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wrote in news:O5ntf.23435$Lb1.13193
@bignews3.bellsouth.net:

I love those things.

The finest, original Hammond C-3, the B-3 in the church cabinet, with the
original PR-40 tone cabinet, in pristine condition, is mine. Well, it
WILL be mine......

I got a service call to fix a C-3 in Hanahan, SC, one of the little
fiefdoms on the edge of the city, here. I went and there sat the finest
C-3 I had ever seen. It is completely unscathed! The bench was covered
the day her husband bought it with a custom bench cushion she made in the
1960's. Anyway, it had not worked in years and wouldn't start because
noone in the store ever told ANYONE you had to SERVICE it on a regular
basis for fear of losing the sale. "What? You mean I have to spend
money oiling it and taking care of it?" So, dealers kept quiet and let
the owner's manual noone ever read cover their asses. The generator was
locked.

I oiled it double and waited 3 months for it to follow the felts and
cotton strings to the oillite bearings to soak up the shellac from the
original 1960 oil. All the damned rubber wires UL made them use because
plastic was dangerous had, of course, disintegrated into rock-hard
powder, so I set out replacing all the power wiring in the console and
the 30' interconnect cable to the tone cabinet. I estimate the organ
played around 50 hours, total, before the husband died, its only player.
The kids hated it. The wife didn't want to play it but liked how it
filled her living room....an ornament. The only reason I was there was
some guest was coming for Christmas who was an organist and she wanted to
hear him play it.

After the long wait, I carefully hand-turned the generator, which freed
right up. Started it and made one lady very happy.....but that's not the
end of the story.

With all the hours I'd spent on this fine instrument, the bill wasn't
$40. She got upset, as usual when you're a serviceman. You get immune
from the abuse. She knew my rates and how much work I put in it....

But, I WANTED THIS ORGAN.

So, I made her a deal. Her son, the only heir, was there and had talked
to me about how much he hated the beast. He didn't want it and had even
asked me how to get rid of the "old thing" when Mom died. She knew he
hated it. So, I told her I'd make her a deal. "I'll eat this bill,
completely, and will come once a year to do the regular maintenance on
the organ if you'll put me in your will and give me a certified copy
willing the organ to me at your death.", I told her. Faced with paying
the bill and knowing her son hated it, she accepted, gladly.

So, I have the finest C-3 on the planet, sitting in her living room where
it has been moved 4 times in its total life to change the carpet out from
underneath it. All the plastic pedal protectors that were delivered with
it are on the pedals. The wood on the pedals has never had a sock
pressing on them. There is not a nick or scratch or flaw on the
cabinets. The organ is in a little alcove away from the main living
room, away from things that would bump it.....

AND IT'S MINE!.....(c; She's 80 and in fair health....

I go up in March to service my organ, properly. It was played twice
since we started this by her organist friend, whos organ I'm now also
servicing, an Allen.