whats the diff. between all the hammond b3 a100 and

[lilj332]

whats the difference?? and can u tell what kind of organ iz being played just by hearing it??
i kno about the hammond b3 and a100 and c3....that's the basics 2 me i dont know what kind it is at my church (**only thing i see is the word hammond on the back**) so let me kno pleeze!!!!!
  im a beginner tryin 2 learn.......only 15

[BimmerFan99]

The B-3, C-3 and A-100 are all identical on the inside.  There are only two differences:
1) The cases.
2) The A-100 has an internal speaker inside the case.  This was to market for personal use in homes, I believe, so that customers wouldn't have to purchase an external tone cabinet.  In some cases, when an A-100 is hooked to a Leslie, the internal speaker isn't used at all.  In other cases, a switch is installed to use one or both.

All three models are otherwise identical.  There are people who take the innards of an A-100 and put it in a B-3 or C-3 case.  You can't tell the difference between the three by sound.

[RMS2003]

What BimmerFan said is absolutely correct. The only other difference is the chorus/vibrato is deeper on an A100. This is because of a resistor change in the vibrato switch box. Some people actually have gone in and installed a "trimpot" that allows them to control the depth of the chorus/vibrato. I've even heard that Joey D. wired a potentiometer into one of his B's chorus/vib circuit so he could totally control the depth.

I've had one guy tell me that every Hammond organ sounds difference to him. Personally I can tell no difference but who knows. Age and wear and tear can make a difference I suppose.

[TheVeteran]

Also, the A100 has a "Reverb/Echo" dial.   

[BimmerFan99]

RMS, every organ does have a distinct sound to it.  I believe it's a combination of factors including type of leslie, age of leslie, age of tubes (tubes have to be broken in), age of organ, whether or not the organ's tone generator has old or new capacitors, etc....

The New B-3 actually has an option where you set the sound to emulate a clean, "perfect" B-3 or other levels of "vintage-ness."  It's not only on the New B-3, either.  Many of the other synths have similar options.

[gospb3]

Bimmer is right on point One of the Deacons at my home church retired from Hammond and when
I started its the exact way he explained it to me. But he disigned a 3 tier 3 leslie 1 reveb cabinet
system for that church that was in the 80's and still is the best sounding on Long Island

[southernkeyz1]

theatreorgans.com/hammond/     Go to this web site and it lists all the hammond organ models and provides pictures and a brief description 4 each one. This should help u indentify your hammond model. Hope this helps!

[lilj332]

thank you im goin check it out.........

[Muziqmann]

the A-100 also has more pedals, and the pedals themselves are shapes differently.

[karlisa]

There is a distinct difference between the the B3 and A100.  The A100 is the TOP DOG of the Hammond organs.  The A100 and the B3 has the same features except that the A100 has a separate preamp that drives a leslie crazy.  The B3 does not have a separate preamp.  The reason I know is because I am a protojay of the late Rev. Charles H. Nicks jr.  Anybody remenber "Chuckie" know that he sold organs and pianos for the Grinnell Bros music company in Detroit.  Chuckie would not settle for anything less than a  A100 and 127 lesalie for the santurary.  The A100 with a 127 or 147 leslie could OUT BUMP a B3 any day.  People like the late Jiimmy Smith and Ray Charles made the B3 popular because thats what they traveled with.  The B3 and A100 are not identical.

[RMS2003]

Muziqmann, I think you may be referring to the RT series models. They have more pedals. Hammond A100's have the same number of pedals B's and C's have and they are built the same. In fact, they are interchangeable with Hammond B's and C's.

karlisa, check your info. There is no Leslie 127. Is it possible you meant a 125 or 122? 125's were 2 speed single rotor Leslie's, commonly referred to as the Orpheus Leslie. Even though the A100 has a separate preamp for a Leslie and a reverb amp, it can be rewired so the line output comes directly from the AO-28 preamp, just like a B3/C3 configuration. Again, age and use can make each Hammond vintage sound a little different. Saying the A100 is "top dog" and could out pump a B3 certainly doesn't make it so. I could say "steak is better than lobster" but that doesn't necessarily mean it is. It's just whatever your preference is.