Eric built a functional 40% scale replica of a Leslie 122 rotary speaker, designed for guitar rather than organ. The Leslie's sound comes entirely from physics: two rotating elements physically redirect audio around the cabinet, a spinning horn assembly for highs and a rotating drum for lows. That mechanical motion is irreproducible with digital simulation, which is why the originals still command serious attention despite being room-sized and organ-specific.
The build is the interesting part. Eric started with a CAD model optimized for dimensional accuracy, sent it to a CNC machine to cut the wooden enclosure, and went through multiple finishing attempts with stains and paintbrushes before hitting the right look. Both rotating elements, the horn assembly and the bass drum, are 3D printed. Brushless motors replace the original motor hardware. The wiring was also modified to match guitar-level signal requirements rather than organ output.
The result is lighter, portable, and guitar-ready. Eric took it to other guitarists and it held up. This is not the first Leslie-inspired guitar build covered here, but it is the closest physical recreation of the 1930s-era original documented so far. The full build video runs through every decision, including the CAD choices and the finishing failures, which is where the real detail lives.
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