history on Bill Beers, fascinating!!! Thank you :)
Nice to hear from you Bill, I really wanted to do a video that was respectful to Bob as I know how important his work was!! That flamed maple on Chesters chop was really cool BTW. I did mention in the video about the A100 thing, I love how you guys left the serial number tag on the inside of the body, I think mine is an A 102. So very honoured to own one of the organs. Literally play it everyday. Thank you!!!
I want one---
Worth it!!
Very good video about chopped Hammond thanks 👍
Thanks for checking it out!
Yep
🎹🤟
That's a real cool organ. Great to see. I have a chop I think it's based on a Bill Beer and has the Keyboard Products solid state pre-amp,. This was my dream organ since I was a kid and I am very lucky to have found it. Mine was apparently made alongside Rick Wrights and is almost identical. Very similar mods to yours, I don't have that cool Chorus depth but I do have two EFX send and returns on top and bottom manuals, which is really useful. I play it through a 147 and/or a 145.
That’s so cool!! That’s a holy grail type organ man. Don’t ever sell it!! So cool. Send some pics. Love to see it :)
Really nice piece of gear Mike!
Thanks Kris 🎹🎹🤟🤟
Great video. Back in the 80s, I chopped the family Baldwin Orgasonic, so I could take it on gigs. The chop worked well, but it was still a Baldwin. Finally got a C3 many years later.
Amazing!! A rock and roll Baldwin!! Love it!!
I lived in Oakland (80s) There was a warehouse in SSF w/ about 100 Hammonds in various degrees of condition all for $250 each or make an offer...
This is the stuff of dreams lol!!
someone should do a video on them
Great idea!
I lived in Oakland in the 10s and I worked with a bartender who had a great collection of keys, many vintage, but no b3 to my knowledge…the b3 sound always takes me back to my childhood and some of the first things I heard that made me fall in love with what an organ, let alone a Hammond, is capable of.
It is such a timeless sound :)
I love it. Your video just came up and it's late here, but I've always wanted one. It's a shame Hammond only produce digital clones now; maybe they will find a way to make tone wheels again one day.
Nothing like real tone wheels!! Thanks for watching :)
way cool! nice piece!!!!
Thank you 🙏 ❤️🎹🎹
Awesome!
🎹🎹🤟🤟
Nice, but how is the organ "chopped"?
Great question!! I think this is a “catch all” phrase for all Hammonds that have either had the legs sawed off, or been taken from there original cases and transplanted to be portable. Not a literal term. These organs were marketed as the “Oakland Chop”. Thank you for watching the vid :)
@@UniverseofKeys I get it.
:)
I love that chop ❤😊
🎹🎹❤️❤️
@@UniverseofKeys Do you still use the YC-61 next to it? Or is this a NE 61 on top of your "Superchop"?
I use the YC61 for Wurli and Clav sounds. Killer little board and is my European Organ as well!!
killer Mike !! bad azzzz
🎹🎹🙏🙏
I've fully modded my 1961 A-100 to a chop, and it's actually not that difficult, funny enough.
Once all components were separated & the original housing dumped, I took out the reverb and power amp, then fixed everything that needed it (capacitors in the TG, felt under the keys, all that jazz).
I decided to desgn and build the 2 new enclosures myself, purely to save some money.
The upper half weighs about 70kg, and has the manuals and all controls.
The lower half weighs about 60kg, houses the Tone Generator, power, volume pedal and bass pedals.
Both enclosures are built like a flightcase, so I didn't need thát additional weight either 👍
I already had a European Leslie 142 (with the 122 amp, which is my favourite anyway) so that's a lot lighter to begin with than a regular 122... Rebuilt it like a flightcase too, to match the Hammond, and it weighs 65kg.
I can easily roll into my van on my own.
The only help I'll need is lifting the top half on to its stand.
And baby, it ROARS!!!! 🤘😎🤘
Sounds amazing!! I would love to see a picture of this rig :). If you would like you could send one to universeofkeys@gmail.com Thanks for sharing, very interesting!!