What is the Hammond T-500 (Part 1)

 The web-literate reader can easily find the objective answer to this question. I will therefore provide one of many subjective answers, not entirely unique, but interesting enough to me that I feel like writing it down.

There are three legitimate, grown-up Hammond organ models. They are the B3, A3, and, C3. There are minor variants of those three with different numbers, usually signifying a different cabinet material. They are similar enough and all old enough that differences in sound between individual units can be larger than those between models. The B3 is the most mobile of the three, and is thus the most popular, and epitomizes the Hammond sound. If you hear that someone plays an organ, and they don't sigh after you ask them what type, this is what they play. These models may be purchased regularly in various states of repair for $2k to 6k.

The Leslie rotary speaker sound is nearly inseparable from the Hammond sound. More information to follow.

The second tier of Hammond organs is comprised of "spinet" organs. Spinet is a term in opposition to "console" which is what type of organ the ABC series is. Small pianos are also referred to as spinets. I refuse to track down the etymology of that word, I will make do with context clues for now. There are two ways to differentiate between the two types. Spinets are found in the homes of "people in a band." Consoles are found in the back line at real gigs. The other way is that consoles have more pedals. 

There are three organs in the 2.1st tier: the M3, the M100, and the L100. They are all equal. The song "Green Onions" was recorded on an M3, which tells you two things. Booker T and the MGs were fucking broke when they recorded that song, and that zero other songs have been recorded with the M3. The L100 was famously used by Keith Emerson because he was a weird moron. Watch a live video of those goons from the late 70s or early 80s and tell me Emerson isn't an idiot asshole. Nobody gives a shit about these organs. They are completely worthless, but can be purchased for between negative 50 and positive 350 dollars.

The T-series is the 2.2nd tier of spinet organs. Hammond was getting their asses wiped by the competition in the organ market. By the way, there was a thriving GLOBAL organ market for about 30 years. 1940 to 1970, ask an old person. Anyway, Hammond's competition was making far more interesting instruments by the 1970s. Lowrey and Wurlitzer were using solid-state oscillators and LSIC (Large Scale Integrated Circuit) based organs. They were lighter, more colorful, more user-friendly and boasted many more sounds than Hammonds. They came with optional drum machines, tape decks, built-in Leslie speakers, automatic chord accompaniment, and dozens of preset sounds just a switch away. Hammond, of course, attempted to copy their rivals. It was sad.

The T series was the first attempt at a modernized organ. 

Hammond Organs in General

If you haven't read the Hammond organ Wikipedia page, recall that the signature Hammond sound is produced by a ludicrously elegant and reliable electromechanical device known as a "Tonewheel Generator" or TWG. It is the size of two shoeboxes laid end-to-end and weighs about 75 pounds. It operates as a passive electromechanical device, like an electric guitar, Fender Rhodes, or Wurlitzer electric piano. This is nuts. It has a motor, hundreds of gears, and about 100 six-inch permanent magnet rods. The man who invented it had previously invented the clock that is synchronized by the power in your wall. If you were in school before 1997, you probably remember the type of clock that hit 3:00 exactly as the bell rang. Thank Laurens Hammond (is Lawrence another form of that name)?

Hammond took the cool part of the clock and built an entire fucking synthesizer around it. Before you tell me that a Hammond is not a synthesizer, shut the fuck up, you're wrong, it is, and you don't know what analog means. 

A synchronous motor (always spinning at exactly half the mains frequency of 60 Hz (1800 rpm = (1/2)*(60 cycles per second times 60 seconds per minute))) rotates this extensive collection of gears and fucking sound comes out. If you plug it in to a generator, the pitch will be off. Now you should research how the frequency of AC power at your house is exactly the same as the frequency at your parents house 900 miles away (nice safe distance, too long for a weekend trip, short enough for funerals).

The T series had both this wonder of mechanical engineering AND a bunch of dumbass bullshit because that's what people wanted. 

More to follow.