Hi Guys,
This is a mate’s experimental stage of a DIY Leslie speaker.
It took some convincing to let me make the video and show it.
I had to use the word “experimental” for him to be happy about it
The pace this fellow works, anyone of retirement age might not live to see it finished!

It’s one of the radio cabinets I mentioned here a while back when I won a dozen radios on eBay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuFHxrJy5NY

Needs work.

Lots of designs out there on the web, but nothing beats the original.

I have a 147 with a dead amp in the workshop. Aim to get it on the bench real soon now.

Yes I didn’t know what to, think, but was impressed that it was done at all.
Since seeing it I have looked on YouTube and liked the sound of a compact
made one with an 8 inch speaker. The fellow played a guitar through it,
though I understand they were considered an unoficcial add on to Hammond keyboards.

I understand they were considered an unoficcial add on to Hammond keyboards.

Hammond organs originally were supplied with what Hammond called tone cabinets. These were large multi-speaker boxes with power amps in them. The organ only had a pre-amp.

Along came Don Leslie who was aiming for a sound that was closer to the pipe organ and the rest is history. The demand for Leslie speakers was enormous -- everybody was ordering Hammond & Leslie like ham and eggs -- to the extent that Hammond placed a ban on their dealers selling Leslies. Don Leslie tried forever to get his speaker officially accepted, but as long as Laurens Hammond was in charge of the company there would be no mention of Leslie in his presence.

The guitar fraternity took to them, too, and good Leslies remain in demand today, even though there are numerous emulators.