Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: Mellotronists

 

mark kasian wrote:

It's not an assumption. It's a fact- ONE guy stepped
up to the plate with a 50,000.00 investment to rescue
the tapes from a leaking attic in Sutton Coldfield.
The main parts inventory was headed for a dump in
Destin Florida. BOTH of the previous companies had
gone BANKRUPT trying to support the old instruments.

Woulda, shoulda, coulda isn't worth a shilling, but
you have to give credit (yes even you Martin) to the
guy for trying something so risky just for the love of
the instrument.

He did the same thing for the Gleeman Pentaphonic, ran
a huge demographic study and supplied the early
prototypes for the Moog Vogager, financed the initial
run of 200e modules from Buchla, rescued the Emu
document archive from a trash heap. Where is the FIRST
portable synth (EMS Putney)? Calgary. Rolling Stones
Moblie? Calgary. ALL at a NON-profit studio for ANYONE
to use.

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All this info is well-known , Mark  . Anybody who's chattedwith and met
DK in the "earlier" years  knows of his selfless efforts tokeep legacies alive
of the misc. intruments mentioned.  But it's good that youinform some
newer members of our List, hopefully without alienating/angering others .

Important thing to remember is that all that financial outlay ofDK's in late 1980's
needs some return on investment .  The free/cheap parts fromDK in the beginning
gave way to real monetary concerns .  No way in hell could I shell-out
$50K and let it languish.   What began as a "hobby" inMoses Lake, WA,
gave-way to an international business of preserving,displaying andnow building Trons.
.....No spin there......

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We alienated the wrong crew on this list and if you
and John had NEVER met or if Les hadn't passed away,
he and Kean would probably still be friends. And don't
give me a bunch of grief about "stirring up the pot"
here kids...JK, Markus and Martin are spinning the
topic to their own ends, this MY 2 bits. I am saying
it because DK is sitting on BAGS of red lense caps, MK
II front plates, knobs, blah blah blah and the guys on
this list have made that stuff un-available to us with
such a lack of TOLERANCE, respect, humor and a blind
disregard of the FACTS.

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I don't see a spin in stating my observations of  loosely threaded
longer MA tapes on older M400 frames .  As mentioned, there
was no inference that anyone in the MA organization was the reason.
....The customers/end-users themselves .

If Dave Kean  is stockpiling those needed parts mentioned,
(add to that all those Bulgin M400/MK-V knobs and M400 front plates
removed during Sound Sales "enhancements") ,  any  RFQ's  should be
answered  from all potential customers/owners.

We're all maxed-out on tape-heads right now.....

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Thank God for the stuff that has been written down
elsewhere because the empirical body of knowledge that
Terry Kelley, Steve Frothingham, Brian Kehew, Gary
Hahlbeck, Jim Herbst, Jim Blair, Damon Fox, Ron
Skinner and DK could have brought to this list will
forever be lost now. Pity.  --  Mark.

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With the exception of Jimmy Herbst and Ron Skinner,
I've had pleasant email chats with all the above in the last
8-9 years. You forgot Robert A. Laughton , who produced some M400
control panels,decals and bronze models back then.  Anotherdedicated follower
of the Moses Lake gang . And who sold me "Julia" in 1998.
A casual exchange of tech-info,anecdotes, some humorous
tales, etc.  None of the same old banter I keep hearing fromthe same people.

In fact, I  received a very nice,sincere detailed message
from Dave Kean on March-08-2006.  I respectfully asked aboutJimmy Herbst
(who passed-away in 2003) , as I have his MK-II here for some R&R.

No animosity, no barbs, no cynicism, and no spin  whatsoeverfrom Dave.
Quite different from the stuff slingshot from a select  fewon this List,
towards people who follow their own paths for decades and will never
have a mansion, Bentley, Learjet (or WANT TO)  for their efforts.
.....One Tron at a time back to life , and maybe a LITTLE thanksof
recognition for all the selfless effort/research , should suffice.

David Jacques'  follow-up summary says it quite well. Many thanks,David.

I see no  need to defend/justify my 38 year love for the Mellotron
any further.   !Viva Mellotron !

--Jerry Korb (w.flak jacket just in case)