Had an A back in the late 70’s. That sob flipped over in the tour bus, set it up at the gig, put a little oil in it and fired right up like WW2 tank! So happy it still worked. The kids at the deaf camp danced better than ever to our BOC, BTO and LED Z. We soon decided to chop the legs and added new screw bolts to them and some side handles to go up and down those school steps to the auditoriums so, this brings back memories. Always thought that it would be a great idea to fully chop into a new frame like yours. At least we added the Edward’s Percussion unit to B3 and beafed the 147. D6 clav on top, CP-70 and CS-80 on the side. Chopped Mini in a box with remote keys to hang along with an Elka string machine atop the piano. That was as portable it got for our poor backs as commoners.

As a former roadie, I approve of this modification!

I see Tyler once or twice a year. He’s the real deal. Super nice. Very talented tech.

Bill Beer was another legendary Hammond tech, but Tyler Drabick @ Boss Organ is the man currently that's doing great works with Hammonds.

I am so pleased that you've shared your hammond chop with us!! Finding a b or c3 is the easy part. The genius of a quality chop is almost impossible today. My studio 1964 b3 is much to nice to touch so i settled for an xk5 dual manual for the road with conversion boxes for 3-145 leslies. Your skill with the keys and effects makes me jealous plus the Trek spring reverb. Enjoy Mike! You've earned the right to own a piece of hammond history!!

A dream to have. I always wanted to own a Chopped B3, whether it was Bob Schleicher's or Bill Beer's instead of the "traditional" ones, as they were always the things my idols used in Rock N' Roll. Great video! A real joy to watch

The Oakland chop is freeking Amazing.. Thanx for sharing!!

Thanks for the demo and nice shoutout to Bob Schleicher...used to go to his shop for repairs and visit, play on his setup with the tall boy leslie while he works on my repairs. And their dog would come by and listen as well.

Awesome gigging road organ, it sounds superb! Thanks for the video!

Information is great! Would love to see more video of the gear while listening. Thanks for the video!

Man that thing is built like a tank, and equipped like Cadillac! It's everything a player could dream of, and unfortunately most of us will have to just be content with dreams. I bought Steve Walsh's old C-3 forty-five years ago and would love to have it gone through and then have some of the goodies you have on yours added, especially the reverb unit. My organ tech, Jesse Dotson, in Asheville NC, was reputed to be one of the best Hammond techs in the southeastern United States, but sadly he has gone on. The organ has its own road case, so shipping isn't as big a problem as it would be otherwise. I'll check some of the names etc mentioned in this video and see what pops up. I know this: work on these beasts (pardon the J Lord allusion) gets pretty expensive, but hey, you just go around once right? Thanks for this great rundown of your rig. You should be proud as peaches of it! Rock on!🎹🎹🎹🔥

The Lunch Box is totally insane. Boss Organ Rox!

This was probably one of the coolest videos about your gear. Thanks so much for sharing. As good as my XK3c (upper and lower manuals) and Leslie 3300 is, nothing beats playing on my C2 (converted to C3 features). I’m sure the XK5 feels/sounds more genuine than the XK3c (especially chorus sounds) but nothing beats playing on the real deal. Solid state or not, there’s just a genuine feel that can’t be replicated to date. I’m excited for your Wurlitzer video if you do one. I’ve got a 200 that I’m hoping to get working and sounding better and I’d love to see what mods you’ve done (if any). Appreciate the insight and stories, not a lot of players are as open to discuss. 🍻

Someday I'll find a photo to send you of my old chopped B-3. Built into a flight case with my string machine; a 3 manual instrument. (weighed a ton)

I had a 55 Ford f100 that I hauled my original ccabinet 63 B3 with organ trucks strapped on each end, and 2 122 Leslies! It was very snug but I still had room for two KC550's and a Motif 88. AND I loaded and unloaded it myself. Wouldn't even think of doing that now. I had a velcro leslie switch. My B3 and 122 now doesn't get moved. But I wouldnt hesitate to if I could find anybody that really appreciates a B3 enough to jam with an old man.

Great video. Back in the 80s, I chopped the family Baldwin Orgasonic, so I could take it on gigs. The chop worked well, but it was still a Baldwin. Finally got a C3 many years later.

Aw man loved this video. The chop is so perfect and the wah is awesome. I’d love to add a delay. We also have an FJ Cruiser. I loaded up the leslie in it. Nice Wurlitzer at the end I’m waiting for one to come available

Awesome video Mike. Interesting mods for sure! I really hope that you make more gear collection videos! I mean gear pron is the best kind of pron right :) I wonder what Jon Lord(I believe Tom Scholtz did aswell) used for his spring reverb I remember seeing him in some old video during ripping solos pushing and spanking his Hammond and getting those cool springreverb abuse effects. If you want some gnarly distorsion effects I can recommend using a Marshall The Governor pedal in between the organ and the Leslie,mind you I used a M100 organ and a 760 Leslie so getting a growl needed some external gear, but still a really growly sound that worked well together with swell control that could go from clean to seriously distorted sound easely.

