Troubleshooting a Hammond Tremolo Leslie
A Hammond organ's famous vibrato sound comes from the Leslie speaker. The Leslie speaker system was designed specifically for Hammond organs. The speaker sits inside a large cabinet and rotates in circles, creating the tremolo effect. Since Leslie speakers are mechanical, many things can go wrong with the speaker system. Basic troubleshooting techniques will go a long way to get your Leslie speaker up and running again.
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Instructions
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Power down your Hammond organ and unplug the main power cable. Rotate the Leslie speaker cabinet so that the rear panel is facing you. Unscrew the Phillips screws from the cabinet's rear panel. Remove the rear panel to reveal the internal speakers and rotary motor.
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Disconnect the speaker wires from each speaker inside the cabinet. Remove the Phillips screws mounting each speaker into place. Lift each speaker out of the cabinet.
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Examine the motor for excessive dust and debris. Wipe down the outside of the motor with a damp wash cloth. Then apply two to four drops of tone generator oil into the rotary motor's bearings. Attempt to turn the rotary by hand to work the lubricant into the motor's bearings.
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Check the rotary motor's drive belt. Pull on it slightly to see if it is tight. A loose belt can cause a noisy rotary motor. Loosen the mounting bolts on the motor mounts with a socket wrench. Pull apart each motor mount until the belt sits taut on the motor. Retighten the motor mounts with a socket wrench.
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Place the speakers back inside the cabinet. Reattach the speakers to their compartments with the Phillips screws. Reconnect the speaker cables to each speaker.
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References
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