Gregg Rolie

'When I started out in Santana, I played a Stage model Fender Rhodes 73 and a Hammond B-3 organ. I had a wah-wah pedal on the Rhodes, but that was it.'

'I started with a Yamaha CP-70 electric grand piano, a Minimoog, and the chopped B-3 organ.'

Gregg Rolie is featured on Hammond USA's official website as an artist who uses the Hammond B-3 organ.

'Later, I got one of the first Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 synthesizers, which was great because you could make your own presets.'

'I started with a Yamaha CP-70 electric grand piano, a Minimoog, and the chopped B-3 organ.'

“I’m also using a Yamaha Motif XF8 synthesizer, which I really like. It has some terrific sounds in it, unlike some other keyboards that sound a little too jazzy for my taste. To me, the Motif has more meat on its bones. It’s also a great writing tool—there’s a Hammond sound in it that’s so good, I have one set up in my studio at home and I sometimes use it instead of a real organ.”

Rolie played a Vox Continental with William Penn & His Pals, a band he joined while attending high school in California. The band had one regional hit, “Swami.”

Throughout this video, Rolie can be seen playing a Fender Rhodes Mark I Suitcase 73 Piano with Santana in 1970.

In this video, Rolie can be seen playing a Fender Rhodes Mark I Stage 73 with Santana in 1971. He had been playing a suitcase model one year earlier in 1970.

In this video, Rolie can be seen playing a Hammond C-3 organ with Santana in 1971.