The red walnut/walnut veneer version of the Hammond 981 Leslie Rotary Speaker is a more powerful Leslie cabinet featuring a two-speed horn rotor coupled to a heavy duty driver and a 15" woofer firing into a bass rotor. The cabinet uses a 300-watt RMS solid-state amplifier with a vacuum tube preamplifier for tone.

The unit has 11-pin and 8-pin Leslie sockets for providing connection and onboard control of your Hammond organ. The 1/4" audio and 1/4" footswitch jacks allow for connection to other instruments without the need for an external preamplifier.

The newly designed dual-race horn bearing features a spindle base that is constructed from one piece for improved mounting straightness and rigidity. It also uses double-row bearings with deeper raceway grooves to provide a greater degree of contact between the bearings and the raceway. This design improves the radial/axial loads and balance of the instrument for lower noise levels and smoother operation.

For controls, the speaker cabinet includes knobs for master volume, bass, mid-range, treble, horn level, subwoofer level, and overdrive for tube distortion. It also includes screwdriver adjustment controls for the fall and rise times of the rotors.