1966 B3 (Essex)
Hammond B3 ESSEX RESTORATION
HAMMOND B3 1966 117V 60 CYCLES
This Hammond came from a US AIRBASE IN SUFFOLK
Purchased by the customer in 1976 he then delivered it to us
We converted it to 50 cycles and 240volt also added a bass sustain and reverb
It then stayed in his house. In 2006 he had a local engineer come and have a look at it.
Poor starting and loud hum it got worse.
He asked us to restore it.
It’s an odd cross year HAMMOND 1966
It had a wax cap TWG with some HP filters in mylar. Late manuals with correct line box.
Cross talk was poor, the voicing irregular and dull contact was scratchy and missing tones. Vibrato and chorus weak.
HAMMOND HIRE COMPLETELY STRIPED B3 TO THE CASE
The photos show the extent of the work.
Water had been spilt into it at some time and Xmas trimmings had got inside.
The whole of the Hammond had small square glitter in every part of it.
The TWG had new hp filters fitted these are matched by our self in our workshop not items purchased over the web that are not matched. New Cotton wicks fitted and rebuilt motors and scanner.
Manuals replated and keycombs new, HAMMONDHIRE gold bussbars fitted.
Preamp was rebuilt and new valves. The bass sustain was redesigned and so was the reverb, with better components now available than in 1976.
Case was cut and polished and sunfade was graded in.
Installation and all wiring was replaced and tided up.
Soak tested for 2 weeks and delivered back to the VERY HAPPY CUSTOMER.
It was A US government item so that my explain why it was a mixture of PARTS ON A CROSS OVER YEAR
It screams at you better than new, has a tone so rich and sweet, warm and subtle, which only a restored HAMMOND can sound like.
