sgman Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 So what do you guys think of them? Personally, I just love the sound you can get with 'em. I first fell in love with the Leslie Speaker after hearing Frampton Comes Alive. I know there have been lots of other artists who have used them to great effect. Are they easy to get hold of? Expensive??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KL Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 I love them. They are not cheap though. But it's worth keeping an eye on ebay etc. In 2008 the Hammond G37 was launched. It is a Leslie seaker system with a guitar amplifier. Here's one I use: http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=266581199&albumID=1370956&imageID=21825819 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riverside Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 They're not THAT expensive... http://forums.gibson.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=31494 I've got two (including the one hooked up to the Hammond A100) and am a believer that there is no electronic thingy made that can even approach the sound of moving air. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 I had one in the olden days. A Fender version of a real moving Leslie. Darned near broke my back a cupla times, and I was a "young guy" in the late 20s and 30s. I traded it off and a cupla yeas ago got a decent emulator pedal for when I wanna sound like a B3. Yeah, nothing matches the real thing in performance, especially in a relatively small gig. I mentioned once before and somebody actually found a pix of the old Maestro "hatbox size" outfit that would likely work well for a small gig, too. Apparently it didn't last as a viable product for whatever reason. It was a bit too trebly, too, since it was really small and light. The problem with the Leslie is weight. Ain't seen anything that gets the sound mechanically that I'd care to carry since that old outfit maybe 35 years ago. Then too, in a reeeeeally big venue, you've gotta mike it anyway. So I see the real thing as a small to medium venue outfit for the greatest "sound value." You pays your money and takes your choice... m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepblue Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 So what do you guys think of them? Personally' date=' I just love the sound you can get with 'em. I first fell in love with the Leslie Speaker after hearing Frampton Comes Alive. I know there have been lots of other artists who have used them to great effect. Are they easy to get hold of? Expensive???[/quote'] I have had two..a 1969 Leslie 122 and a guitar friendly G37 The 122 was a beast. 150lbs. You also need a pre-amp so it will accept the 1/4" guitar cable. I used the TrekII preamp. Youre right...the 3d Dopplar effect was fantastic. Cant be beat. But, I found that parts were hard to get and also very expensive. That and the fact that to move it anywhere was a real chore. The G37 was released a few years ago. It was designed for guitar and was much smaller. Now, I use a Hughes & Kettner Rotosphere. By far the closest thing to the real thing on the market that comes in pedal form. I split it between two amps and I get the same swirl you get from a real Leslie. Bottom line...Leslies are amazing. But, unless you have roadies with strong backs they arent practical...and to replace motors, belts etc can be pricey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KL Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 They're not THAT expensive... http://forums.gibson.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=31494 Yeah . . . I'd buy that if I wasn't in the UK! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riverside Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 I have to respectfully disagree as to the "expensive" part - if one compares the expense of pedals/pedal boards/cables/batteries, etc, a Leslie is relatively inexpensive to maintain. Simple electric motors that are easliy serviced, a squirt of oil every once in a while, and maybe a $10 belt every couple of years. Heavy? When a typical 2x12 combo guitar amp weighs 60 lbs, a small Leslie isn't any more unwieldy than any other full sized speaker cabinet. The right Leslie is the key - I'd kill to own a 122, but it was designed specifically for use the Hammond organ console preamp. Pick a Leslie that acts only as extension cab, and no squirrely guitar preamps are needed. A Rotosphere and two amps isn't expensive and heavy? (I'll not argue about how it sounds - for most listeners, it gets pretty darned close.