Hammond Organ, is it safe

[Mad collector]

Good morning
I have just purchased a Hammond Organ
On inspecting the plug I see the mains Lead is just twin core
In order to get the organ pat tested does it need to be earthed
I see the mains lead goes into a mains transformer
I need to know the organ is safe before I start playing it
Any suggestions please
Sharon

 

[DPG]

If you listen to some good orchestral-style playing on a big multi-genre civic organ, and in this domain there is no finer example than Richard Hills at the Southampton Guildhall Compton, you will get a sense of how apt the 'omni' is. Try these little samples from this instrument:

http://www.ssfweb.co.uk/silverst/The_Dancing_Years.mp3

http://www.ssfweb.co.uk/silverst/In_Malaga-1.mp3

http://www.ssfweb.co.uk/silverst/March_Heroique.mp3

And to return towards the original subject of the Hammond, this one features the Melotone electrostatic tone generator which is incorporated into the pipe organ.

http://www.ssfweb.co.uk/silverst/The_Girl_from_Corsica.mp3

The men at Compton who designed this had tried electromagnetic generators as used in the Hammond, ran into some of the same limitations as Hammond, and developed the more versatile electrostatic system instead that sounded more convincingly like a pipe organ. However, Hammond did a much better job of selling his invention and and although his tone generators didn't sound quite like a pipe organ (in fact there was a lawsuit in which it was questioned whether the Hammond instrument was, in fact, an organ) their signature sound was promoted, caught on and became a legend of its own.

I will definitely look at those links later. Beer precludes me from fully appreciating them tonight.

 

[Mad collector]

Organ duly repaired and ok now loose wire near the pedals
Organ now working perfectly

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Good stuff, thanks for reporting back. Keep the generator oiled with the correct oil and it'll probably outlast all of us.