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lsf5275@... wrote:
Ina message dated 4/26/2006 6:51:41 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, stevetebble@...writes:"NEWMELLOTRON MANUFACTURERSWOW! That's fantasticnews! How do we get hold of those guys as there doesn't seem like thereis anyone else that can work on them or can sell us new ones.That old standbyof bands like Barclay James Harvest and the Moody
Blues - theMellotron - is making a comeback. Sound Sales Inc. of
Connecticut,U.S.A. have taken over the Mellotron trademark and have
begun to manufacturethe instrument.
The two modelscurrently available are the 400SM and the Mk. V, with
single and dualmanual keyboards respectively. Mellotron accessories
include conversionkits with technical updates, additional tapes from
the famous "libraryof sounds" and hard shell cases."Enjoy!
________________________________________________________________________
Yeah, yeah,yeah....Haveseen that Sound Sales ad in the 1970's
first-time 'round. When I used to live in CT from 1978 to
1983, I regularly dropped-into see Bill Eberline and crew
at their three locations.At NO time, did I see ANYnew manufacturing of ANY kind
going-on. At Sherman,they had a rented oversized garage.
At South Kent, a sharedbldg. with another firm.
At Cornwall Bridge, wasprivate residence with two-car
garage as their operations.Electrical outlets ringed the
perimeter of the garage.I did see the nicely-madecabinets available during
their "technical updates."We all know very well nowadays
just what kinda mess theycaused. I and others have had
to un-do those "upgrades"and restore the Trons to
original specs/performance.Bill Eberline's expectationswere to make the 4-track
available as conversion.Never happened, as he was embroiled
in bitter divorce. Detailsin Frank's book. ONLY the 4-track
was "manufactured" inSouthbury,CT by Bomar.
And ONLY when all interestswere transferred/sold
from Eberline to BillKinney of Bomar.Bear in mind that SoundSales had 100% markup on every
M400 and MK-V arrivingstateside. UK recommended prices
were roughly $2Kfor M400 and $4K for MK-V. Sound Sales
charged $4K and $8K respectively.This, for the privilege
of covering the Novatronname and adding Mellotron atop.
And for the privilegeof "modifying" every older Tron
within their reach, andmaking infamous musical history.
Just ask Larry Fast whyhe stopped using his M400 in 1977
professionally , afterit was "serviced" by Sound Sales.After I recently fixeda multitude of (un)Sound Sales issues
with M400 #481, I was really tempted to try and contact Bill
Eberline and find-outexactly WHO was the "Einstein"
that bodged all thosehapless Mellotrons. My gracious wife
convinced me to chill,relax , get over it , and move forward.
....But still I'd liketo......GRRRRR!To those newer membersof this List, please save this email
for reference, as I'verepeated this too many times already .Cheers, --JK--