touring with combo organs (reliability issues)

[stranger]

i have gigged short tours before with a Farfisa Professional Duo, but it always seems to never make it through the tour due to various technical issues that arise from the long rides and various venue environments. it always needs some kind of serious servicing upon return and forces me to use a digital backup for the remainder of dates.
the Farfisa Professional Duo has been very well-cared for and when not on tour has been kept in perfect playing condition-- all working keys, in tune, all stop tabs work, etc.

i was wondering if i switched to a Vox if i would be as likely to have the same issues when touring? are Farfisas known to be unreliable on the road, or would this fate be similar to virtually any combo organ? or do some brands have more reliable reputations than others?

thanks

[Franz]

While I don't have a Vox, I have heard that Farfisas (Farfisi?) are far more reliable than Voxii.

Moreover, as an owner of several different Farfisaii, I will testify that my Farfisa Professional (single manual) is more reliable and robust than my Mini Compact & Compact Duo. However, I've never taken any of these on tour.

What is your "digital" back up? I also am curious what sort of music you play with your Pro Duo...do you have a myspace or any other online links?

[blair]

I'd recommend getting one of the Yamaha combos. I gig w/the Yamaha YC-20 for my regular band. Another part-time band I had, I used a YC-30. The YC series is quite reliable. The Stems told me they used a YC-10 doing some 200 dates a year for a couple years in the 80s, just throwing it in the back of their vehicle and it was fine the whole time.

If you want the top of the YC line, that'd be the YC-45D, with which I have no personal experience. I do have the YC-25D, which is pretty cool, but I'm more of a single manual kinda guy.

As for backups...I don't currently use a digital back-up, but I'm not a touring guy. I *do*, however, bring a back-up combo. Most of the time, it's a Wurlitzer 7300, although at one point I'd bring a Vox Jaguar. I far prefer the versatility of the 7300, though.

[Franz]

Although your response was directed at Stranger...

I've often been desirous of Yamaha's YC- organs, particularly the YC-25D dual manual. They sound great and look hot.

However, they're so god d**n HEAVY. It has nothing to do with my arm strength. Just carrying my Farfisa Pro to a show wrecks my WRISTS so much, that I can barely play.

Stranger, how do you carry the Pro Duo? d**n, that's gotta be hundred pounds at least.

[stranger]

thanks for the responses.
yeah, it is pretty heavy- we need two people to carry it/ set it down gently. also need two keyboard stands to hold it up (the original legs are missing) as a digital back-up, i use a Hammond XB-2, which i will be taking as a primary keyboard for the upcoming tour due to reasons being the Farfisa is still being worked on, it takes too much space (especially an issue once it isn't even working anymore), and i just don't trust the Farfisa handling more than a few nights in a row.
i will still be using the original Farfisa speaker cabinet though for the Hammond XB-2.
i know the guy currently working on the Pro Duo says that it is pretty difficult to service components of it due to the internal layout of the double manual.


i play psych rock in the band Strangers Family Band. (http;//www.myspace.com/strangersfamilyband)

[blair]

I once bought a Pro Duo in need of massive work for about 40 bucks...That included the stand. My then-girlfriend helped me carry it out to the car, after which she said, "You're getting this into the house yourself." I suppose I could well have argued that it was in HER car and if she didn't want it taking up room in her car, she'd best help me out, but I didn't. Looking back now, I wonder if that wasn't the last straw for my back. I *can* tell you that it stayed on its side in our living room for a couple years before I gave it to someone as part of a trade for some work on other musical equipment. I did, however, keep the legs as they'd been holding up a coffee table top that I didn't have legs for. It still makes an excellent workspace. Those legs are REALLY heavy-duty.

[fleshtonejm]

Jun 4, 2009 23:14:04 GMT -5 Franz said:

Although your response was directed at Stranger...

I've often been desirous of Yamaha's YC- organs, particularly the YC-25D dual manual. They sound great and look hot.

However, they're so god d**n HEAVY. It has nothing to do with my arm strength. Just carrying my Farfisa Pro to a show wrecks my WRISTS so much, that I can barely play.

Stranger, how do you carry the Pro Duo? d**n, that's gotta be hundred pounds at least.

I'm quite hoping to get a YC 10 one day!

With regard to moving the d**n thing, I use a trolley all the time; roll the old continental about and then our guitarist steals the trolley for his amp!

[mtwallet]

hahaha, so much fun reading you! I got my light gem sprinter 61 and I can take with one hand, a glass of beer in the other... ok, it tastes less good but... when you're drunk you don't care

[Franz]

Jun 5, 2009 15:00:01 GMT -5 stranger said:

thanks for the responses.
yeah, it is pretty heavy- we need two people to carry it/ set it down gently. also need two keyboard stands to hold it up (the original legs are missing) as a digital back-up, i use a Hammond XB-2, which i will be taking as a primary keyboard for the upcoming tour due to reasons being the Farfisa is still being worked on, it takes too much space (especially an issue once it isn't even working anymore), and i just don't trust the Farfisa handling more than a few nights in a row.
i will still be using the original Farfisa speaker cabinet though for the Hammond XB-2.
i know the guy currently working on the Pro Duo says that it is pretty difficult to service components of it due to the internal layout of the double manual.


i play psych rock in the band Strangers Family Band. (http;//www.myspace.com/strangersfamilyband)

Hey man! Love your stuff. Let us know what sort of organ you decide upon (if you ever change)

What sort of amp do you use?

[Rod MPS]

You might want to check out the Nord Electro 3 for touring. It is going to have the Farfisa and Vox emulations, plus access to all the E-pianos, clavs and trons.

[bscepter]

i toured for ten years with a variety of farfisa compact combos (two red, one grey), and though the plastic cases took a beating, the organs themselves pretty much always worked.

[zonkout]

I second (third?) the Yamaha YC series. I toured with a YC-10, which was pretty light and always reliable. I bet you'd have similar luck with another Japanese brand: Ace Tone--and they're even lighter weight and sound more like a Farfisa.