Any Organ People On Here - Hammond F-100

[PepeSilvia]

I've delved into the world of organs and I have a question. I've got a Hammond F-100 Extravoice, the problem I'm having is that the keys on the upper end (the extravoice keys maybe?) will not sustain. If I hold down I key it will gradually fade away until I release the key and press it again. This also happens if you change notes without releasing the first to sort of let it 'recharge'. Makes me think it might be a capacitor problem (especially since the thing is OLD), but I really have no idea. Anyone worked with these before?

[Rhodesplyr]

One problem for any diagnostician is the relative rarity of the Hammond F-100. It's a tube oscillator organ, more similar to models from companies like Lowrey than other Hammond models. I've been playing and working on Hammond Organs for over twenty years now, and I've never even laid eyes on one.

If you don't have it, I think you can download a rather large file containing the service manual at this site:

Hammond Organ F-100 Extravoice Service Manual : Hammond Organ Co. : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive

Considering that these were made 1961-64, a capacitor failure is a good bet--or a bad tube--or both.

[PepeSilvia]

The manual is a pretty hearty read. I'll have to sit down and go through it. I agree that it could be a bad tube. I'm fairly confident it still has the original tubes, or they're at least pretty dated. They're all Hammond logo'ed, I'm not sure when they stopped producing tubes. It could probably stand to be completely retubed, which is a hefty financial commitment.

[Rhodesplyr]

The manual is a pretty hearty read. I'll have to sit down and go through it. I agree that it could be a bad tube. I'm fairly confident it still has the original tubes, or they're at least pretty dated. They're all Hammond logo'ed, I'm not sure when they stopped producing tubes. It could probably stand to be completely retubed, which is a hefty financial commitment.

Tube oscillator organs often used "oddball" tubes, by which I mean to say tubes that rarely found other applications in audio like the 6X8. That can be good news or bad news. If there's still a good supply available and little demand, it's good; if they are rare and hard to find, it's bad. Hammond most often used RCA production tubes, but they also used GE, Mullard, and Amperex, depending on the type.