[HAM] Rudy's C-3 Rant - was, Single louver

[OF]

At 03:20 AM 4/4/2007, Kon Zissis wrote:
>The Rudy Van Gelder 1959 C3 is probably one of the most famous Hammonds
>in the world  and for the Jazz / Blues lovers the sound of this 1959 C3 [snip]
>If I ever get to the United States and I am ever given permission to
>check out this 1959 C3 , I would measure the TG output curve  and then
>put the data in my TG spreadsheet for all to see. After doing  this then
>it might then be my turn to duck and run like hell  because a few
>elitist purists who are offended that the "magic" of this 1959 C3 is now
>publicly revealed will want to grab me and slap my face and kick my
>backside :-).

Kon,
There is no "magic" in that organ. It's all in the recording process. It's 
a fairly ordinary C-3. Pardon me for continuing to harp on this, but maybe 
I'm slightly stung by this "elitist purist" thing. Maybe the shoe fits, 
maybe I'll wear it. And it's obvious to me who else you're referring to-- 
someone who has been inside the studio and is intimately familiar with the 
organ. You misconstrue that person's motives. It is not the revelation of 
any TG curves that offends anyone, it's the idea that this makes much 
difference at all, in the end. On top of that,  the possible variables 
involved in making such measurements from one organ to the next are many, 
even without taking into account all the other possible variables from one 
setup to the next.

The people who have made famous recordings on that organ, people like 
Jimmy, Ray Charles, etc. etc., are master players, and their taste and 
techniques, coupled with Rudy's superb recording, are what make the records 
sound so good. Even a simple but gigantic variable like where do you set 
the expression pedal makes a ton of difference in the tone. Notice that all 
of these guys get a different sound out of that same organ. It's the way 
they play. I could ID McDuff playing that organ in three notes. I wish I 
could pose an experiment, but it can't be done. I would put my C-3, or my 
B-3, or practically any console in there and make the same recordings. They 
would sound just about the same and I would collect my $1,000 bet!

I know there are legions of people who are fascinated by these TG curves 
and I know it's an interesting hobby for you, but my perspective needs to 
be in there too: my viewpoint is that the real magic is in the PLAYING and 
the RECORDINGS. The old song, "It Ain't the Meat, It's the Motion" is 
totally apt here. Most women already know this.