LESLIE CABLE COLORS and PIN CONNECTIONS

LESLIE CABLE COLORS and PIN CONNECTIONS
©1994-2001 Harvey Olsen

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SIX-PIN SYSTEMS - Don Leslie adopted Hammond's six-pin tone cabinet wiring in 1940 because it was easier to connect 30A Leslie Speakers to early Hammond organs. As additional Leslie models were developed for other organs, notably Wurlitzer and Conn, six-pin plugs and sockets were retained. Six conductor cables are interchangeable but the six-pin Leslie types are not. Input connections and channeling differ - using an incorrect Leslie type is hazardous plus the speaker will not function properly.

PIN

COLOR

HAMMOND (6H)

WURLITZER/UNIVERSAL (6W)

CONN/TWO-CHANNEL (6C)

Black

Yellow

Gray

Blue

Brown

Red

Input (Balanced)

Signal/DC Ground

AC Power In

AC Power In

B+ (Approx. 300 VDC)

Input (Balanced)

Signal Ground

Motor Relay Coil

AC Power In

Motor Relay Coil

Signal Input (Unbalanced)

Signal Ground

Motor Relay Coil

AC Power In

AC Power In/ Relay Coil

Channel Two Input (Unbalanced)

Channel One Input (Unbalanced)

HAMMOND (6H) - Includes Models: 30A, 30C, 31A, 31H, 21H, 22H, 22R, 122, 122R, 122V, 122RV, 142, 142A, 222, 222RV, 242, 122A-T and current 122A. Early "30" series models below serial number 5200 have no provision to isolate DC control voltages and can not be used with 6H-type hookups unless their power amps are upgraded to later specs.

WURLITZER/UNIVERSAL (6W) - Includes Models: 31W (except very early version), 44W, 46W, 25, 45, 47, 47R, 110, 112, 114, 116, 120, 120C, 125, 225, 145, 145A, 147, 147V, 147RV, 245, 247, 247RV, and current 147A. (Spinet-type Leslies without power amps have their speaker(s) connected directly to pins 1 and 6.)

CONN/TWO-CHANNEL (6C) - Includes Models: 50C, 55C, 51C, 51, 251, and 351 (no current model). Model 55C has no tremolo relay and pin 2 is not connected. (Tremolo control for Model 55C is accomplished by switching audio channels at the organ.)

Note: "Wurlitzer" and "Conn" brand designations were dropped in later years. These Leslie types are now used with many different organ makes and models including Hammond.

FIVE-TO-SIX- PIN HAMMOND SYSTEM - This configuration was originally used to connect Hammond tone cabinets to Hammond Organs. It was also used to "daisy-chain" early Hammond series (21H, 22H, etc.) Leslies together and connect to Hammond-type (6H) Leslie models to later self-powered Hammond consoles with 8000 series connector kits and five-pin sockets at the console.

FIVE PIN

PLUG

COLOR

SIX PIN

SOCKET

HAMMOND-TYPE (6H) MODELS ONLY

Black

Gray

(Shield)

Blue

Red

(None)

Input (Balanced)

AC Power In

Signal/DC Ground

AC Power In

Input (Balanced)

No Connection

Note: The five-to-six-pin system is not applicable to early Hammond console hookups and Leslie connector kits that require DC (B+) from the tone cabinet for preamp power or motor control. It also cannot be used with Wurlitzer/Universal (6W) or Conn/Two-Channel (6C) Leslie models.

NINE PIN SYSTEMS - Nine conductor cables were used with various nine-pin Leslie types including the more popular single and two channel models listed below. However, only the ground (pin 1) and AC input (pins 8 and 9) are consistent in all nine-pin Leslie types. Other nine-pin Leslies are multichannel and their pin connections and functions differ. They are not interchangeable with the models listed below and, in most cases, each other.

Models: 760, 770, 825, 825U, 830, 900, 900U, 910, 925, 950, and two-channel models 700 and 710.

