Getting pedal steel to sound like a Hammond B-3

Jim Peters · Post by **Jim Peters** » 17 Apr 2009 1:15 pm

I always cast my vote for the lowly PEI junior. Old bucket brigate analog, with a ramping switch, very convincing with steel, it absolutely nails that "Good Feeling to Know" sound. JP

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 17 Apr 2009 3:22 pm

I think Curly Chalker did a great job of emulating an organ player, especially on "Wolverton Mountain". He had a very percussive chordal attack, too, and that with the Leslie gave a very organistic sound.

Darvin Willhoite · Post by **Darvin Willhoite** » 17 Apr 2009 6:40 pm

I had an old Maestro phase shifter unit several years ago that was the best I ever tried. It had three rocker switches on top that changed the speed, and also had a remote control plug in the back. I mounted 4 mini toggle switches between the necks of my old Clark steel to switch it in and out and change the speed. It worked well, but I sold it when I virtually quit playing for 10 years between 1980 and 1990. I also had a mini toggle on the same plate for switching my Echoplex in and out. I wish I still had that thing also.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 18 Apr 2009 10:19 am

When I got my Hammond from a local jazz B-3 player, I asked him how to get "that sound." He told me that it wasn't just the Leslie, but that the Cabinet Vibrato was a big part of "that sound" So, even with a simulator, you might want to try dialing in some Vibrate-Oh. Also, the sound is not clean, so you might wanna use something to dirty up your signal. Roll the treble way back. And "Gutting" with your volume pedal makes the "stabs" more realistic. Guess we have to forget about the "Key Click!" But Hammond guys open the back up, and turn the Key Click all the way up!
All that said, Gatton could do it with just his Tele and a Fender amp with Vibrato/Tremolo, and be very convincing! I have close to a dozen of the foam rotors, in case anyone wants to build their own Leslie. Get in touch.

Off subject but, the first Dr Z Carmen Ghia amps were modified Hammond organ reverb amps.

Jay Jessup · Post by **Jay Jessup** » 18 Apr 2009 2:13 pm

Hey Guys, if you haven't already click on the gearpage link on Steve's post, it's a six string but all the sounds are there it's amazing. I have always loved the sound of a well played B-3 and have often tried out devices hoping to get 'that' sound out of a steel but it just winds up sounding like a steel through a Leslie at the best, I may have to get one of those HOG's and bone up on my B-3 listening.

Larry Lorows · Post by **Larry Lorows** » 18 Apr 2009 4:25 pm

I sure liked Jerry Gleason's playing and the sound of his B3 playing. Great job Jerry. I played with a B3 player for three years and sure wish I could talk him into coming down to Florida. Larry

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 19 Apr 2009 11:59 am

I heard Scott Swartz with his setup using an Electro Harmonix POG fed into the Boss RT-20 rotary speaker simulator, and that was hands down the most real sound. I guess the POG (polyphonic octave generator) gets the drawbar overtones helping to emulate the B3 organ, and then the RT-20 emulates the Leslie. It was pretty amazing sounding.

Then I guess another key is to NOT vibrato the bar, and try to pick chord voicings that are organ-like.

Brad

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 19 Apr 2009 12:23 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYosYlqiBOk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaZbejCy ... feature=iv

Mike Shefrin · Post by **Mike Shefrin** » 19 Apr 2009 1:48 pm

I may go for the Electro Harmonix HOG (Harmonic Octave Generator) into the Boss RT 20. I am in complete agreement with all who pointed out that the voicings one uses and the "thinking" like an organist in terms of attack, phrasing, etc play an important part in making it convincing. Thanks again to you all for your responses. You guys are great!

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 19 Apr 2009 1:54 pm

Lots of interesting info here:
http://theatreorgans.com/hammond/faq/hammond-faq.html

Peter Andrus · Post by **Peter Andrus** » 19 Apr 2009 2:06 pm

Another vote here for the Electro Harmonix POG. I my case I use it followed by an Option 5 Destination Rotation pedal for the Leslie sim. The upper octaves on the POG can sound a little brittle at times, so I tend to roll off the treble a bit on my amp ('70 Twin Reverb with JBL's) when using this set-up.

Bryan Daste · Post by **Bryan Daste** » 19 Apr 2009 2:10 pm

I had a dream once that I was playing a pedal steel built into a Hammond organ...the upper deck was keys, bottom was steel, and of course pedals on the floor. Trippy!

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 19 Apr 2009 2:15 pm

Dibs on the second one you build, Bryan.

Adding to what has been said----I don't know if the Pog or the Hog have compression characteristics. If not, compression in front of the Leslie sim will emphasize attack. Certainly not Hammond click but that sort of idea. My PodXT rotary patches all use compression. My Line6 Rotomachine is a pretty compressed unit. Actually one of its negatives---it masks the original signal. But it is an effective box. And I have never tried compression with my H&K Rotosphere but I sure do like it. It has a large footprint which is why it has fallen out of favor. (not nearly as large as those *ogs look.)

Bryan Daste · Post by **Bryan Daste** » 19 Apr 2009 3:13 pm

Hey Jon, I have a PodXT as well. What would you recommend as a basic Hammond-esque setup? Or do you have any of your patches online?

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 19 Apr 2009 3:39 pm

No--I've got none of my Pod stuff in the computer. I've got handfull of organ patches ranging from super clean to grungy and from natural breathing to super compressed. The ultra compressed patches use both the global compression and also stomp box compression. The range includes tube pre-amp, twin reverb and bassman with varying degrees of drive. Always driven a bit hard---I've been listening to a bunch of live Booker T and the underpowered, overdriven sound slays me. One of my XT complaints is that the ramp up/down speed is too slow. So I've got these patches duplicated in pairs, fast and slow so that I can access what I need when I need it NOW and can't wait for the ramp time. But I've got the fast/slow selection on the tweak knob for all of them.
Oh--I much prefer drum & horn (Leslie) to the drum (Fender Vibratone)
I actually use the texture of the slow rotary more than the fast---think "Whiter Shade." I don't do stereo but I bet it would be super cool.

I had an interesting dilemma working with a singer/songwriter where I felt that some of his songs lost more from the lack of the organ that was on his records than they gained from the addition of steel. This is what led me to create all of these colors. Unlike much of this discussion, I'm less interested in replicating convincing organ than I am in creating great sound that is....whatever it is. Steel guitar with one foot in Hammondland.

Steve Hotra · Post by **Steve Hotra** » 20 Apr 2009 8:08 pm

I found this thread pretty interesting, especially to hear the pedal steel played this way.
I found this on-line:
Its more expensive, but has more Leslie features.

http://www.proguitarshop.com/product.ph ... tegoryID=I

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Getting pedal steel to sound like a Hammond B-3

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