Leslie 470

[wasillaguy]

I'm in major scroe heaven. Weird, unique, and totally original condition.
These are the Leslie 470 home speaker system. Leslie ventured into the home speaker market for only about 3 years around 1973.
In the master unit, there's a 50wpc amplifier and a "space generator". The two connect together via a 5 prong connector. They are designed to hook up to a tape out or headphone jack of a vintage receiver without loading down the main amplifier.
Got these about a month ago and finally found the time to open them up.
15" down firing woofer into the famous rotating drum.
Two 6x9's in parallel out the left and right of the upper cabinet, and tweet out the front.
The drums don't rotate (yet), but the motor/drive on the "space generator" does it's thing. Consists of two variable caps (one for each channel) connected to a drive belt via a concentric pulley and tensioner, so that the speed of the capacitance changing varies as it spins.
Checked dc resistance of all the drivers and then fired 'em up. They play just fine and the amp is quiet without input. My next step will be to replace the crossover caps and get the drums spinning.

The only other Leslies mentioned on Audiokarma are a pair of 430's (metal cabs) owned by MainManSam. I've already talked with him and he's going to copy his manual so I can figure out what's what on this beast.

Merry Christmas everybody!

 

[68custom]

pretty cool! merry christmas.

 

[wasillaguy]

Here's a shot inside the slave "left" channel, and of the drivers.
They're still crowded in the garage, but piano and acoustic guitar sound warm and woody. I've got an eq taming down the mids. Hoping a recap will balance things out better. If not, I'll just keep running thru the eq.
Woofer surround is cloth and in good shape, really stiff.
The 6x9's, although all paper, look like brand new.

 

[Coytee]

I've only seen a Leslie speaker when it was being played on stage. (so you know my point of reference of ignorance)

Do they exhibit any motor/bearing/gear noise as they turn in the more quiet environment of the home?

 

[wasillaguy]

So far, only the "space generator" is turning and it's quiet. I'll be troubleshooting the drum drive circuitry today. Neither is spinning, so it looks to be a power issue.
There's a pushbutton single pole "mode" switch that I assume selects if you want the drums spinning or not. Won't know exactly until I get the trouble fixed. So far, the space generator keeps spinning regardless of the mode switch, not sure if that's by design or if it should be shutting down along with the drum motors. I removed power to the space generator temporarily so I could get an idea how they sound as a conventional speaker, which is the way I will usually use them. I do want them to be fully functional so I can turn on some organ music and get funky with some doppler effect once in a while.

 

[toddalin]

The heritage to their organ speakers is obvious. The 15" drivers were typically from CTS or Eminance, but with a different surround. The 6"x9" (and horn driver) in the organ cabinets were from Jensen. The motor to spin the drum is the "slow speed" motor on the organ speakers. Even the Amphenol connector is used in the organ speakers. I don't know who made your tweeter.

I really can't imagine that it would be a "high fidelity" speaker, especially when the drum turns creating all sorts of weird phase and doppler shift. Also, the sound will never really be the same in the seating area when the drum stops as you've no idea which way it will ultimately face.

Still, as a curosity, or maybe if you are a musician and want to put your axe though it, it is way cool!

 

[thunderroad]

Very nice find! :thmbsp::thmbsp::thmbsp:

I would love to find something like that! They look to be in pretty good shape too. You're going to have some fun with those.

Please post your listening impressions too, once you get them up and making music again! Very cool! :yes:

 

[wasillaguy]

The heritage to their organ speakers is obvious. The 15" drivers were typically from CTS or Eminance, but with a different surround. The 6"x9" (and horn driver) in the organ cabinets were from Jensen. The motor to spin the drum is the "slow speed" motor on the organ speakers. Even the Amphenol connector is used in the organ speakers. I don't know who made your tweeter.

Thanks for the driver details! Here's the back side of the tweeter, if it helps any.

