A NOTE ABOUT THE REVIEWS PUBLISHED HERE: Unless otherwise stated, all of the reviews are of gear owned by the reviewer, and no compensation of any kind has been received in return for the review. The opinions voiced in the reviews are that of the respective authors. Occasionally, I get emails asking why we haven't reviewed this or that piece of organ-related gear, or why certain brands are better represented in the reviews than others. The answer is simple: I don't own the gear in question, and no one else has volunteered a review of the product! I strive to publish balanced, informative reviews of the gear, including information about weak or subjective aspects of the products. Unlike some other review sources, these reviews do not provide a rating number for different areas of the product's design or manufacture. My personal experience is that most reviewers who frequent these sites either love the product -- and give it all 9's and 10's (out of 10)-- or hate the product and rate it accordingly. People who kind of like a product don't seem to bother to review it. The reviews published on this site tend to come from players who are more particular about their requirements, and more willing to discuss the weaker points of a piece of gear they really love. Hopefully, this translates into a more useful review for prospective buyers. Additional reviews that meet the above qualifications are always welcome, and can be sent to info@ashbysolutions.com. Please be aware that any review may be edited for length or content to match the level of information in the other reviews, so be prepared to have your review pared down, or to submit additional information or revisions. No edited review will be published without the consent of the original author.

Clavia has recently released the Nord Electro, with a great B-3 sound, plus recreations of classic electromechanical keyboards like the Rhodes piano and Hohner Clavinet. Rather than providing drawbars, the Electro uses a more modern interface, but the sound is still there!

The E-MU B-3 is a rack-mounted sampler that contains both Leslie and "dry" samples of the Hammond B-3 and A-100, all in a single rack space module. It uses a unique cross-fading method to simulate Leslie speed changes.

Hammond started the B-3 clone market with the X-2 and X-5, back in the late 70's. Later purchased by Suzuki, the manufacturer lives on in a family of digital organs, including the XB-1, XB-2, XB-3/XC-3, XB-5, the XM-1 module, the XK-2, and their latest entries into the clone organ world, the XK-3 and XK-1. Regardless of your favorite clone, there's still something special about the words, "featuring Joey Jones on the Hammond organ." Hammond-Suzuki has also re-released the B-3 -- actually, a combination mechanical-digital update of the original. There is also a portable version called the B-3P. Both are a little outside to price range of most clone owners. Nevertheless, they are probably the closest thing to a true "B-3 clone."

Korg has re-released their famous BX-3 and CX-3 organs. Although the names are the same, and the cabinets are similar, these are wholly new animals inside. The new BX-3/CX-3 uses digital "modeling" technology to simulate the tones and nuances of the Hammond B-3, complete with a Leslie speaker simulator. They are pricey ($3995US and $2595US list, respectively) but terrific-sounding Hammond B-3 copies, worthy of the serious Hammond enthusiast.

Better known for their synthesizers, Oberheim has produced a series of Hammond clones as a co-development with Viscount, including the OB-3 and OB-3^2 (squared) modules, the OB-3^2 Keyboard, and the flagship OB-5. Although the status of Oberheim as a company is unknown at this time, Viscount has announced plans to continue the line, possibly under their own name. OB-5 Review         Harmony Central (OB-3^2)

The Roland VK-7 is another of the third "generation" of Hammond clones. Like the CX-3, it uses modeling techniques to generate its sounds. The VK-7 includes orchestral voices and a Leslie speaker simulator, and has gained a loyal following among keyboardists. The VK-7 is being phased out in favor of the new VK-8, which includes waterfall keys. For the serious organist, Roland also produces the VK-77, a two manual version of the VK-7, with additional orchestral voices and bass pedals.

		Voce, Inc., the New Jersey-based Hammond Organ clone maker run by Dave Amels and Al Alonso was a model of how you can take niche market, study it well, make great products, and cultivate a loyal customer following. Voce -- pronounced "vo-cheh" from the Italian word for voice -- provided superb copies of classic 60's and 70's keyboards, complete with technical support truly deserving of the term "legendary." Their products included a number of industry firsts, including the use of digitally-modeled tonewheels.
Sadly, Voce, Inc. officially called it quits in late 1998. Many of the Voce products have been re-released through another company, Tonewheel LLC -- including the successor to their flagship V3 Tone Wheel Organ Synthesizer, the V5. It's still the same Voce sound you remember!