The Leslie was soon adopted by guitarists and swelled to popularity in the 1960s and 1970s with artists like Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd using it on their records. It was originally designed to help an electric organ sound more like an authentic pipe organ.
The rotating speaker (or Leslie) was first innovated by Donald Leslie in the late 1930s. For me personally, I like playing analog (or vintage) gear because it helps me write and get in the zone. Having a piece of tangible gear in front of you really narrows down your field of possibility and forces you to get creative with what you have. There are a sea of options with digital plugins, emulators, effects, and programs available that sometimes it’s overwhelming just to start. However, it’s imperfect and a little cooky. Note: Vintage or analog gear IS NOT better than modern, and it doesn’t make you play better. Let’s dive in and explore exactly what this is and hear what it sounds like because… I built one! I find that most musicians today have never heard of it, let alone seen one. This is one of those things that seems to have fallen into a lost ravine of history. The Leslie Rotating Speaker – a holy grail of weird and wacky vintage music gear.
