Unboxing the new Hammond XK5 Heritage organ

/ @nickfoleyuk We have a new Hammond! Gone is the XK3c / Pro and incoming is the XK5. Connected to the lower manual and with the wooden stand it is known as the A3 heritage.
Today I have taken delivery, lets unpack it and get it working and see whats what! More from me exclusively at / nickfoleyuk

[@lmoore3rd]

Give it more V's...meow...that's right kitty! 😸

[@Ianplankton]

That was excellent. (Hi Frank).

[@B3burner]

What an awesome black and white picture at 0:02 into your video. It so captures the enthusiasm and excitement of the moment. Did you know you just so happened to upload this video on the late Jon Lord's birthday? What a nice coincidence indeed.

[@zoomzoom3950]

Very helpful video. Thanks! My A-3 was just delivered today; unfortunately the A-3 stand is backordered; I managed to get it all set-up, but can't access the connections as I had to put it on a table that can span the pedalboard. Going to keep at it and see if I come up with a temporary solution, in the meantime I have my SKx. Cheers!

[@clintjones9848]

I recommend running this beast thru an eq - preferably a 31 band. It's insane how much more you can do with it to make it sound more natural or otherwise improve the sound.

[@nickfoleyuk]

Ooh thanks Clint. That’s really Interesting, I’ll have a look at that

[@clintjones9848]

Yep, it really improved several things for me. I turn up the lows and that brings up the left hand bass and makes it more audible. It also fills out the rest of the notes so they don't sound hollow with a click on top. I turn up a targeted portion of the mids to make it sound more tonewheel with the grit. And I turn down the 'air' portion of the upper highs to reduce the synthetic air. It sounds pretty authentic after you dial the eq and much improved. I recommend it. No reason not to spend a few hundred to improve a 10k rig.

[@MitchellSamuelson]

Frank was the star of the video

[@nickfoleyuk]

He’s always the star !

[@nickfoleyuk]

He’s the star of everything

[@superfuzzymomma]

Great demo and performance! Sooo appreciated, friend. Thank you!

[@superfuzzymomma]

Why the preponderance of C-3 in Britain and B-3 in the States in the 60s??

[@nickfoleyuk]

C stands for Church and was more common in the UK

[@superfuzzymomma]

Never knew that - I am in your debt, thanks!

[@michaelstratton6701]

I wish

[@danielkinney6325]

I just placed my order thru SWEETWATER for a NEW HAMMOND XK 5 PRO SYSTEM. I got the entire set up. PEDALS STAND BENCH TOP & BOTTOM. I cannot wait. I have a LESLIE 3300. Looking into getting a 2nd LESLIE 3300 to add so I can have 2 LESLIES going on BEALE STREET outside.

[@nickfoleyuk]

Sounds great!

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

Great presentation and demonstration! This is my first episode. How does one get into this line of work? Frank is such a cute kitty!

[@nickfoleyuk]

My advise would be to do something because you want to. Give back and don’t ask for anything in return. And doors open.

[@DivineMisterAdVentures]

Besides the unique hammond quality - are these keybeds scaled slightly down? Strike me as smaller than piano. 7/8 or something.

[@B3burner]

Okay, I just got mine yesterday. Great machine... but one question: It came with 4 rubber feet. My understanding is that those are supposed to secure the lower manual to the Hammond steel stand (XKLS), via 6M 4 x 12mm tapping screws. However, the screws are way too short and will barely go through the rubber feet, much less to the screw holes in the base of the lower manual. I know you got the wood Heritage Stand, But I’d imagine the concept is overall the same, and you probably got the same hardware kit in your delivery. How did you do it?

[@nickfoley7348]

B3_Burner Good question, and it was a while ago. Only gravity and lugs keep my XK on the heritage stand. A few things (I noticed), when I was following the instructions , were already assembled on mine. Those feet for one. I’ll take a look at the lugs and let you know.

[@B3burner]

Nick Foley >>> Thank you.

[@nickfoley7348]

B3_Burner hi, checked. XK is flat with holes for the stand lugs to fit into. HTH.

[@B3burner]

Nick Foley, When you say lugs you mean the rubber cups/feet? I believe on the bottom of my lower keyboard are recessed circles in the wood that the rubber feet go over. I think that increases the distance the tapping screw has to travel- not allowing it to screw in. I’ll have to double check. Thank you for checking.

[@nickfoleyuk]

I have taken a shakey photo for you; one hand on camera the other lifting the Hammond. You can see it on my Insta feed just look for nickfoleyuk . The Organ has holes and the stand has wooden prongs, like dowels sticking up. It’s all wood no rubber. HTH.

[@B3burner]

At some point, can you do an XK5 video on how to set up the favorites? It’s hard to differentiate them from (bank + patch) = preset; in my mind. And the manual doesn’t do a justice at explaining the process. Also, how important is it to do the USB software updates on the XK5? I tried to do them on my XK1-c three years ago, and I never could get the flash drive to format, or transfer the Information. Very Frustrating, I finally gave up.

