The Hammond Tonewheel Organ Bible!
This book is the Bible - A must have for all Hammond owners and Tonewheel/Leslie wannabes! It has the history, the technology, tips on buying, restoring and playing the greatest keyboard instrument since the grand piano. Learn about drawbar harmonics and how the Leslie Speaker works - try out registrations and licks from the legends. As an owner/player I cannot recommend this reference highly enough.
Not a thorough research project
This book is better than nothing, it alerts potentially otherwise ignorant readers that Hammond organs have a distinct following, market value, and sources for parts and service. However, it is not thorough historically, technically, or musically. There are other organs besides Hammonds, there are other Hammonds besides B-3s hooked to Leslies, and other kinds of professsionally recorded music besides jazz and Chicago blues that people still enjoy-even Ken Griffin (although personally I can't stand him). It's a pretty lopsided look at an instrument with a lot of history, only a small slice of which is considered "hip" by the Jann Wenner-thinking people who control today's popular magazines. (I write this on June 1 of the year 78 MM-which brings to mind "Specialization", a bouncy 1960 tune riffing on this very subject...)
If you want a thorough Hammond education, I'd start with the original Hammond service manuals and brochures followed by some of the period literature for organ hobbyists, as well as print and web sites devoted to the sacred cows of Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff and the DeFrancescos and their little branch of the big organ tree. Soap operas, Black churches, skating rinks and even the notorious Anton LaVey all have a place in Hammond history which the jazz organists are not overridingly more important than.
Thorough and real, Vail's book is a good read
As a Hammond B3 player for more years than I'd like to admit, I WILL admit I enjoyed this book tremendously. Now, it's not a tech manual, but I thought the book was laid out very well. It gave a good description of who Laurens Hammond was, such as being inventor of the electric clock. When doing research there's always gonna be some folks out there who may disagree with some statement, but that's just natural. I think that Mark Vail did an incredibly thorough job of researching this instrument and its history. He showed that he has a personal interest in it as well. A lot of people can just write a book 'cause they're paid to, but Mark has passion for the B. He showed it all the way through. I liked the reproductions of some of the original brochures, with the pictures of the different models. I remember those from when I was a kid -- my mother went to buy a Hammond and brought those brochures home. Quite often when I'm talking with someone about a particular model, I'll take out Mark's book and show them the photos and descriptions. He gives the year the models were built, what their price was -- that sort of stuff is very helpful and just plain fun to know.
Buy this book
I had borrowed a copy of this book from a friend, and after skimming it, decided then and there I had to have my own copy; so I bought one.It's great to see that someone took the time to research and write such an informative and interesting book on a very "niche" piece of the music industry.
It should be required reading for anyone interested in the Hammond organ, and it's history. Because of the amount of pictures and quotes, it makes for very "easy" reading. I finished it in about one day, and still refer to it!
I recommend it, highly!
Comprehensive Hammond and Leslie Info Under One Roof
Previous to the publcation of Vail's book, newcomers seeking to penetrate the mystique surrounding the Hammond organ had to rely on a diffuse smattering of sources for information. Most such sources are commercial: technicians, restorers, shops dealing in vintage musical gear, etc. Though many of these specialists are deeply knoweldgable and provide great products and services, it's a small and competitive community, which can make it difficult for the curious novice to get objective information. As a younger keyboard nut, I personally bugged enough of those people to learn that most do not have the time or energy to play the role of educator, especially if a sale is not imminent. Playing this role is exactly the point, though, when you have a book to sell, and Vail approaches this task with a thoroughness, integrity, and love of the subject that make this one of the best books of its kind. No. it's not an exhaustive technical reference, nor the end-all of any debate about the Hammond. It's not meant as such, any more than a docent-guided tour of a famous museum is meant to replace a PhD in art history. Rather, it's the beginning of a journey, and for this subject, a better beginning than we've ever had.
Among Vail's many sources are longtime Hammond exec Alan Young, who also shed light on the legacy of John Hanert, the engineer who made many of Laurens Hammond's ideas work, rotary speaker inventor Don Leslie, and a who's who of the jazz, rock, and gospel players that imprinted the Hammond-Leslie sound on our consciousness to the degree that even people who've never heard the name of the instrument recognize "that sound." While I haven't fact-checked every page, it is simply absurd to suggest any generalization that the sources are suspect or the information inaccurate.
Overall, this is an enjoyable and informative read that can save you a ton of legwork in approaching the realm of the mighty Hammond. The better part of a century lies between us and its conception, and some current repairers and restorers scrape part numbers off components so their work can't be duplicated. In such a world, Vail's book is as objective as it gets.
(10 reviews)
