The Hammond organ is one of the most underestimated instruments for pop and rock. There is a reason why it has been around for almost a century now, as it has an unmistakable sound that can be heard in countless pieces of iconic music. From the classic Hammond B3 or C3 to the A100 series tonewheel organ, the Hammond organ covers a wide range of sounds that can be used in many genres. It’s a unique electro-mechanic instrument that produces a warm and organic tone, making it well-suited for pop and rock. The Hammond organ was popularized by artists such as Jimmy Smith, Stevie Wonder, Jackie Wilson, and The Doors. This instrument also opened up new possibilities for jazz musicians, as it enabled them to perform in clubs without needing to hire an entire band. Even today, many modern bands still use the Hammond organ in their songs, helping to create a unique sound. The Hammond organ is an incredibly versatile instrument that can be used to create various sounds and tones. Whether you’re looking for a classic vintage sound or something more modern, the Hammond organ is capable of providing both. Its ability to blend tones makes it ideal for recording and layering complex sounds, allowing producers to create something truly unique.

Here’s a nice overview of the Hammond A-100 components, viewed from the back of the organ.

Schematic of Hammond Preamp AO-28

AO-28 Capacitors

AO-28 Resistors

* These components are for AO-28-1 amplifiers with no code letter only
** These components are for H-AO-28-5 amplifiers

Since I’m an avid Wikiloops user I created a plugin for WordPress that makes it easy to embed a track on Wikiloops on any WordPress powered website. Wikiloops.com is a meeting place for musicians and music lovers.
Those who play and record an instrument are invited to collaborate by adding to each others jam tracks – and everyone else is welcome to enjoy the free music streams, or to use our backing tracks as play-alongs for home practise.

The plugin leverages the capabilities of WordPress to embed objects automatically using the oEmbed protocol. Wikiloops is not yet part of the recognized list of oEmbed providers for WordPress, and the plugin does nothing more than registering Wikiloops as a known provider, so that the automatic embedding logic also works for Wikiloops track links after installing and activating the plugin. Once the plugin is activated, a link to a Wikiloops track can be added into any post or page by putting it on a separate line by itself, or by explicitly embedding it by putting the Wikiloops jam track link between embed tags.

Here’s an example: if you insert https://www.wikiloops.com/backingtrack-jam-67141.php on a line of its own, it will render like this:
https://www.wikiloops.com/backingtrack-jam-67141.php
Alternatively, you can embed it like this: [embed]https://www.wikiloops.com/backingtrack-jam-67141.php[/embed]

The plugin that makes this all possible is called Wikiloops-Track-Player, and can be downloaded from the WordPress Plugin Directory. To install the plugin you just need to put the plugin files into the wp-content/plugins directory. Once a plugin is installed, you may activate it or deactivate it from the Plugins menu in your WP administration panel. Removal is also straight-forward. Simply remove the directory for the plugin and it will be automatically deactivated.