Mellotronists

I always thought the 4 Track was a step in the right direction, with the multichannel heads 
and individual outs etc. It would be cool to see someone do a machine like the J-Tron 
appeared to be, merging thebest of Chamberlin and Mellotron technologies together 8 or 
16 track heads, wider tape...
 Could the 4 Track innards be placed in a wooden cabinet? That would be a nice 
instrument and I'm sure quieter than the dangerous Maytag.