Thank you Chris. I just think with this stuff that there were SO few of them made originally (apparently only about 100 Chamberlin 200's), that to let one die is to actually affect the "survival of the species" as a whole. It's not like with a roland or something. First of all, I think the average joe with a schematic and a soldering iron could build most roland keyboards. Mellotrons, Chamberlins and the like are much more obscure in their workings. PLus, I just have a hard time imagining a world where we were down to the last handful of known alpha juno synthesizers. When it comes to Chamberlins, or even Mellotrons, its so much different. I mean, I own 1% of the Chamberlin 200's in the world, and that's assuming that none of them have been destroyed. Yet look at the importance of the instrument. I'm rambling, but I would think that everyone on this list can feel the, and I know this sounds corny, but, the magic of playing such a wonderful and rare bird of an instrument as a mellotron or chamberlin. Can everyone tell that I'm kind of excited to have joined this group?
Max
-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Dale <
chris.dale@...>
Sent: Dec 8, 2003 4:56 PM
To: maxwellhiller <
maxwellhiller@...>,
Mellotronists <
mellotronists@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: [Mellotronists] Re: Chamberlin 200
Hello Max:
Welcome to our group, and congratulations on your purchase. I must tell you
I was in a similar situation several years ago.
I picked up a double manual mellotron that was in just the same if not worse
condition as the Ebay Chamberlin you bought. It was filled with dirt, mold,
mouse crap, rust, corrosion, was totally out of adjustment, came in several
pieces and in any sane man's view probably should have been left on it's
journey to the dumpster. It became a very questionable project to say the
least, and I struggled very much with that machine. I'm talking tears of
frustration!
Nevertheless I renovated it (with help from some members of this list) to
pretty much original spec. and I can reassure you from personal experience
that with enough enthusiasm, time and effort, your machine will sing again.
It's well worth the effort in my opinion to keep these wonderful machines
going. Mellotrons, Chamberlins, Optigans, Orchestrons etc all have a certain
indescribable charm to them and I don't think it's a waste of time restoring
them.
Good luck
Chris
----- Original Message -----
From: "maxwellhiller" <maxwellhiller@...>
To: <Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, December 08, 2003 4:56 PM
Subject: [Mellotronists] Re: Chamberlin 200
> That would be the same beat to hell little chamberlin on ebay. You
> know, I figured it would be one of my only opportunities to have
> one. I shelled out $2500 for my M400, and that was probably the last
> time in a long time that I will be able to pay that much for an
> instrument, let alone the $6000 that I've seen other chamberlins go
> for. I happen to have an absolute genius of a tech, and I'm willing
> to take on some pretty wild stuff just for the hell of it (I live in
> chicago, grew up in minnesota, and know that a winter without a
> project is a hard winter). I will not only keep this group updated
> on my progress, I will probably be asking for some advice along the
> way.
>
> Max
>
> --- In Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com, "jonesalley" <jonesalley@s...>
> wrote:
> > So,would that be the forlorn little Chamberlin that just sold for
> > $370.00 on eBay? If so, it looks like you have acquired a pretty
> > ambitious project - I hope you can share the tales of the
> restoration
> > with us.
> >
> > Jon E Salley
> > M400 #886
>
>
>
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