leslie unit

[stingray_65]

I just got done gutting a Lowerey organ (solid state).
It's a Super Genie and I'm guessing built mid to late 70's.

Any how I pulled this Leslie unit and was wondering what to do with it.

I've only seen a big B-3 type cabinet with the horns and bass unit and even then it was just the outside of it.

Building a cab wont be difficult, but how would I go about utilizing it?

Do I build a seperate amp for it and maybe a pedal to control the volume / intensity?

Can I put maybe a dimmer switch on the motor to change the speed?

I'm in new teritory here and really wouln't want to do endless experimentation with it.

[Baxtercat]

If it's like those Leslie 16s [and Fender equivalents] it's just the rotating baffle in front of the speaker, and you need an amp. I think they're 2-speed only [and off?]. To add a variable speed is a bit of a bigger deal [I burned up a pot years ago experimenting...wasn't worth it anyway].
If the thing still spins, start by giving the speaker a signal from an amp and checking it out. Then make a cab!

[Leif H]

No, I'm pretty sure you cant use a dimmer to vary the speed.
You can use a fan speed control, mount it sideways, and hinge a pedal to actuate it like a wah / volume pedal.

[Albert Kreuzer]

No, I'm pretty sure you cant use a dimmer to vary the speed.

This.

You can use a fan speed control, mount it sideways, and hinge a pedal to actuate it like a wah / volume pedal.

Probably not. Most likely this is a synchronous motor. Its speed depends on the frequency of the AC that feeds it.
To change the speed (other than on and off), you'd have to use a variable frequency oscillator and a power amp that puts out 115VAC (or 230 or whatever mains voltage you have).

Oh yes, and you can hook it up to the "Ext. Spkr." jack of any old Fender amp - the speaker probably has 8 Ohms and can take some 30 Watts.
I recently modded one for guitar use.

HTH
Albert

[stingray_65]

yeah I figgured the VFD (vaiable frequency drive) was nescassary.

I've been looking at a few mosfet powered circuits hoping I can find a cheap reliable one.

I'm in the middle of troubleshooting my second 5f2 princeton and building a reverb also, so this one is on the back burner.

I've got a keyboardist buddy who's begging me to get one of the three leslies cabs working. so it will get done sooner or later.

Thanks for your replies
Ray

[olddawg]

That's an old Turn Table motor. They also used them as vent fan motors also but a speed control will not work with it. You could mount a different motor in the assembly. Looks like an old CTS speaker. How big is it?

[stingray_65]

there is an inked stamp "1377329"

137 i think is CTS and 29th week of 1973

its a small 6" speaker which is worth more than the whole assebly LOL

I've got a nearly identical twin to this unit with a utah speaker.

\and then i picked up this two speed unit with wooden rotor an an 8" rola

[troy]

Leslies...

You guys are speeking my language..... First off, you did the right thing by sending that lowrey to the toothpick factory.... as far as old organs go, lowreys should be extinct in a few more years, I hope theres not too many people out there waving the save the lowrey flag.........anyhow, I took one of these units once, and bought a rocker on/off switch from the hardware store, the kind you mount in the wall and turn the lights on with, wired it to the motor and used it as a foot switch for on off action, that looks like a one speed motor so you only need the one speed, now if youre cool, you can go to e-bay and find the bigger two speed motor, replace that little one speed motor and solve your rheostat situation old school one motor for fast, one for slow thats just one thing I did before I bought a Leslie 147 amp and it blew my mind the sound quality you get with that huge old hardwood cabinet powered by 40 wattts of class A 6550 tubes......