Modern keyboard manufacturers and their salesmen are in business to make money by selling new gear. It is in their best interest to convince you that an old Hammond Organ and Leslie Speaker is loaded with obsolete parts. They love to point out that your instrument is probably over 40 years old. They warn you that an old Hammond is almost always at or near the point of a catastrophic failure. They tell you when it fails, there is a limited supply of parts available for these old instruments and that it is in your best interest to buy a new modern instrument.

the truth - “yes they are”

The Hammond B3 was manufactured for 20 years. Modern keyboards are built for a year or two and then a newer model becomes its replacement. If you look at how a vintage Hammond is constructed you will notice that the majority of the content is wood, metal and wiring. Closer inspection will reveal that the instrument contains vacuum tubes, resistors and capacitors. The reality is that vacuum tubes, resistors and capacitors are widely available from hundreds of suppliers. Why? Because they are common parts used in all types of electronic devices. Switches, keyboard felts, pedal pushers and dozens of other parts including brand new amplifiers are currently being manufactured for these vintage instruments.  Many parts are made by more than one supplier. The truth is, it is much easier to buy a replacement part for a vintage Hammond or Leslie than it is for a modern keyboard. If you look at how a new keyboard is built you will discover that it is made mostly of plastic. Closer inspection will reveal circuit boards and a microprocessor similar to what you would find in a computer. How many 10 year old computers have you encountered that are working well or are worth repairing?  Modern keyboards are loaded with circuit boards that are available from one source and one source only, the manufacturer. These are called proprietary parts. After five to seven years, they stop making the parts, the keyboard becomes obsolete  and you find yourself looking for another new instrument.

the reality

New keyboards are manufactured with the mentality of planned obsolescence. This is why there is a new model introduced every year or two. This same manufacturing mentality can be found with vacuum cleaners, TVs and microwaves. When they break, you don’t repair them, you throw them out and get a new one. Vintage Hammonds were designed and manufactured with an entirely different mentality. They were built to be repaired and maintained, not replaced. In most cases, a well maintained Hammond that is several decades old will outlast any current production keyboard.