They not only have a rich and distinctive sound, but are especially fun to improvise on, since it is so easy to play a chord and bass progression while soloing with the right hand-that was basically the point, after all. Of all the keyboards in my collection, the S-6s rank highly. The difference in form is almost completely a matter of styling. Rather than use an expression pedal to control its volume, the S-6 instead uses an expression lever moved by the right knee, which also serves as the power switch.Īt this point, there are two S-6s in the Crasno collection: a form 'B3' from 1956, and a form 'B' from 1958, shown in the left and right images below the title respectively. The two bass pedals are a remarkable feature the left bass pedal plays the root of the selected chord, and the right plays the fifth, making for extremely easy bass accompaniment. While chord buttons themselves are not new (being a feature of accordions for over a century prior), the arrangement is different from any accordions that I know of, and the variety of chords is greater. For example, in front of the chord buttons, there is a 'chord bar', played by the left wrist, which sounds the chords fully when pressed, and either completely or partially dampens them when unpressed. It should be noted that the chord organ was a Hammond invention, introducing many playing features never before seen. Models prior to the S-6 use only 29 tubes, while the S-6 uses 30 due to the addition of 'percussion' (replacing 'accent') in the solo division. Thus, slight tuning differences result in a rich true-chorus sound when the divisions are played together.ĭespite the lack of shared components between divisions, Hammond's ingenious and elegant designs result in a very economical and compact instrument, as far as vacuum-tube organs go. Besides that the 'solo' and 'organ' divisions share the same 37-key manual, the divisions are basically independent, each having a separate set of tone generators. It has three divisions (or 'voices', if you prefer): a 'chord' division controlled by 96 buttons and two pedals, a timbrally versatile but monophonic 'solo' division, and a semi-polyphonic but less timbrally variable 'organ' division. Unlike Hammond's tonewheel organs, which are electromechanical, the Chord Organ is completely electronic, using vacuum-tube circuitry to both generate and amplify its sounds. In this article, I will discuss the Hammond Chord Organ, and especially the model S-6, which is certainly among the most well-known and enduring vacuum-tube instruments of all time. Crasno Electronics - Hammond S6 Hammond S-6 Electronic Chord Organ

Hammond b3 organ schematic