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Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Price of Mellotron in 1972

From: tronbros <tronbros@aol.com>
Date: 2010-06-16

The artists in the UK that liked their 'trons and those that didn't are split into two camps; those that dealt with the factory and those that dealt with London head orifice.  BJH, ELO, OMD, Greenslade, Macca and many more loved the tron because Les Bradley and team gave excellent service.  Wakeman, Banks and others used London and became jaundiced.  Plus very few owners ever had them serviced and then blamed the instrument!  Of course, in the USA you were right royally shortchanger by Gary S and Sound Sales who should never have been allowed near a mellotron.

Secondly, Jonsi, Weller, The Kooks, BJH, Jean Michel Jarre, Julian Cope and others still tour with 'trons and this not for effect, it's because they love the sound and their instruments are RELIABLE! 

Finally, most M400s we see for the first time have not been touched since being manufactured. It's easy to criticise mellotrons but electro mechanical devices need regular servicing yet most were left to struggle on and the bad reputation was born.

Alive and well and in Copenhagen,

Martin

 



 

Sent from my iPad

On 16 Jun 2010, at 04:06, Gary Brumm <gabru@comsec.net> wrote:

 

Come on Chris, you don’t really believe that do you.  Seriously….many the people who made the instrument famous could afford

a boatload of these things IF THEY WANTED THEM…..THEY DON’T!  Tony Banks, Robert Fripp, Rick Wakeman, ect. can afford

any instruments they want….they chose to replace the Mellotrons and never looked back.  Most are on record of “hating those damn things”.

There is still a very limited market of collectors and musicians but you are more likely to see one on stage with a lower budget act “showing it off”

than headlining talent with the budget for several as spares.  They are a fascinating piece of musical history and I l oved the sound the first time I heard it so don’t get me wrong….I appreciate it for what it is and was.  Musicians are much more likely to carry around the much heavier Hammond/Leslie combo than a tron and many still do….and the cost of the equipment is about the same or more in some cases.  A B3/Leslie is also standard equipment in many more studios than a tron.  I’m not trying to start a flame war but I’ve been around this stuff since the early 70’s (ok late 60’s J) as I am sure many of you on this list have been so I am speaking only from my experiences and YMMV J…

Cheers!



Studio ownership of Mellotrons also explains why many bands that used the Mell otron back then don't use them now - they never owned them to begin with.




On Wed, Jun 16, 2010 at 12:47 AM, John Wright <john.wright@consona.com> wrote:

 

 

Wonder how one could afford a Tron then.  Did studios buy them and lease them?

 

John

#911

 

From: newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com] On Behalf Of partune
Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2010 10:34 AM
To: newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Price of Mellotron in 1972

 

Seeing all the posts about the price of the Tron on eBay, I've a copy of a letter I received in 1972 from DMI quoting a price on a new M400 as $3,500.00.

Regards,
partune