Re: Used Leslie purchase.. good deal??

[GOFFProf@aol.com]

Jmccarty - First - You should NOT worry about asking questions!  That's the
purpose of the HAMMOND board.  Our answers may vary, so you'll have to decide
which road to choose.  Mark Longo is really doing a great job running the
board, and he WANTS the questions and answers to continue since you are not
alone wondering about these things.

My own opinion - Although I am NOT a big fan of early solid-state Leslie's
due to several technical reasons, as Hzirbes just reminded me, some ARE in
excellent condition, with working pedal preamps, and are well worth the money
considering the cost of new equipment.  For $600., it's a crap shoot whether
a Leslie 900 is worth it.  Today, no 9-pin solid-state Leslie (versus a 6-pin
122/147/145/142, etc.) is on anyone's "gotta-have-one" list.  If it is really
good and you decide to buy it, try to get it for less....

The Pro-3 itself was not designed to be a replacement for a full size Leslie.
 So your comparison really should be with the Leslie 900 (or any other
traditional Leslie) and the Pro-3 in conjunction with a bass amp and cabinet.
 

(John - correct me if I'm wrong, but the Pro-3 has no bass amp, but a
crossover and 1/4" outputs to feed into the owners' bass amp and speakers?)  

Jmccarty- Any used HAMMOND or Leslie purchase should be carefully scrutinized
according to the age and physical condition of the equipment,  usage by the
present owner (band rig or home piece), and actual operating condition (do
ALL of the parts work).  Also, what restrictions will YOU impose on your
equipment?  Weight, size, storage, etc.  are all important considerations to
weigh in conjunction to your wish for
the classic HAMMOND / Leslie sound.  

Since you did not mention what HAMMOND or HAMMOND-clone you will be using on
your 60+ gigs per year, I can't help you decide.  

However - Some input from some professional HAMMOND players:

Many have used the Dynacord or other high-end Leslie simulators in
conjunction with their HAMMOND-clone keyboards and, after playing them for
awhile, were reasonably happy with the results.  Only when they had the
opportunity to play a good B-3 and a Leslie did they once again realize the
new equipment's limitations.   They still NEED to use the lighter equipment
due to business concerns, but they prefer the originals. 

If you use a B-3 or other HAMMOND, then the Leslie 900 must be seriously
considered. There are also many other models to consider which offer improved
weight / space characteristics, and they deliver the classic sound.  

If you have a HAMMOND-clone, and have weight / size restrictions, then the
Pro-3 or another good simulator should be considered.  

As a compromise, many bands use a VOCE Micro-B, KORG CX-3, HAMMOND XB-2 or
other good HAMMOND-sound source, and a Leslie.  This gets around the B-3
problem, but really delivers the classic sound. 

As info ---in response to several board member Emails - I HAVE asked Motion
Sound for a Pro-3 to test, but they declined.  
It's too bad, because they would be VERY surprised who was waiting for our
test results.....

BUT- I am also very eager to test the new VOCE V-3 with one of my Leslie's,
as the same interested parties who asked about the Pro-3 are also asking
about the V-3.  (Dave Amels did NOT decline my request for a sample.)  

One Email from a prominent music magazine suggested that we are the "Consumer
Reports" of HAMMOND / Leslie testing.   Could be... 55-years and we still do
NOT accept advertising!

Jmccarty- good luck & let us know what you decide. 

                
Al Goff, GOFF Professional via AOL