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Hammond Organ & Leslie Speaker Repair Technician: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York

By
Real Estate Agent

I Am Guilty.

About 5 years ago, I started a love affair. 

It's not what you think.....lol

I started a love affair with the sound of the Hammond Organ with a Leslie speaker attached.  I  played piano and keyboards for many  years, but the organ I thought was way beyond my ability to master.  A good friend of mine Tyrone Hallman got me started on the organ.  The picture on the right is one of my friends Kenny Johnson (far left) and Mike Casino (far right), just after we finished hauling my first organ out of the basement to make room for my new organ.  You find out who your real friends are when it comes time to move an organ. In case you didn't know......they are VERRRRRY HEAVY.

But Anyway, I Digress

As a lover of the Hammond Organ sound and the owner of one of these classic instruments, you know that these days it can be hard to find someone to fix these beauties when they break.  I recently began attending New Greater Straightway Baptist Church in Philadelphia, PA.  They had an organ and leslie, but the leslie was in bad shape.  Half the time music came out of it, the other half it was only static.  A technician had been called to diagnose the problem and it was determined that the speaker DOA and would need to be replaced at a cost of $3,000 plus tax.  This was way above the church's budget. 

IT WAS THEN I REMEMBERED

I remembered my old friend Michael Casino.  I met Mike on a Hammond Organ forum and as it turned out, we lived 10 minutes away from each other.  Mike is an electronics genius.  His home workshop is filled with organs, leslies, keyboards, tube amplifiers and who knows what else.  Mike taught me more than I can ever remember about the inner workings of the Hammond Organ and the Leslie speaker.  When I hooked up my first organ, it was Mike who taught me how to do it.  When I brought my second organ, it was mike who showed me how to make an interface box so I could hook up two speakers to the organ. 

LONG STORY SHORT

In less than one week with donated parts from my stash and for under $500, Michael fixed the speaker and it was back in the church for Sunday afternoon service.  It sounded magnificent.  I was in love again.

So if you are in the NJ tri-state area and you are looking for an organ technician who really knows his stuff, call Michael Casino @ 609-845-5032

 

In the meantime, if you have any questions or don't know where to begin on your home search, feel free to contact me.

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Leander McClain, Camden & Burlington Township Realtor & Real Estate Consultant, Atlantic & Pacific Real Estate, 103 Carnegie Center, Princetonl, NJ 08540 609-505-6578 (direct)

lee@njsouthrealestate.com, @leemack912, www.facebook.com/Leander.NJRealtor

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Comments (8)

Elizabeth Nieves
The Elizabeth Nieves Realty Group - Durham, NC
Bilingual Raleigh - Durham North Carolina Real Estate Team

These are the kind of stories that warm my heart. This is how we give back...one person at a time. THANK YOU for being a giver!!

BTW...I did not know you are a musician. I'm a singer, but I don't play anything...YET. :-) GBU~

Nov 17, 2008 03:26 PM
Erik Hitzelberger
RE/MAX Alliance - Louisville REALTOR-Luxury Homes - Louisville, KY
Louisville - Middletown Real Estate

Leander - This is a great testamonial for Michael.  The church we attend doesn't have an organ and I occassionally miss it.  The sound is powerful and moving.

Nov 17, 2008 03:58 PM
Leander McClain
North East, MD
Cecil & Harford County Realtor

Elizabeth - so many people have given to me and helped me along the way.  I could never give more than I have been blessed with, but I try every day.  We all have God given talents that we can share with others.

Erik - If your church ever decides to buy a Hammond type organ, let me know.  I know people who find them and ship them across country.  Maybe one day I will tell about my Whirlwind, one day trip from NJ to New Hampshire to pick up and organ and drive it home in the middle of a snow storm :)

YOu guys have a great day

Leander

Nov 17, 2008 11:02 PM
Jennifer Fivelsdal
JFIVE Home Realty LLC | 845-758-6842|162 Deer Run Rd Red Hook NY 12571 - Rhinebeck, NY
Mid Hudson Valley real estate connection

Leander - We really appreciate good service and from what you have written Mike did that for you.  So I gather you are a music lover, my husband plays the guitar and I guess he was recording yesterday when I knocked loudly on his music room door I suppose from now on he will put up a sign. " recording in progress"

 

Have a great day.

Nov 18, 2008 03:15 AM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

Leander- this earth needs more good men like you my brother in Christ.  I'm sure both the church and Michael will be blessed and you too. 

Oh and those recipes look great I'll be printing those and trying them out.  I love Banana nut bread.  That one sounds great.

Nov 18, 2008 03:41 PM
Lee & Pamela St. Peter
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices YSU Realty: (919) 645-2522 - Raleigh, NC
Making Connections to Success in Real Estate

Leander we have more than a love for food in common...  I remember the Hammond my Dad had for years...  he loved to play that for hours.  Me - I'm a piano girl (was anyway) and you are so correct in saying you learn who your friends are when moving.  Our baby grande made it from Pittsburgh (2 moves) then up to Montreal.  There it stayed with a very talented man that played like an angel...  Thanks for being you - and for bringing back some sweet memories...

Your Raleigh Realtors

Nov 18, 2008 09:29 PM
Anonymous
George Fish - Fish Organs - Authorized Hammond Dealer

Hi Leander, thanks for the great post! I also know Mike Casino from the Hamtech forum, and he is always willing to research hard-to-find answers for people, just because he's a nice guy. He sells lots of Hammond and Leslie parts on his eBay store too. 

If there's any Hammond Organ or Leslie Speaker part you can't find, give me a call. I have a huge stockpile of parts, and I just might be able to help you.

I service most of the Hammonds and Leslies in the San Diego area, in all the little gospel churches. Visit my website if you get a chance. I'll be making some changes pretty soon. www.fishorgans.com

I also just started a blog last week entitled "Confessions of a Hammond Leslie Technician." It's at www.hammondpro.blogspot.com I'm kinda new at blogging, but I'm not new at fixing Hammonds and Leslies! Let me know what you think!

God Bless You

Feeshy

Nov 19, 2008 01:35 PM
#7
jerome taylor

I got a chance to speak to Mike Casino for the first time this evening in regards to an issue with pricing for the repair of a Hammond organ and speaker!  Mr. Casino is very engaging and informative, and I left knowing a little more in regards to what to look for in a respectable Organ Technician!!   To say the least, I am impressed!!  Thanks Mike!

Apr 15, 2015 11:53 AM