Thanks for sharing this video Mike ! 👍🏼😎

Very good video about chopped Hammond thanks 👍

I'v e gat a chopped C3. I literally men "chopped. Some one chut the cabinet off the bottom..relatively aggresive, but Ok. There is a metal welded frame that ..IMHO probably weighs more than the wood cut off??? I guess this made it more portable ?? But Hey it mine for now. I bought this in the mid to late 1980s. It needs an overhaul. Then and still now. The percussion is intermittent and many notes vary a lot in volume... it plays but it needs the caps changed and a general overhaul. Thanks for sharing your rest-o-mod. I've seen something similar. A German organistin Barbara Dennerlein has a modified B3 that has effects etc.. IDK if it is a "Oakland chop" She's rather diminutive in size...but has great punch in her playing style. . Anyhow...thanks for the presentation of the cool features ..and the Trek II is ..well you have to break a few eggs to make a good omlet. I like how you failed to put a number on your well umm ... collection? I certainly wouldn't ...especially not to the wife :)

Great video! Thanks for the upload...

Very nice! I suspect the only modern musical instruments we will find in the afterlife will be a Ludwig trap kit, a Fender Jazz bass and Stratocaster, and a Hammond organ.

Great mod! I chopped a Leslie 125 that has a lower rotor and no top horn so that it is now piano bench seat height.

At the end of the video, Sound sooo good !!!

That's a real cool organ. Great to see. I have a chop I think it's based on a Bill Beer and has the Keyboard Products solid state pre-amp,. This was my dream organ since I was a kid and I am very lucky to have found it. Mine was apparently made alongside Rick Wrights and is almost identical. Very similar mods to yours, I don't have that cool Chorus depth but I do have two EFX send and returns on top and bottom manuals, which is really useful. I play it through a 147 and/or a 145.

Really nice piece of gear Mike!

Thanks for your video. I knew Bob. He built mine. Mine looks just like yours except mine is mahogany colored. He also customized a bench for me and added string bass for my pedals.

Awesome!

Bill brown built a nice chop organ for me and there is another one like yours same dude that built yours in Charlotte NC good stuff don’t care for the leg set up frames are better🔥👍

way cool! nice piece!!!!

Hi Mike! Thanks for share this awsome monster. Please let me know if the master behind this project let the schematic/diagram of the modification and if you could show this too. I am writing from Brasil and even with my very poor english I learn a lot with your channel and videos man! I have two Hammonds and I am thinking seriously about customize one and try to make a dream like this you shared with us . This vídeo was definitely an inspiration to me. God bless you man

I love it. Your video just came up and it's late here, but I've always wanted one. It's a shame Hammond only produce digital clones now; maybe they will find a way to make tone wheels again one day.

We at Keyboard products (Bill Beer) Built the Portables for Santana and Chester Thompson in the 70's. This organ looks like a copy of Bills design. BTW the Santana organ fell off the plane onto the ramp and survived.

I lived in Oakland (80s) There was a warehouse in SSF w/ about 100 Hammonds in various degrees of condition all for $250 each or make an offer...

I’ve got an xk 2… and I love it

I love that chop ❤😊

Hi Mike, great idea to show all your gear. I didn't know about this oakland mod. I am located in Germany; do you by any chance know people or companies in Europe, who do these kinds of mods or sell modded Hammonds? Being quite late to the B3 party, I really enjoy your content. Tkanks a lot!

killer Mike !! bad azzzz

Santana re-tuned the whole chopped organ. The third Santana Chop organ was a disaster and left in SLC storage unit in late 70’s. They didn’t use solid state anything as were the cases simply beat up from Roadies

I think I can spot a Crumar Spirit next to your wall. Very curious to find out what you are using it for in your set-up (I have one as well)

I am all in favor of chopping A100's because they are ugly and mechanically identical to the B3/C3. The latter two instruments are lovely and more valuable so should be left as-is. Besides, the digital clones have gotten so good and are so much more convenient than any chop - and the audience will not know the difference - I don't know that a chop is really practical.

Yep

I've fully modded my 1961 A-100 to a chop, and it's actually not that difficult, funny enough. Once all components were separated & the original housing dumped, I took out the reverb and power amp, then fixed everything that needed it (capacitors in the TG, felt under the keys, all that jazz). I decided to desgn and build the 2 new enclosures myself, purely to save some money. The upper half weighs about 70kg, and has the manuals and all controls. The lower half weighs about 60kg, houses the Tone Generator, power, volume pedal and bass pedals. Both enclosures are built like a flightcase, so I didn't need thát additional weight either 👍 I already had a European Leslie 142 (with the 122 amp, which is my favourite anyway) so that's a lot lighter to begin with than a regular 122... Rebuilt it like a flightcase too, to match the Hammond, and it weighs 65kg. I can easily roll into my van on my own. The only help I'll need is lifting the top half on to its stand. And baby, it ROARS!!!! 🤘😎🤘

I'm pretty sure Bob built around 130 of these altogether

I want one---

What company makes the cheek block reverb/Leslie switch inserts?

Where is the turning wheel located, I don’t see it .

Cory Henry has entered the chat..

Bill Beer called his products portablized. Not sure what he had against the word chop.

Nice, but how is the organ "chopped"?

I drive a .......I DRIVE A DODGE STRATUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!