Grateful Dead Music Forum

I dunno if there is any want or need for this, but I noticed no separate forum for the ivory ticklers. Maybe a Ron/Keith/Brent (and I guess that scary dude from the Tubes) forum?

Reason? I scored a Hammond L-143 this past weekend for the price of free. Swapped in one tube (AX7) and it played! Its a drawbar and tone wheel like a B3, but shorter keyboards and no Leslie or outputs. Some other stuff is lacking (waterfall keys and fold back on high notes) but it can be modded to near B3 specs.

Anyone out there share interest in recreating the Brent sound, which IMHO was the best keyboardist not only in the dead but in rock period.

Hey- Vince wasn't that bad. Responsible for some interesting covers played in the late era.

forum/viewtopic.php?f=346&t=10890&hilit=Brent+tone
There was this thread at one time

This L-143 project sounds cool! I've been kicking around the idea of getting one of these, which is pricey but might suit your needs nicely...

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Hammond-Les ... agpspn=pla&=



The keys player in The Garcia Project has one, pretty sweet unit.

Pricey is putting that mildly! Lol. That's a lot of Bertha covers to pay for that.

I'm working on a decorative cover for the L right now. The L series was known as the Spinet models. These have Masonite front panels as they were living room pieces to be pushed against a wall. Hammond did sell decorative panels, but they are scarce. I'm using the stock panel as a template, and cutting it out of finish grade panelling and staining/finishing to match. Instead of the stock pill-shaped vent holes on the top, I'm cutting in two 13 point SYF bolts. Behind each bolt will be LEDs lighting up the interior of the cabinet, one bolt red and the other blue, with a big phat metal SYF in the center. Will post pics when done.

Don't forget Merl and Melvin. Melvin is the best Hammond organist I have ever heard. Drawbar settings and equipment would be great to discuss here. Great idea. Melvin has some unique drawbar settings for the JGB stuff. I checked out his settings last time I saw him and would be glad to pass them on if anyone is interested. Wish I still had my Hammond.

Brent was the best thing that ever happened the dead IMO.
But like said above I made a post about the whole thing before!

TI4-1009 wrote: Responsible for some interesting covers played in the late era.

Please pontificate.

Our keyboard player would love to discuss some key tone I'm sure...

JonnyBoy wrote:Our keyboard player would love to discuss some key tone I'm sure...

JB!!! I actually just hooked your boy jason up with my friends number (the guy who gets all the stuff from Bralove).

seamones wrote:

TI4-1009 wrote: Responsible for some interesting covers played in the late era.

Please pontificate.

Baba O'Reilly
Rain (Beatles)
Revolution
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds too, IIRC. Maybe others

Vince was a pretty good singer.

This project sounds awesome! Very cool idea with the bolts for vents!

ccw3432 wrote:Don't forget Merl and Melvin. Melvin is the best Hammond organist I have ever heard. Drawbar settings and equipment would be great to discuss here. Great idea. Melvin has some unique drawbar settings for the JGB stuff. I checked out his settings last time I saw him and would be glad to pass them on if anyone is interested. Wish I still had my Hammond.

I'd like to hear as many drawbar settings as you can remember, please!

jeffm725 wrote:

JonnyBoy wrote:Our keyboard player would love to discuss some key tone I'm sure...

JB!!! I actually just hooked your boy jason up with my friends number (the guy who gets all the stuff from Bralove).

Awesome! He will appreciate that... Jason is a killer keys player and super knowledgable about theory. He will really enjoy geeking out with him about gear and playing... Thanks Jeff!

here's some on his Nord. The left lights are the "drawbars" for the upper and on the right is the lower. Try only pulling the bass drawbars for the upper register out only half to 2/3 and pull the treble ones out further to get that nice treble rich tone Melvin gets.

Tennessee Jedi wrote:forum/viewtopic.php?f=346&t=10890&hilit=Brent+tone
There was this thread at one time

Okay, I bit. After four pages of devolution into who was the better keyboardist or which show did/didn't tickle one's nut sack, I'm still wanting.

I know I'm a "new" guy (just call me Brent), but a consolidated place for keyboardist discussion would be nice. exchange bar settings, use of other makes/models to capture tone (how much is discussed on how to make other amps sound like a Twin or which speakers clone a JBL D120?). A forum for the ivory ticklers might be useful to exchange ideas and mods. While the thread you refered me to, Jedi, did mention Brent used a B3, not everyone can afford a B3 or has the stage room for one, or has a stage crew to move it. But other Hammonds can be found cheaply, and modded to be similar or the same as a B3 (insert Jerry caster comparison here).

Frankly, I just ordered parts off Ebay to do the foldback mod on my L143. Anyone with experience here could help me, and my experince at the end of this could help others.

But then again, give Ron/Keith/Brent/Bruce/Vince Tone Forum a chance, and then others will want a Billy/Mickey Tone forum as well. Damn uppity drummers.

Anyone install outputs on a L-100 series Hammond?