[@nickfoleyuk]

Organ case? It’s from Hammond

[@karlmhoon]

What kind of amp is that where u have a jack like those on your Leslie?

[@nickfoleyuk]

It’s a Leslie 145 modified to take a Jack input

[@karlmhoon]

@@nickfoleyuk what did have in to that Jack

[@karlmhoon]

I'm looking to get a Hammond xk5 I have a Hammond xk3c I wanna upgrade

[@nickfoleyuk]

@@karlmhoon as far as I remember just the organ straight into the line in of the Leslie

[@nickfoleyuk]

@@karlmhoon cool. That’s what o did

[@richardperkins4959]

Great video. Bought mine based on your positive feedback after hanging my nose over one for a long time. I've currently got it plugged into a standard UK power adaptor as it came with a 2-pin lead. Works fine but as I'm not electronically minded I don't want to find one day that I've blown it up inadvertently! Do you do the same with yours or is there something I should sort out before I cause irreversible damage. Cheers!

[@nickfoley7348]

Richard Perkins Glad you like it! Do you mean you have a two pin lead plugged into a shaver type three pin adapter in the UK? As always seek the advice of a professional electrician but I would say that voltage is the important component right now and if it is switching on the voltage is meeting the prerequisites of the transformer ? If you are in the UK then purchase a IEC to three pin lead from anywhere and you will be in the same situation as me.

[@nickfoley7348]

Richard Perkins StarTech.com 3m UK Computer Power Cord - 3 Pin Mains Lead - IEC 320 C13 to BS-1363 UK Plug Mains Power Cable Lead - 3 Meter UK Power Cord (PXT101UK3M) www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00B22TCRW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_D94vFbN2CFXQJ

[@richardperkins4959]

Hi Nick. yeh you're right, it's a shaver style adaptor. Ok that's great thanks for the help. I've got plenty of kettle leads lying around with a 13A fuse as suggested in the owners manual. I just don't get electronics so always cautious to avoid doing something I'll later regret haha! But thanks very much for your reply. Also your recent highway star cover was awesome!

[@nickfoley7348]

Richard Perkins thank you very much !

[@Tubefex]

Hi! Really like your hammond videos. This thing must have a MIDI port right? Can we start hoping to have some of your very instructive performances in MIDI form? :)

[@nickfoleyuk]

Tubefex yup it has MIDI. It’s quite an advanced midi controller actually, although the manual is rather difficult to understand.

[@wouterdeheus3626]

Heritage? How is it any different from the normal xk-5?

[@nickfoleyuk]

Hammond are calling the Dual manual the A3 to some extent (along with some ancillaries). That's what I was calling it at the time although on the whole I don't think the term has caught on.

[@clintjones9848]

Heritage is just what they call the XK-5 in a bundle with the wooden stand and lower manual (and bass pedals).

[@TheiZaiahShow]

They call it the A3 heritage because it resembles the model A at Lawrence Hammond first invented but it has all the features of the B3 so hence, A3 Heritage.

[@timhall4779]

Sounds like some John Lord🤘

[@B3burner]

When he overdrives... definitely some Jon Lord Mark II. But with some warmer Leslie driven tones, I also hear some Mark I (1968-69) Purple as well. My favorite era... the first three albums with Rod Evans and Nick Simper are way underrated. Though Mark II took "Mandrake Root" out on the racetrack for 500 laps-- and really warmed the tires throughout the early 70's; always remember, it's a studio cut off Purple's very first album in 1968-- the most psychedelically drenched & experimental album of all of theirs. 'Shades of Deep Purple' was to psychedelic rock, what 'Deep Purple in Rock' was to hard rock.

[@danielkinney6325]

I heard that when you use your 11pin and connect a LESLIE 3300 it automatically bypasses the INTERNAL LESLIE SIM. Is that TRUE?

[@nickfoleyuk]

daniel kinney Almost certainly yes

[@wouterdeheus3626]

Please stop it with the annoying caps.

[@wouterdeheus3626]

When you try it out you don't have to do nervous riffs all the time. It's super annoying. You can also do some laid back chords. The organ: 9/10 The video: 1.5/10

[@nickfoleyuk]

Wouter de Heus You are right that I’m not super comfortable In front of the camera but just wanted to help out my fellow players. I’ll try to slow it down. Thanks for watching.

[@markr8326]

@@nickfoleyuk I love the "nervous" riffs! Your playing is super cool. Enjoying watching anything you play tbh.

[@B3burner]

@@markr8326 Yes, nothing wrong with both.

[@bolijack]

Speak clearly! :-(

[@wouterdeheus3626]

Yes! For fuck's sake! I can't understand about 40% of what you said.

[@clintjones9848]

His accent! Lol RIP!