[HAM] Concord w/ a leslie 710 ?

[Edlich57 at aol.com]

I resubscribed to the list after a long absence to post a reply to this 
thread, because my experience with the Concorde/Leslie 710 has been somewhat 
different than most.  In 1976, I purchased a Hammond Grandee and Leslie 710, the 
Grandee was the step-down model from the Concorde, but had much the same internal 
works.  I lusted after the Concorde at the time, but couldn't afford the 
$8,000 price tag and bought the $5,600 Grandee instead; it still cost more than my 
first brand new car, a 1975 Chevy Malibu Classic!

I kept the Grandee/Leslie in my living room, and it worked reasonably well 
over the years until about 2000.  I then located a pristine 1978 Concorde 2307M, 
the model I had really wanted 24 years earlier and bought it.  I parted out 
the Grandee, saving the AutoVari 64, all circuit boards and divider boards with 
expensive/hard to find IC's, the power amp, expression pedal, etc...anything 
that could be used in my new Concorde.  I kept my Leslie 710 for use with the 
Concorde, as the Leslie 710 has never required anything but routine motor 
maintenance.  Even has the original Mercotac on the rotosonic drum.  The Concorde 
2307M has performed very well for me; I do have some circuit board contact 
problems, but once a year cleaning solves the problem for me.  All features on my 
1978 Concorde 2307M work as originally intended, with annual maintenance that 
I can do myself, and I have a good supply of spare parts, should I ever need 
them, from the old Grandee.  I guess I am just lucky.

My opinion is that you can't write off all LSI Hammonds as junk, although I 
would not bother with a spinet model.  If you like the sound, and are lucky 
enough to find one in "little old lady living room condition," go for it.  The 
price should be cheap.  As a previous poster said, avoid the 2100 series 
Concorde and look for a 2300 series.  My 2307M Concorde and Leslie 710 will "blow the 
roof" off my house if I would let it!  The Concorde provides much better 
emulation of a theater or pipe organ that a tonewheel Hammond ever could, if that 
is what you are looking for.  It is great for classical music and pop music 
(show tunes), but not if you want the classic tonewheel sound.

I also have a 1964 A102 with a Leslie 251 that I play daily, so I understand 
everone's point of view!

Steve, Tulsa OK