# Hammond Organs



## vango57 (Mar 14, 2011)

What is a good price to pay for Hammond Organs from the 70's?


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## jimdoc (Mar 14, 2011)

Best price is free. I have scrapped 15-20 Hammonds and have not paid for one yet. The older ones are probably better for palladium. The newer ones got more electronics in them. The one I found with the white gold legged chips, I didn't get to take the keyboard apart to check for palladium. I just took the boards out because the trash truck was coming down the street, and I didn't have my truck to take the whole thing.

Most people are glad to get rid of them without having to move it themselves.

Jim


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## vango57 (Mar 14, 2011)

There are a few local listed from $25 to $50 so I did not know if that was a good deal or not. 
Thanks for the reply.


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## jimdoc (Mar 14, 2011)

It is a lot of work to get the palladium. Its already going to take up some of your time to get it. If you have to pay what the palladium is worth for the organ, that takes the fun out of it. The amount of palladium varies with the amount of keys. Tell the people if they don't sell it you will haul it away for free. You may get lucky, especially if they are moving.

Jim


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## rusty (Mar 14, 2011)

jimdoc said:


> It is a lot of work to get the palladium. Its already going to take up some of your time to get it. If you have to pay what the palladium is worth for the organ, that takes the fun out of it. The amount of palladium varies with the amount of keys. Tell the people if they don't sell it you will haul it away for free. You may get lucky, especially if they are moving.
> 
> Jim



I agree most folks want em gone, the kids nowadays want synthesizers.


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## Anonymous (Mar 14, 2011)

You guys know I do not do anything with any PM's other than gold and silver,however,there is an M2 hammond for free on our craigslist and the owner says it was made in the 50's,and an 1800's Kimbal pump organ,they are taking bids on.A 1973 organ in a church for $100,and an "older" electric organ for $60.
I wouldn't know where to start to look for any PM's in them,but it goes to show you,there are plenty out there.


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## jimdoc (Mar 14, 2011)

The M-2 has 1/10 oz of palladium in it. The other ones I wouldn't mess with.

Jim


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## golddigger69 (Apr 3, 2011)

Could someone please explain or provide a picture of which part(s) have palladium? Is it those little stiff wires that touch the silver plated bussbar thingie? 

I don't know how to properly describe it-them, but if you ever disassembled one, you will know which stiff wires and silver plated thingie I am talking about.


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## jimdoc (Apr 3, 2011)

golddigger69 said:


> Could someone please explain or provide a picture of which part(s) have palladium? Is it those little stiff wires that touch the silver plated bussbar thingie?
> 
> I don't know how to properly describe it-them, but if you ever disassembled one, you will know which stiff wires and silver plated thingie I am talking about.



It is on the key contacts, and along the length of the bussbars. It is a thin wire. You can find more info and pictures here;

http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=51&t=164&p=7547&hilit=hammond+organ#p7547

Jim


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## Militoy (Apr 16, 2011)

I worked for Thomas Organ back in the 70's - and we made Thomas instruments, as well as Leslie, Sears, Crybaby (Wah-wah), and Moog products. We were in direct competition with Hammond, and our products were fairly similar. I recollect we did use some palladium wire - but the only gold use I recall was all in a single 14-pin chip - the top octave synthesizer (TOS). I'm thinking recovering more than $50 of PM might be quite a stretch. Considering labor and cost of chemicals; disposal of e-waste etc. - any price on an older model too much higher than free might be a losing proposition.


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## element47 (Apr 16, 2011)

If the organ was built using tubes (instead of transistors) there is a modestly robust market for some of the sub-chassis assemblies on ebay. And of course the tubes themselves are of value. You might be able to get a net price of minus $100 or minus $200 on the electronic components and then your PM recovery efforts would start off in the black! I agree, however, I envision not very much PM in one of those organs.


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## jimdoc (Apr 16, 2011)

element47 said:


> I envision not very much PM in one of those organs.



Would you consider 2 dwt of palladium (Hammond M-2,M-3) or 5 dwt of palladium (Hammond C-3) a decent amount of palladium for a few hours of scrapping? I will take all the old Hammonds I can get for free. There have been a few times that I picked up two at one place. When people want them gone, they want them gone. I wouldn't scrap a C-3 unless it was trashed, like the one I got. They should be worth trying to sell whole.

Jim


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## element47 (Apr 16, 2011)

I guess it'd be worth it if you can avoid giving yourself a hernia trying to lift it and if you have the working area to dismantle it!


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## Militoy (Apr 16, 2011)

element47 said:


> If the organ was built using tubes (instead of transistors) there is a modestly robust market for some of the sub-chassis assemblies on ebay. And of course the tubes themselves are of value. You might be able to get a net price of minus $100 or minus $200 on the electronic components and then your PM recovery efforts would start off in the black! I agree, however, I envision not very much PM in one of those organs.



I agree there is a market for tube-era components - I'm setting up 6 eBay auctions as I type this, for transformers and inductors pulled from tube equipment. But when I referred to older-model organs - I was focusing on the original query - which was for 70's era organs - long after the switch-over from tubes to transistors.


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## jimdoc (Apr 16, 2011)

element47 said:


> I guess it'd be worth it if you can avoid giving yourself a hernia trying to lift it and if you have the working area to dismantle it!



Both good points. It sure isn't worth getting a hernia over.
I usually tip them on their side and use a handtruck. And then tip it back onto my tailgate and flip it up. I guess being 6'5" and 250 lbs. really helps there.
If there are steps then I will need help. Within an hour I will have it apart in my driveway. A little sledge knocks the wood apart easily, and a few bolts and screws, and wire snipping.

Jim


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## element47 (Apr 16, 2011)

When I was a tad younger, in the 70's, I played guitar in bands and the keyboard player had an M-100, which is a *slightly* lighter (and earlier) version of the famed B-3. I moved that thing more times than I care to remember at this juncture, and in contrast to a scrapping situation, the thing was supposed to _work_ when it arrived, LOL. It also did not have that moving thingy with the fold-up handles and casters that most of them you see have strapped on. So we had to be somewhat more ginger with it. So I suppose my image of moving one of those things is so influenced.


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## Harold_V (Apr 17, 2011)

jimdoc said:


> I guess being 6'5" and 250 lbs. really helps there.


My God, jimdoc, you're a giant! 

Funny how we often form mental images of the folks we talk with---and then eventually see a picture, blowing the image all to hell. 

Jim's one of the "good guys" on this forum. Heart of gold. 

Harold


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