[HAM] Chopped Hammond's

[JOHN HABURAY]

I've seen John's chops. Shit organs are restored to pristine condition. 
AND they're not cheap. So the people who buy them probably look after 
them pretty well. I'm not seeing any downside here, other than I can't 
afford one yet.

  John Haburay writes:
  In my own defence, my Hammonds are NOT expensive at all. I have seen and worked on chops that were much more expensive than mine and were just literally dumped into a really nasty case with wobbly legs, solid state and quarter inch pedal included, with no so much as a scanner rebuild ever done. What I meant by expensive is that is expensive for Me to do the volume pedals the way I do them. I sucks me dry as a time factor which I really never recoup money wise. I do what I do because not only do I want to make a living doing it, but I someday want to be know as one of the guys who makes the best Hammond chop. There are not many of us who are willing to go more than the extra mile with our product. My peers have told me time and time again that I must be nuts to put out a product like I do at the price point I put it out at. If I ever do become a national name, then yes, my product may go into what some might call expensive. Right now, they are certainly not. Price an XK-3
 and then make a price comparison for looks, sound, reliability, etc. No comparison.. My cases are light. Solid hardwood and weigh in at 40 lbs with the legs attached. They also DO NOT move. I have played B-3's that moved more than my chops. My chops weigh 200 lbs total (without the seperate bass pedal assembly case and pedals of course). That shaves about 100 lbs. off a B-3 to carry around or other full console Hammond. Significant. I would not do this if I felt that it was not the way to go, or if I did not use one myself. I am my own worst critic and have actually built a few of my chops twice for one reason or another, because I was not satisfied with the end results and would not let them go out that way. No big paycheck there, that's for sure. I think when anything is redesigned for any reason there is going to be pros and cons to go with the design. I did not reinvent the wheel by any means here. I did however strive to keep everything as original as possible for
 practical and sound reasons some times at my own expense, not the customers. My chops are not for everybody, that's for sure. But digital Hammond's aren't either, so that gives me a place for my product. B-3's sure are the best as far as being on stage with the prestige and the sound, but my guys that are playing 4 times week in a different venue each night will tell you that a chop, and a reliable one can certainly be the way to go, unless they have roadies doing the hard work for them. I do think that anybody considering moving and gigging hard with any Hammond, chopped or not should do their homework and do it well. Base your decision on people who have or have had them, and also have or had them from the person you are thinking about buying from. Most anything other kind of information will be simply an opinion or hearsay and we all know the slang word for that.--------John


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