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 I dunno... Hauling that Fender Leslie (cab) and my big old tube amp was pretty uncomfortable. I s'pose a set of wheels and/or one of the outfits that works like a hand truck would help. But for a trio, it was a bear to haul drums, PA, Bassman amp head and 4x10 cab, 90-pound combo amp and Leslie, plus stands, yadayada... It wasn't so bad in decent weather, but on snow and ice at 2:30 after a saloon gig? Mind you, I was in my late 20s and early 30s and in pretty good shape. You're right that the Leslie wasn't really that much worse in ways than the 4x10 except it seemed heavier largely due to the angles thanks to handle placement and overall shape. It was not fun to schlepp. The only way I'd consider a "real" Leslie of any sort I've seen would be if I had a steady gig at a saloon where I could leave the @#$%@#$ thing. I've read of the Rotospheres, never saw one. Don't get me wrong. In a live gig the sound is super; I make it my guitar-driven B3. But the schlepping spoils the fun. That's why there's a Boss Leslie emulator pedal ready to plug in... m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heymisterk Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 A very inexpensive simulator is the Danelectro Rocky Road. Sounds really sweet. In addition, a shout out to the Abbey Road album for the great use of the Leslie; listen to the sparkle of the guitar on the outro of "You Never Give Me Your Money". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KL Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 Pretty much all good quality music gear is "expensive". The thing about a Leslie is that it is BIG and does take up quite a bit of space, and unlike say a standard amplifier or speaker cabinet, or most guitars it is a specialist item. It's not something that most musicians are likely to use on every song on an album or during a gig. That is what makes it different to me. So if you can afford to have one to use live on one or two songs, and in the studio now and again for the special effect it is still not a particularly practical thing to haul around. If I took one to gigs I would need to also take my other amplifier(s) so it just doesn't work. If you're travelling with a roadcrew doing stadium gigs then it's totally viable. I love Leslie's but I can't use one on a day to day basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riverside Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 I also like the use of guitar/leslie in Badfinger's "No Matter What". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heymisterk Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 I also like the use of guitar/leslie in Badfinger's "No Matter What". THAT is a sweet sound! I love that song... Bit of trivia: the main guitar for Badfinger was an SG that George Harrison gave to - I think his name was Peter Ham. That SG was much of the sound for the Revolver album, and you can also see him playing it on "Hey Bulldog". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepblue Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 I have to respectfully disagree as to the "expensive" part - if one compares the expense of pedals/pedal boards/cables/batteries' date=' etc, a Leslie is relatively inexpensive to maintain. Simple electric motors that are easliy serviced, a squirt of oil every once in a while, and maybe a $10 belt every couple of years. Heavy? When a typical 2x12 combo guitar amp weighs 60 lbs, a small Leslie isn't any more unwieldy than any other full sized speaker cabinet. The right Leslie is the key - I'd kill to own a 122, but it was designed specifically for use the Hammond organ console preamp. Pick a Leslie that acts only as extension cab, and no squirrely guitar preamps are needed. A Rotosphere and two amps isn't expensive and heavy? (I'll not argue about how it sounds - for most listeners, it gets pretty darned close.)[/quote'] A Leslie 147 isnt that big...I had the 122...The Monster! My Rotosphere ( top right)...which one would you like to carry around? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 Okay, I've got the Boss RT20 The little lights are a bit goofy from the perspective of an old guy <grin> and there's no question that it ain't really a Leslie but then... as I've said, in recording or such a big joint that it's gotta be miked, I don't think a Leslie sounds entirely like a Leslie anyway. Perfection? Naaah. Darned good and easier to carry than a great big box? Darned right. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buc McMaster Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 Back in the day I owned a Mesa Revolver - what a tone beast! It is true that nothing can quite duplicate the sound of a rotating speaker pushing air. Absolutely stunning sounds from the thing. Alas, it is not an appropriate tone for all songs and it was one helluva beast to slog to and fro with. Coupled with the 1963 Fender Concert 4x10 I had at the time made for quite a load. But for sound - whew! Unbeatable! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riverside Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 A Leslie 147 isnt that big...I had the 122...The Monster! The sole difference between a 122 and 147 is the amplifier wiring - same cabinet. There are smaller Leslie cabs with no amp at all... It's not the Rotosphere I don't want to carry' date=' it's that spare amp. That having been said, when/if the Rotosphere takes a dump, I suppose it [u']could[/u] be fixed... Seriously though, I'm not hating on your rig - it's a pretty nice setup. It just will never sound quite like a Leslie, and it doesn't cost or weigh any less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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