[HAM] Full story on Jimmy Smith's Cutdown B3

[William Mark Bristow]

Guys,

Okay - here's the full story on Jimmy Smith Cut down B3 in the youtube clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9C3Yq8lEs4

I talked with the very gracious Rev. Charles "Chuck" Webb Friday.  He is an
incredible organist and minister in the COGIC churches.  He often is at the
organ with Andrae Crouch and Tramaine Hawkins.  Three short clips of Chuck
playing may be seen by searching youtube with - Chuck Webb organ -   two are
playing an A-100 he's just installed in a church and one is playing the new
Hammond portable B3.

Here's the story.  Bill Beer did indeed build Jimmy Smith a full cutdown
with pedals in his characteristic black tolex and chromed RMI legs.  The
organ had two of Bill's High Power 122 Leslies.  It was built in about 1981
or 82 maybe. (Bill Beer told me this when I purchased my 2 High Power 122's
from him in about 1994.  I was talking with him about the possibility of
building a cut down for me.)  

Chuck and his wife attended a concert with Jimmy in the early 1990's.
(Somewhere in the early 1990's Bill Beer was in a terrible car wreck and
declined until his untimely death in about 1996 or 1997 - someone else may
remember the exact date.) That night Jimmy was having problems with the
organ.  The connector of the pedal cable which connects the pedal keyboard
to the generator (about 78 wires or so), the switching of the Leslies and
other things.  Chuck met Jimmy and talked with him about it.  Jimmy learned
Chuck was a master at working on Hammonds and asked Chuck to repair the Beer
cut down.

Later as their friendship developed, Jimmy asked Chuck to build him the
custom chop you see in the video.  Jimmy later gave the cut down Bill Beer
organ to Chuck Webb.  He still has it.

Chuck and I both agree, the recording method and miking (direct out of the
organ only) used in Carnegie Hall that night did not display the organ tone
to its best.  The organ has a TREK II preamp and has volume, active treble
and bass and reverb.  In Chuck's words, Jimmy said, "I didn't tell you to
put all that 'stuff' on there!"  Chuck replied, "Okay, I'll take it off."
Jimmy, "I didn't tell you to take it off either!"

Joey DeFrancesco does indeed now own and the Chuck Webb Cut down made for
Jimmy Smith in that video.

Chuck does not boast of his work - but he builds a fine looking cut down.  I
own a Bob Schleicher cut down with full pedals which is an equally fine
build.

I am posting the full story to give credit to Chuck Webb for his work in
building the cut down, requested by a master - which I erroneously in
previous posts some months back, and on the youtube clip credited to Bill
Beer.

William Mark Bristow