Mellotronists

>I am going to take a look at a Mellotron M-
>400, tomorrow
>afternoon.  Since I've never played, or even touched a
>Mellotron before - I don't have a baseline to determine the
>quality of the instrument.

oof...Big question.  Best advice:  Find someone who knows these things to 
go with you.  But that's not always possible...

In addition to that which was previously mentioned, check the capstan, and 
make sure it's not bowed (very unlikely), pitted, gouged, or 
rusted.  Replacing one can be a bit of a repair bill.  Capstan bearings can 
be replaced if needed, btw.

If there's a CMC-10, you WILL be replacing it, and it WILL set you back 
several hundred bucks.

Make sure the motor is in good shape.  It shouldn't run hot, it shouldn't 
sound labored or noisy (if the belt is the right tension and the capstan 
bearings are good), and it should spin up fairly quickly and have no 
trouble making things turn.  However you will notice a pitch dive when you 
play >4 notes simultaneously if there's a CMC-10 in there, and there'll be 
lots of whine (with a CMC-10).  This should not be the case if there's an 
SMS motor controller in there.

Do all the controls work?

Tapes should rise and fall with ease if the tape path is straight.  But if 
it turns out to be an EMI M400, good luck...:-)

If the keyboard action is stiff, it could be poor adjustment.  Generally if 
the screws are way down or buried, that's what you've got.  Folks, if you 
find that you're adjusting your keyboard and continuing to drive the screws 
further down, you have another problem---back off and try again---if it's 
still horrid, there's something else wrong (pinch roller, funky head, bad 
felt, bad tape, bad tape path, missing/loose keyboard thumbscrew, etc).

Remove the keyboard and spin the pinch rollers.  If they're stiff, the 
Merbler Flick may clear that, or you may need new ones (not *too* 
expensive, fortunately).  If some felt is missing on the pressure pads or 
where the adjustment screws are, just go to American Piano Supply.  :-)

Make sure you get all the parts, including the aluminum cover to the tape 
take-up box.  Make sure all tape heads produce some sound (replacement tape 
heads are available---someone on the list probably has a few hanging 
around---although they're touchy to solder in because the wire is somewhat 
fine).

If the tapes don't look worn, aren't moldy or dirty, and appear to be in 
good shape, they may very well be usable still.  Properly stored, they can 
last quite a long time (decades).

Checking for signs of abuse was a good suggestion.

As long as the basic mechanicals and electronics are OK, everything else is 
usually minor fixits and tweaks (once you figure out the quirks of these 
machines).  However replacing the motor and motor controller can get a bit 
expensive, especially with the current exchange rate.  Add in a capstan and 
power supply, and you may as well move on to the next machine unless your 
bargaining skills are top notch.  :-)

But before purchasing a Mellotron, you must have some basic competence in 
things mechanical, as adjusting these things or tracking down a problem can 
drive you nuts.  Often times a machine that sounds like crap only needs 
some basic tweaks, but sometimes not.  If you're not good at this stuff or 
are shy about opening something up to fiddle with it, you might think twice 
or at least be sure you have a good support system before looking into an 
M400.  If screw drivers and Ohm meters baffle you, completely avoid that 
M300 or Mark II you've been pondering.  Hell---they scare *me*!  :-)

Good luck, and have fun in your adventure!

...kl...
M400 #805 - showed up with SMS-4
M400 #1037 - showed up with CMC-10, smoked motor, and mouse poop