I really can't imagine that it would be a "high fidelity" speaker, especially when the drum turns creating all sorts of weird phase and doppler shift. Also, the sound will never really be the same in the seating area when the drum stops as you've no idea which way it will ultimately face.

Yes, and the space generator too! The entire channel goes through these varying capacitors, not just the mids/highs. Sort of like russian roulette, you never know where it will stop. I moved the drums around after taking these pics so they fire toward the front right corner and got a much richer bass. Thinking I'll have to leave myself room (and easy way to take back cover off) so I can manually position the beasts after a spinning session. I'll have to do some testing to find the best spot to stop the space generator, and then mark it.

Still, as a curosity, or maybe if you are a musician and want to put your axe though it, it is way cool!

I think this is part of the reason these are so rare. Other than the short yrs of production and low interest by the buying public, I think most of these were separated over the years for use by garage bands. My main objective is to keep them together and original. My attraction to the oddity aspect is much stronger than my need for hi fidelity.

My plan for these guys is to put them along one wall with only about 42" of free space between them, then stretch a piece of counter top over the entire length. This will be my computer desk on top of which I'll have a three screen setup to fly my flight simulator. I like to fly helicopters and I'm thinking the doppler shift should sound pretty cool. The rest of the time, they'll be a B set of speakers for my system in that room. If I like the way they sound, they'll get played. If I don't, at least they're hooked up so I can show 'em to guests anyway.
Considering making a triangular reflector under the desk to bounce out the 6x9's that will be firing directly at each other under there. Either that, or maybe eq out everything high and use them like subs. I know it makes the audiophiles cringe when they hear stuff like this, but you should be happy that these babies will be pretty well conserved in this duty.

 

[toddalin]

No idea who made the tweeter. The organ speakers did not use tweeters. Highs are rolled off. The highest frequency on a Hammond is less than 6KHz with no overtones.

 

[Nat]

Tweeter looks at least superficially like a University Sphericon.

 

[ScramMan2]

That is total coolness! Get out some Steppenwolf, Doors, or Deep Purple and let it roar.

 

[sealy]

Meant specifically for organs, not high fidelity stereo reproduction.

 

[maxserg]

Remember I had a Hammond L-100 with the leslie modes l122 or 142. It was a two way system, with a Jensen 15" and a Jensen driver for the highs, passive x-over at 800Hz I guess, the drum and the horn spinning in oppisite directions. Nice sound! but not hi-fi

 

[Rockyhill]

I wonder what a recording of an organ payed through a Leslie sounds like when when played back through another Leslie? Leslie squared?! It makes me dizzy just imagining it.

 

[wasillaguy]

Meant specifically for organs, not high fidelity stereo reproduction.

The DVX-570, DVX-580, 430, 450, 470 were specifically designed and marketed to augment a home stereo system. I won't argue that these are more musical instrument than they are high fidelity speakers. But, these are NOT meant for organs.

 

[wasillaguy]

A big thanks to MainManSam for the documentation. Here's some of what he had, a release on the DVX line with mention of the 430/450/470 at the end.

 

[bfishn]

Being a devout Hammond/Leslie nut,. I snagged a pair of 450s (12", 2-way) several years ago out of pure curiousity. After playing a couple albums through them I tired of the effect and used the components to DIY a pair of Model 70s, which I still love and use with a Wurlitzer electric piano. The (really nice) cabs will actually become HIFI if I ever get around to loading some Altec drivers...

 

[B3Nut]

They tried to use the scoop rotor at a very slow speed to break up standing waves. It didn't really work all that well. Electro-Music's attempts at breaking into the hi-fi market were a bit of a flop in the end. But the Leslie lives on in the instrument market, even tube Leslies are still in production.

(waves at the fellow Hammond/Leslie nut up above )

TP

 

[wasillaguy]

For the benefit of Wigwam Jones and others who enjoy the vintage technical ramblings-

 

[mad shadows]

Perfect for playing some Hawkwind albums.