Hammond Theatre Organ History

The Hammond Theatre Organ is an electric organ which was invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. The original Hammond Theatre organ used additive synthesis of waveforms from harmonic series made by mechanical tonewheels which rotate in front of electromagnetic pickups. Although many different models of Hammond Theatre organs were produced, the Hammond B-3 organ is most well-known. In the 1980s and 1990s, musicians began using electronic and digital devices to imitate the sound of the Hammond, because the vintage Hammond organ is heavy and hard to transport. By the 1990s and 2000s digital signal processing and sampling technologies allowed for better imitation of the original Hammond sound.
American engineer and inventor Laurens Hammond filed U.S. Patent 1,956,350 for a new type of "electrical musical instrument" that could recreate a pipe organ–type sound. In Britain the organ became associated with elevator music and ice rinks music. Hammond is now owned by Suzuki Musical Inst. Mfg. Co., Ltd., and distributed by Hammond Suzuki Co., Ltd. Today, Hammond build electronic organs that closely replicate the tonewheel organ sound using current technology.
The Hammond B-3 organ can be heard in 1960s surf music, where the spinning Leslie speaker created distinctive special effects. Hammond organs are also widely used in 1970s progressive rock music bands such as Pink Floyd's Rick Wright (First on a Hammond L-101, and later on a B-3); Emerson, Lake & Palmer's Keith Emerson (L-100 and C-3); Genesis's Tony Banks (a Hammond L-122 and later a Hammond T-102); Yes' Rick Wakeman (C-3); Kansas, notably on their song "Carry on Wayward Son". In the 1990s, Rob Collins of The Charlatans integrated the Hammond organ back into British rock 'n' roll. Electronic and digital keyboards that imitate the sound of the Hammond are often referred to as "clonewheel organs". Although many different models of Hammond organs were produced, the Hammond B-3 organ is the most well-known type. In the 1980s and 1990s, musicians began using electronic and digital devices to imitate the sound of the Hammond, because the vintage Hammond organ is heavy and hard to transport. By the 1990s and 2000s digital signal processing and sampling technologies allowed for better imitation of the original Hammond sound.
Hammond Suzuki USA currently markets numerous home, church, and professional models that digitally reproduce the sound of vintage Hammond tonewheel organs. An article from Keyboard Magazine that reviewed electronic simulations of the Hammond sound claims that some aspects of the vintage electromechanical Hammond are not accurately reproduced by clones and emulation devices