The following text was kindly sent to me by Mr. Harvey Olsen, Chicago, U.S.A. I have not altered the text except for the formatting.

LESLIE CABLE COLORS/CONNECTIONS
By Harvey Olsen. ©1994-2006

 

SIX-PIN SYSTEMS - Don Leslie adopted Hammond's six-pin tone cabinet wiring in 1940 because it was easier to connect 30A Leslie Speakers to early Hammond organs.  As additional Leslie models were developed for other organs, notably Wurlitzer and Conn, six-pin plugs and sockets were retained.  Six conductor cables are interchangeable but the three 6-pin Leslie types are not! Input connections and channeling differ - using an incorrect Leslie type is hazardous plus the speaker will not function properly.

PIN COLOR HAMMOND [6H] WURLITZER/UNIVERSAL [6W] CONN/TWO-CHANNEL [6C]
1     Black INPUT [Balanced] SIGNAL GROUND SIGNAL GROUND
2 Yellow SIGNAL/DC GROUND TREMOLO RELAY COIL TREMOLO RELAY COIL
3 Gray AC POWER IN AC POWER IN AC POWER IN
4 Blue AC POWER IN  AC POWER IN AC POWER IN/
TREMOLO RELAY COIL
5  Brown B+ [Approx.300VDC] TREMOLO RELAY COIL    CHANNEL TWO INPUT [Unbalanced]
6 Red  INPUT [Balanced] SIGNAL INPUT [Unbalanced] CHANNEL ONE INPUT [Unbalanced]

HAMMOND (6H) - Includes Models: 30A, 30C, 31A, 31H, 21E, 21H, 22H, 22R, 122, 122R, 122V, 122RV, 142, 142A, 222, 222RV, 242, 122A-T and current 122A and 122NA. (Early "30" series models below serial number 5200 have no provision to isolate DC control voltages and can not be used with 6H-type hookups unless their power amps are upgraded to later specs.)

WURLITZER/UNIVERSAL (6W) - Includes Models: 31W (except very early version), 44W, 46W, 25, 45, 47, 47R, 110, 112, 114, 116, 120, 120C, 125, 225, 145, 145A, 147, 147V, 147RV, 245, 247, 247RV, and current 147A and 147NA.  (Spinet-type Leslies without power amps have their speaker(s) connected directly to pins 1 and 6.)
CONN/TWO-CHANNEL (6C) - Includes Models: 50C, 55C, 51C, 51, 251, and 351 (no current model).  Model 55C has no tremolo relay and pin 2 is not connected.  (Tremolo control for Model 55C is accomplished by switching audio channels at the organ.) 

Note: "Wurlitzer" and "Conn" brand designations were dropped in later years.  These Leslie types are now used with many different organ makes and models including Hammond.
FIVE-TO-SIX- PIN HAMMOND SYSTEM - This configuration was originally used to connect Hammond tone cabinets to Hammond Organs.  It was also used to "daisy-chain" early Hammond series (21H, 22H, etc.) Leslies together and connect to Hammond-type (6H) Leslie models to later self-powered Hammond consoles with 8000 series connector kits and five-pin sockets at the console. 
FIVE PIN PLUG COLOR SIX PIN SOCKET HAMMOND-TYPE [6H] LESLIE MODEL ONLY Note:  The five-to-six-pin system is not applicable to early Hammond console hookups and Leslie connector kits that require DC (B+) from the tone cabinet for preamp power or motor control.  It also cannot be used with Wurlitzer/Universal (6W) or Conn/Two-Channel (6C) Leslie models.    
1 Black 1 INPUT [Balanced]
2 Gray 3 AC POWER IN
3 [Shield]   2 SIGNAL/DC GROUND
4 Blue  4 AC POWER IN
5 Red 6 INPUT [Balanced]
- -none-  5 NO CONNECTION

 

HAMMOND SEVEN-PIN SYSTEMS – These are later, multichannel Hammond tone cabinet hookups, and not used for connecting Leslies.  However, some Leslie connector kits pick up signal and AC power from the console tone cabinet socket, so they are listed here for reference.

Series 10 Tone Cabinets

Pin

Function

Note:

 1

 2

 3

 4

 5

 6

 7

Chan One Input

- no connection -

Mains AC

Signal Ground

Mains AC

- no connection -

Chan Two Input

Series 10 tone cabinets were Hammond’s last serious attempt to discourage the sale of Leslie Speakers for later multi channel organs.  It was mostly unsuccessful, but a number of these cabinets were sold.  Series 10 cabinets were originally intended for the H-100 series but later used with E-100s and some spinet models.  These cabinets were produced in various finishes and trim to match specific consoles but are identical internally.  They are two-channels in with a third bass channel common to both inputs.  When used with single channel organs, pins 1 and 7 are paralleled.  Series 10 cabinets do not have reverb or other animation, and are not recommended for early or current model Hammonds.

 (Captain Foldback's note: The graphic on the right is from a Danish brochure describing the control panel on the back of the cabinet. If you want to read more about the Series 10 cabinet, click on the graphic.)

