jmorris
New member
is a Hammond M3 really like a B3??
C
Chrisjob
New member
No.....but the B4 comes REALLY close
C
Chrisjob
New member
R
Ron Schilling
New member
M3
The M3 is similar to the B3. A major difference is the length of the keyboard--the M3 keyboard doesn't have the lower octave or so that the B3 or other full keyboard Hammonds have. The M3 does have the B3 type percussion, and it sounds just fine.
I started with an M3 eons ago, and was reasonably satisfied with it for a couple of years, but I missed the full keyboard and bought a used B.
If you go with an M3, make sure you get the leslie to go along with it. I wouldn't spend much at all--no more than $300 or so for the organ, and that's if all the tones in the tone generator are working.
Anyway, that's my 2 cents.
Cheers,
Ron
The M3 is similar to the B3. A major difference is the length of the keyboard--the M3 keyboard doesn't have the lower octave or so that the B3 or other full keyboard Hammonds have. The M3 does have the B3 type percussion, and it sounds just fine.
I started with an M3 eons ago, and was reasonably satisfied with it for a couple of years, but I missed the full keyboard and bought a used B.
If you go with an M3, make sure you get the leslie to go along with it. I wouldn't spend much at all--no more than $300 or so for the organ, and that's if all the tones in the tone generator are working.
Anyway, that's my 2 cents.
Cheers,
Ron
dafduc
New member
Careful - the M3's percussion is not exactly like the B3's. B3 uses "foldback", which gives you the percussion without dropping the volume of the held tone. M3 doesn't and the volume drops when you engage the percussion.
There are foldback kits that let you fix that though. So you may be able to find a foldback-enhanced M3, or do the work yourself.
Also, the octave-minus-one pedalboard really sucks - plus it's got the little plastic stubbies, rather than the two ocatves of boards on the B-3. And no presets.
Still a VERY good buy. But if I were shopping, I'd go for an L-100 before an M-3. Full octave of pedals, integrated run/start mechanism, a couple of useful presets, foldback perc, built-in reverb...
Daf (former M3 owner, former L-100 user)
There are foldback kits that let you fix that though. So you may be able to find a foldback-enhanced M3, or do the work yourself.
Also, the octave-minus-one pedalboard really sucks - plus it's got the little plastic stubbies, rather than the two ocatves of boards on the B-3. And no presets.
Still a VERY good buy. But if I were shopping, I'd go for an L-100 before an M-3. Full octave of pedals, integrated run/start mechanism, a couple of useful presets, foldback perc, built-in reverb...
Daf (former M3 owner, former L-100 user)
U
Unsprung
New member
The M3 is sometimes refered to as a "Baby B3," in Hammond playing circles...an awful lot, on eBay, when someone's trying to lure potential buyers. I own an M2, which was the model that the M3 replaced. Only difference, between the two = the M3 gained the percussion unit that the M2 lacked.
U
Unsprung
New member
Another difference between the M3 & the B3 = the M3 has 49 keys per manual, and 12 foot pedals; the B3 has 61 keys per manual, and a 25 note pedal board.