PIN

COLOR

FUNCTION

Black

Red

Yellow

Orange

Green

White

Violet

Gray

Blue

Signal/DC Ground

Rotary Channel Input

No Connection

Non-Rotary Channel Input (Models 700, 710 only) or "Aux” control (Models 900, 910, 925, 950 only)

DC Output (+28 VDC)

Fast Motor Control (Switching pin 6 to pin 1 turns on tremolo Motors)

Slow Motor Control (Switching pin 7 to pin 1 turns on chorale Motors)

AC Power In

Other Nine Pin Leslie Types - Nonstandard multichannel channel, nine-pin Leslie models are:

Model 350 (selected Conn models)
Models 100GK, 101, 102, 103 (Gulbransen, selected Lowrey theatre models)
Models 257, 258, 300, 301 (selected Thomas models)
Models 202, 202S, 212S (selected Wurlitzer models)
Models 205, 610 (Hammond H-100 and R-100 series, various other two and three channel organs)
Model 600 (various two and three channel organs but not Hammond)
Models: 610 and 205 (Of the above, only the electrically identical 610 and 205 were used with Hammond.)

PIN

COLOR

FUNCTION

Black

Red

Yellow

Orange

Green

White

Violet

Gray

Blue

Signal/DC Ground

DC Output (+125 VDC)

Lower Drum Chan Input (Amplifier 4)

Bass Channel Input (Amplifier 2)

Upper Drum Chan Input (Amplifiers 1 and 3)

Lower Drum Control (Grounding pin 6 switches amp 4 from lower drum speaker to stationary 6x9)

Upper Drum Control (Grounding pin 7 switches upper drum speed from fast to slow)

AC Power In

ELEVEN PIN SYSTEM - All later and current Leslie designs have eleven conductor cables. Current UL, CSA, and other standards no longer allow AC power to supplied from the console so connecting cables supply only signal and control voltages. 11-pin Leslies have separate power cords and are, for most part, electrically interchangeable.

Models: 740 and 750 (typical). Not all pins are connected in Leslie models with fewer channels or features.

PIN

COLOR

FUNCTION

Brown

Red

Orange

Yellow

Green

Blue

Violet

Gray

White

Black

White/Black

Rotary Chan Input (All except specialized models without the rotary feature)

Main Chan/Non-Rotary Input (Leslie models with two or more channels)

Auxiliary #1 Input (Leslie models with three or more channels)

Signal Ground

Control Supply Common (May be grounded at the organ or connector kit)

Control Circuit Common (Switching pin 6 to pin 5 turns the Leslie on)

Fast Motor Control (Switching pin 7 to pin 5 turns on tremolo)

Slow Motor Control (Switching pin 8 to pin 5 turns on chorale)

External Speed Adjust (Never implemented, pin 9 is usually no connection)

Auxiliary #2 Input (Four channel models only)

+24 VDC Output (For preamp power or Leslie "sensing" circuits in some organs)

TWELVE PIN SYSTEM - Only special purpose Leslie models intended for Hammond X-77 and X-77GT organs have 12-pin plugs and sockets. Twelve pin connectors were used with standard nine conductor cables to prevent these Leslies from being used for other applications. They are electrically similar to the multichannel, solid-state, 9-pin models from the 60s and 70s.

Models X-77L and X-77P

PIN

COLOR

FUNCTION

Black

Red

Yellow

Orange

Green

White

Violet

(None)

Gray

(None)

Blue

(None)

Signal/DC Ground

Rotary Channel Input

Non-Rotary Input (Channeling determined by tab settings at the organ)

Bass Channel Input

Non-Rotary Input (Channeling determined by tab settings at the organ)

Tremolo Generator Input (Channeling is determined by tab settings at the organ

Tremolo/Celeste Control (Grounding pin 7 switches horn rotor to slow and vibrato amplifier channeling)

No Connection

AC Power In

No Connection

AC Power In

No Connection