leslie 16 discovery

lukedlb

After fixing a few issues in the leslie (speaker mounted badly on top of a screw; now mounted directly on said screw. Dodgy soldering on the input jack fixed too), I still wasn't convinced. Leslie 16s have to deal with cabinet and baffle distortion on high volume. They produce their own sustain and therefore drive. It makes the leslie very limited. I went to bed thinking that most leslie 16/vibratone were powered by fender amps. As they tend to have mid scoop tones, I tested the theory with an MXR EQ pedal. Ok, but not great. I took a great deal more adjusting to find the right character that brought out the best of the rotary effect. Sustain remained without the distortion. I added spring reverb and the leslie came alive.
I don't quite know how to describe the sustain and drive it sonically produces as opposed to amp-produces; perhaps something similar to a controlled feedback where the note is thrown and returns to itself as the rotary spins, recapturing itself..... see? it's difficult to describe.
I further adjusted it to a two amp setup where it added lush and trembling silkiness.

It means the leslie stays and the kelly amp powering it is no longer up for sale. It fits perfectly on top.

Summary:

A Leslie 16 requires a dedicated EQ and reverb beyond that offered by an amp. A clean amp with headroom as the leslie will produce its own sustain/distortion.