From don@till.com Fri Dec 2 02:19:04 1994 Date: Thu, 1 Dec 1994 21:14:14 -0800 From: Don Tillman To: andrea@sihp03.si.estec.esa.nl Cc: analogue@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu Subject: -- Mellotron -- From: Andrea TONI Date: Wed, 30 Nov 94 9:46:47 MET This week-end I'm going to have a look at a Mellotron and I really hope that one of the dreams of my life will became true .. Since I'm not very familiar with all the series I would like the advise of some expert .(Don ?? Tom ??) Sure, ask away. The only thing I seems to remember is that there are 400 400 MKII and Birotron (Wakeman Tormato .. I believe very rare to find ) The guy doesn't have any documentation and I would like to go there with a bit of solid backgruond .. enlightme please .. There are actually about a dozen models, but the M400 is by far the most popular one, for pretty clear reasons. The Mark Vail article (May '91 Keyboard magazine and reproduced in his book _Vintage Synthesizers_) covers things pretty well. Dave Kean is the Mellotron master guru. He runs Mellotron Archives, which supplies manuals, parts (he actually bought out the old factory!), custom tapes, tee-shirts, advice, publishes a newsletter, and has produced two videotapes describing the sounds and the workings of these beasts. The "Workings" videotape is real good. This man has singlehandedly redefined the word 'fanatic'. You can get hold of him thusly; Mellotron Archives 721 Michael Moses Lake, Washington 98837 USA 509 765-6451 -- How much should I pay suppose is in reasonably good shape ? Depends on the model. I bought one M400 in great shape for $800 about 3 1/2 years ago, and one in absolutely horrible shape for $400 about a year ago. Both were very good deals. Dave has had some completely reconditioned 'Trons available for $2000. Patrick Moraz was selling a Mark V for $8000 with a letter of authenticity, but I doubt he got that much for it. Those are USA dollars. Lessee, over there they'd probably cost 14000 pfennigs or so. -- What should I check (typically defective parts or malfunction) ? Everything! -- How difficult is to find new tapes ? Easy, thanks to Dave. Impossible otherwise. -- I seems to remember white chassis and brown (wood) chassis .. differences please .. The color. :-) The M400 usually came in white, occasionally in black, very occasionally in teak. The Mark II came in some brown woody furniture-looking finish. The Mark V came in black. -- Don "My favorite sounds are eight seconds long"