Electro Tone Corporation

The Electro Tone Corporation was a company that produced after market add-ons for Hammond organs in the 1960s and '70s, [Email from Hugh Wells, former Electro Tone Co-Owner from 1968-'78, Sep 2007.] with more than 2,300 dealers internationally. [Online Resume, Hugh Wells (http://home.earthlink.net/~w6wtu/page2.htm), Jul 2007.]

The company manufactured the OrganMate reverb kit, PER 200 percussion kit and the Duet Sixteen and Mark II preset kits. These kits were primarily retro-fitted to Hammond organs that required reverb, percussion or presets.

The company was situated at 2014 Broadway, [Special "Organ Mate" Installation Instructions for Hammond Organs, Electro Tone Corporation, June 1963.] later at 1814-A Colorado Ave, [OrganMate Schematic, Electro Tone Corporation, June 1969.] and then at 2126 Pico Blvd [ Duet Sixteen Manual, Electro Tone Corporation, Aug 1972] , Santa Monica.

Electro Tone Duet Sixteen

"The DUET SIXTEEN PRESET is available for the Hammond Spinet Organ Models M, M-2, M-3, L-100 and M-100."

"The DUET SIXTEEN has 16 Presets on each manual, plus the use of the Drawbars, making the possibility of 256 Preset combinations."

"Suggested List... $159.50" [Duet Sixteen Manual, Electro Tone Corporation, Aug 1972.]

Internal workings of the Duet Sixteen

The Hammond organ's cheek block and Duet Sixteen can be removed from the organ by removing the two screws on either side of the cheek block from underneath. When pulling the cheek block and Duet Sixteen up, be carefully so as not to put undue stress on the cable passing through to the back of the organ.

The black metal casing can be removed by unscrewing the two nuts at the bottom of the Duet Sixteen housing, the nut & bolt holding the plastic cable holder and the four flat head screws at the top of the black metal housing, nearest the underside of the cheek block. Carefully sliding off the black metal housing exposes the rotary switch.

Cable identification on the Duet Sixteen's rotary switch

Cable #1 (Upper Drawbars)
* 9 wires (brown, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, grey, white)
* Terminals on lower rotary switch cluster.
* Terminals vertically aligned.
* Terminals adjacent to cable #5 terminals.
* Terminals directly opposite side of switch to cable #3 terminals.
* Terminals aligned directly below cable #2 terminals.
Cable #2 (Lower Drawbars)
* 7 wires (brown, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet)
* Terminals on upper rotary switch cluster.
* Terminals vertically aligned.
* Terminals directly opposite side of switch to cable #4 terminals.
* Terminals aligned directly above cable #1 terminals.
Cable #3 (Upper Drawbar Wires)
* 9 wires (brown, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, grey, white)
* Terminals on lower rotary switch cluster.
* Terminals vertically aligned.
* Terminals directly opposite side of switch to cable #1 terminals.
* Terminals aligned directly below cable #4 terminals.
Cable #4 (Lower Drawbar Wires)
* 7 wires (brown, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet)
* Terminals on upper rotary switch cluster.
* Terminals vertically aligned.

* Terminals directly opposite side of switch to cable #2 terminals.
* Terminals aligned directly above cable #3 terminals.
Cable #5 (Right Side Matching Transformer)
* 7 wires (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, grey)
* Terminals on lower rotary switch cluster.
* Terminals vertically aligned, except for yellow wire terminal.
* Terminals adjacent to cable #5 terminals (except for yellow wire terminal).
Cable #6 (Left Side Matching Transformer)
* 7 wires (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, grey)
* Terminals on upper rotary switch cluster.
* Orange, yellow, green, blue & grey terminals vertically aligned.
* Red & violet terminals vertically aligned, and grouped with cable #4 wires.

Installation of The Duet Sixteen

References