 

Series 12 Tone Cabinets

Pin

Function

Note:

 1

 2

 3

 4

 5

 6

 7

Tibia “A” (drawbar) Input  

Tibia “B” (drawbar) Input  

Mains AC

Signal Ground

Mains AC

Tab Voices Input 

Reverb Signal Input 

Series 12 tone cabinets were for Hammond X-66 Consoles only. Only a single model was available, so this is technically not a “series.”  In spite of the Leslie-like styling, Series 12 cabinets are basically a stationary four-channel system with a fifth bass channel common to all inputs except Tibia “B.”       

 

NINE PIN SYSTEMS - Nine conductor cables were used with various nine-pin Leslie types including the more popular single and two chan­nel models listed below.  However, only the ground (pin 1) and AC input (pins 8 and 9) are consistent in nine-pin Leslie types.  Other nine-pin Leslies are multi channel and their pin connections and functions differ.  They are not interchange­able with the models listed below and, in most cases, each other.
PIN COLOR Models: 760, 770, 825, 825U, 830, 900, 900U, 910, 925, 950, and two-chan­nel models 700 and 710.
1 Black SIGNAL/DC GROUND
2 Red ROTARY CHANNEL INPUT
3 Yellow NO CONNECTION
4 Orange STATIONARY CHAN. INPUT [Model 700, 710 only] -
AUX CONTROL [Models 900, 910, 925, 950]
5 Green DC OUTPUT [+28VDC] ((For Combo Preamp II))
6 White FAST MOTOR CONTROL [Grounding pin 6 turns on tremolo motors]
7 Violet SLOW MOTOR CONTROL [Grounding pin 7 turns on chorale motors]
8 Gray AC POWER IN
9 Blue AC POWER IN

 

Other Nine Pin Leslie Types - Nonstandard multichannel channel, nine-pin Leslie models are:

 Model 350 (selected Conn models)

Models 100GK, 101, 102, 103 (Gulbransen, selected Lowrey theatre models)

Models 257, 258, 300, 301 (selected Thomas models)

Models 202, 202S, 212S (selected Wurlitzer models)

Models 205, 610 (Hammond H-100 and R-100 series, various other two and three channel organs)

Model 600 (various two and three channel organs but not Hammond)

Models: 610 and 205 (Of the above, only the electrically identical 610 and 205 were used with Hammond.)    
PIN COLOR Models 610 and 205
1 Black SIGNAL/DC GROUND
2 Red DC OUTPUT [+125VDC]
3 Yellow LOWER DRUM CHANNEL INPUT [Amplifier 4]
4 Orange BASS CHANNELS INPUT [Amplifier 2]
5 Green UPPER DRUM CHAN INPUT [Amplifier 1 and 3]
6 White LOWER DRUM CONTROL [Grounding pin 6 switches amp 4 from lower drum speaker to stationary 6X9 speaker]
7 Violet UPPER DRUM CONTROL [Grounding pin 7 switches upper speed from fast to slow]
8 Gray AC POWER IN
9 Blue AC POWER IN

 

ELEVEN PIN SYSTEM - All later and current Leslie designs have eleven conductor cables.  Current UL, CSA, and other standards no longer allow AC power to supplied from the console so connecting cables supply only signal and control voltages.  11-pin Leslies have separate power cords and are, for most part, electrically interchangeable.
PIN COLOR Models: 740 and 750 (typical).  Not all pins are connected in Leslie models with fewer channels or features.
1 Brown ROTARY CHAN INPUT [All except specialized models without the rotary feature]
2 Red MAIN CHAN/NON-ROTARY INPUT [Leslie models with two or more channels]
3 Orange AUXILIARY #1 INPUT [Leslie models with three or more channels]
4 Yellow SIGNAL/DC GROUND [Pin 4 and 5 usually wired together at the organ]
5 Green CONTROL SUPPLY COMMON
6 Blue CONTROL CIRCUIT COMMON [Switching pin 6 to pin 5 turns Leslie on]
7 Violet FAST MOTOR CONTROL [Switching pin 7 to ground turns on tremolo]
8 Gray SLOW MOTOR CONTROL [Switching pin 8 to ground turns on chorale]
9 White EXTERNAL SPEED ADJUST [Never implemented, pin 9 is usually no connection]
10 Black   AUXILIARY #2 INPUT [Four channels models only]
11 White/Black +24VDC OUTPUT [For preamp power or Leslie "sensing" circuits in some organs]
TWELVE PIN SYSTEM - Only special purpose Leslie models intended for Hammond X-77 and X-77GT organs have 12-pin plugs and sockets.   Twelve pin connectors were used with standard nine conductor cables to prevent these Leslies from being used for other applications.  They are electrically similar to the multi channel, solid-state, 9-pin models from the 60s and 70s.  
PIN
 COLOR Models X-77L and X-77P
1 Black SIGNAL/DC GROUND
2 Red ROTARY CHANNEL INPUT
3 Yellow NON-ROTARY INPUT [Channelling determined by tab settings at the organ]
4 Orange BASS-CHANNEL INPUT
5 Green NON-ROTARY INPUT  [Channelling determined by tab settings at the organ]
6 White TREMOLO GENERATOR INPUT
[Channelling determined by tab settings at the organ]
7   Violet TREMOLO/CELESTE CONTROL
[Grounding pin 7 switches rotor to slow and vibrato amplifier channelling]
8 -none- N/C
9 Gray AC POWER IN
10 -none- N/C
11 Blue AC POWER IN
12 -none- N/C