Mellotronists

Donald Tillman wrote:
> Economics 101: If that were true, the price of Mellotrons would be
> significantly higher than they were in their heyday.  Yet they're
> about the same price; significantly cheaper if you account for
> inflation.  So no, demand is not outstripping supply.
>   
I may be wrong, but you are probably not the p;erson to ask about this. 
Messrs Smith, Bradley and Kean probably are. I wonder what their opinion 
would be. I know what two of them would say, and it is in contrast to 
what you think. How many Mk II Mellotrons are there about? How many 
people would like one? How many people cannot get one? If the answer to 
the last quiestion is greater than zero then your argument is rendered 
nonsensical.

>    > Clones feed peoples' desire for the real thing. 
>
> I see absolutely nothing to indicate that.  
>   

Me neither, and that seems to negate your earlier assessment. If they 
don't want the real thing then surely that means that the clones fill 
that niche and hence are as good as their 'real' counterparts for that 
purpose.

> At the same time digital samplers are the main reason that the
> keyboard companies are no longer making tonewheel organs, electric
> pianos, electric clavichords, etc.  
>   
That's just such utter tosh! The Hammond is the reason why no one is 
making the Teleharmonium any more. Am I weeping about this? I think not. 
This is an evolutionary process. The Mellotron has obviously come 
through this.Why? Because people want *that sound*. It has -fuck all- to 
do with the mechanism by which that sound is created, but nearly 
everything to do with the sound itself. A denial of that leaves me 
wondering why peope want to hear the instrument at all.

> And digital samplers have also completely halted the development of
> new and more interesting keyboard instrument technologies.
>   
Such as what?

-- 

Mike Dickson (tron@...) M400 #996
The Official Cynic of Streetly Electronics
Streetly Sample Library http://www.blackcat.demon.co.uk/tron/