A tonewheel organ identical in operation to the B-3, favored by rock and prog pioneers for its overdrivable tone.

Overview

The Hammond C-3 is a tonewheel organ made by the Hammond Organ Company during the same era as the B-3. Exact production years for the C-3 aren't definitively documented. The company built tonewheel organs from 1935 to 1975, and the C-3 was in use through the early 1970s. It works the same way as the B-3, with the same tonewheel sound generation and drawbar synthesis system. The difference is the cabinet. The C-3 has a more extensive wooden console, which gives it a stately look next to the B-3's design.

Jon Lord of Deep Purple used a C-3 and ran it through a Marshall stack for a snarling, overdriven sound that helped define hard rock's edge. It also appeared in Emerson, Lake & Palmer's setup during their 1974 Brain Salad Surgery tour. The instrument is described as carrying both the sacred and the secular - the sound of gospel, jazz, and rock excess alike.

Specifications

Design

The Hammond C-3 operates the same as the B-3, with the same tonewheel generator and drawbar-based additive synthesis system. Its wooden cabinet is more extensive than the B-3's, which gives it a fuller, more ornate console look. The design supports full polyphony and is built for stage and studio durability.

Context

The Hammond C-3 is a sibling to the B-3. It was introduced during the same period and shares identical internal specifications. It came out of a lineage that began with early models like the A, B, and C series in the 1930s. The B-3 became the better known of the two, but the C-3 offered the same sonic capabilities in a different cabinet style, for players who wanted a more traditional console look.

Market

A 1958 Hammond C-3 with a Leslie 142 speaker was listed for $8,100, while market aggregators show available listings starting around $3,100. Well-maintained vintage Hammond organs with Leslie speakers are highly sought after, and comparable B-3 and Leslie 122 setups are described as among the most prized in keyboard music. Some units may have negotiable pricing. Common technical issues include loss of sound on certain drawbar tones. Service manuals exist to support repair and maintenance.

eBay Listings

NEW Flame C-3 MK2 CV recorder module, eurorack

$190

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Related Models

• Hammond A100
• Hammond B-3 (1954-1974)
• Hammond E100
• Hammond G-100
• Hammond H100
• Farfisa Compact Deluxe (1968-1972)
• Farfisa Compact Duo (1966-1969)
• Farfisa Compact (1964-1972)
• Farfisa Organ
• Farfisa Professional Duo (1967-1970)