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Subject: [Mellotronists] Quality

From: John Hofmeyer <j_hofmeyer@...>
Date: 2004-02-19

How do you know when it is bed time in Neverland?

...when the big hand touches the small hand.

Seriously,

I agree that 'the best' is what any discerning
consumer should strive for. This is why I am seeking
a mellotron. I am, however, willing to find one in a
state of disrepair and have it worked to optimal
specifications.

Of course, there are always folks that will advertise
that they are the ideal choice. Take a look at the
various posts for 'guitar player available' (...not on
Ebay, but on any given online posting service...)

I was out one night with a good friend of mine who is
a professional guitar player. We were having drinks
in my nieghborhood and met a musician in his early
20's that claimed that he was the best guitar player
in the entire San Francisco Bay area.

Obviously - he was full of shit.

So, we called him to the carpet. When last call came
around at 1:30 am (...too damn early in my
opinion...), I offered to take him to my studio and
jam with myself (on drums) and my buddy on guitar.
Since this kid was 'the best' - he was obliged to
accept.

He wasn't the best. He knew how to play - but his
cockiness would have been in the way of most musicians
that he met.

I guess that those who have an eye for quality and are
discerning enough to know the difference between the
good, great, best and mediocre - they can tell by the
claims of those who provide their services in the same
manner.

Since I do a lot of shopping/browsing online, I've
learned how to sort out the wanna-be's from those who
really know their shit. I work with a tube-amp guy,
here in San Francisco that is often overlooked because
he doesn't have a big name (eg. Gary Brawer). His
work is exceptional - both in rebuilding amplifiers
and building guitars & basses (...damn good wood
working, in my opinion...). Wayne is great - very
professional and highly opinionated.

Although, last night I met a dude that works at
Euphonix (mixing board company in the SF Bay area)
that builds his own, lower power tube amps.... but
that's an entirely different subject...

Anyhow - the message is always in the subtext. If the
consumer is quick to respond to 'marketing flash',
then they probably aren't going to buy/maintain a
mellotron in the first place.

...So, I have a question - for those of you with
external amplifiers, what do you run your mellotron
through? I'd suspect that a bass rig would be
appropriate (...I run my clav. and Rhodes through a
Traynor head...)

-jh


--- jonesalley <jonesalley@...> wrote:
> Know why Michael Jackson likes twenty nine
> year-olds?
>
> 'Cuz there's TWENTY of them!
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