Piano World Home Page Forums Other Keyboard Instruments Organs - Electronic (B3 etc.), Pipe, Theatre, & Reed Should I buy this Hammond organ clone?

Hi, I just stumbled into a beautiful electric organ at a flea market, it's a Farfisa R250 (Italian maker). They are asking €160 for it, but I found the same model online, apparently in even better conditions, for €50 - the guy claims he is selling it for such a low price because he needs to clear out.

I play the piano (badly) but I would love to try and have fun with this little thing. Is it worth travelling 400 km back and forth to pick it up? Is it even something that can be easily lifted into my car or are these things super heavy?

Thanks!

I wouldn't recommend you the purchase. The general Farfisa sound of this series is the sound of a transistor organ, no tube sound, and not close at all to the soft, harmonic and living Hammand organ sound.
Have had a 259R, much more sounds, functions, advanced rhythm section, and especially the analog drawers to mix the organ overtones while playing and a mechanical Leslie. The most important feature of an organ, the analog drawers are not even present on the model you show interest in.
If you are a fan of old transistor organs, or interested in electronics and search for a nice piece of electronic boards for practicing and meanwhile producing sound, and if the current owner delivers it free of cost to your house, then ok. But simply transporting such huge and heavy piece, maybe moving it up the stairs to a flat, is not worth the pain. A pitty for those old instruments, but if going for any of such old pieces, then at least for a fully equipped version with minimum the drawers, and hopefully a real Leslie (not any electronic emulation of it).

Oh - that's disappointing. I don't know anything about electric organs, I just liked the look of it and thought it would be fun to play with the weird sound. I have digital pianos that simulate the electric organ sound but this looked much more charming. It would cost me about another €50 in gas and highway fees, so I guess it's not worth it. Thank you!

You should be able to find a similar organ for free. The owners will be glad you hauled it away for them.