Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info
MMD > Archives > July 1997 > 1997.07.01 > 08Prev  Next


Hammond "VibraChord" Amplifier
By Craig Brougher

First off, I called my thingy a VibraHarp, and discovered it's called
"chord," instead.  A VibraChord.  Robbie was wondering;

>[ Does your Vibraharp have the long resonators and rotating throttles,
>[ or is it more like the orchestral cabinet Celesta (which sinply plays
>[ "plink, plink!" from a piano-style keyboard) ?

I believe its more "plink-plink." The pickups are just all connected
together and go into an amplifier as one wire.  Probably paralleled -- I
haven't looked.  But the final tone is pretty good, from what I've heard.
It was made by Mass-Rowe, and is called "VibraChord and Harp-Celeste" for
the Hammond Organ Co in the '50's.

I have a manual for it, and was told that this particular instrument was
used by a professional musician with just a Hammond reverb amplifier.  It
wasn't used with its own amp, like I saw described in the manual.  So now
I am doubly confused.  The schematic in its manual shows a shaping
circuit input to a balanced amplifier that would, without doubt, act as
some kind of decay/ resonator circuit-- you probably know what I mean.

(An oscillator that doesn't quite self-trigger?  That is not a Roy Rodgers
joke, by the way -- even though I fully intend to use it when playing
Drifting With The Tumbly Weeds.)  What it was originally used with was a
Hammond reverb amplifier-- which I suspect has about the same
characteristics, anyway.

So, if reverb amplifiers work, would I have to use Hammond's, or would
anything work with positive feedback in it here?

Craig Brougher

 [ Carry it to the local music store (wear earplugs) and let the kids
 [ there demonstrate how it sounds when plugged into a "contemporary
 [ music" amplifier !  Then you can decide which choice of electronic
 [ "effects" you like best.  I'll bet they even have a button for
 [ "Leslie" !   -- Robbie


(Message sent Tue 1 Jul 1997, 13:47:48 GMT, from time zone GMT.)

Key Words in Subject:  Amplifier, Hammond, VibraChord

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page