Mellotronists

pduclie wrote:
> hi there everyone
> i found this group after searching the web for anything to do with 
> mellotrons and found a link here from ken leonards web site. thanks 
> ken. (if youre here)
> my name is pete dulcester and i live in the lake district in the north 
> of england.

Welcome on board, Pete.

> im a kind of "jobbing musician", playing in a couple of 
> bands here and there and generally making music my hobby for these 
> last thirty years or so. my instrument of choice is the hammond c3 (i 
> have 2 of them)

Very nice!

> and the fender rhodes of which i have three.

Also very nice!

> the reason ive joined in is because ive suddenly found myself owning a 
> pair of quite large mellotrons.

Now it's not just nice...you're a lucky bastard!

> its a really long story how it got to 
> this but the short story is that i was given them by a friend whose 
> brother had died and whose house was needing cleared of his stuff. 
> knowing i play music he handed me over these keyboards without knowing 
> what they were. i knew about mellotrons from the old days but never 
> expected to see one or play one. now i have 2!

Wow!

> ive looked all over the web for pictures and lt looks like i have a 
> 400 and a 5. the 400 is in quite clean nick but wont start up when i 
> try it. there is a set of tapes in it and another set in a dirty flat 
> black suitcase which i assume was built to carry them. comparing 
> pictures and machine it looks like it is missing a drive belt and has 
> a foot-shaped hole in the front panelling where it looks like someone 
> lost his temper with it!

LOL!  That could be one of hundreds of 70s keyboard players -- except 
Wakeman.  Had it been his it would have gone up in smoke.

> the 5 is in a worse state with the plastic covering peeling away from 
> it and the wood from the casing warping. the 400 was stored in a 
> cupboard but the 5 was stored in a covered outhouse that got damp. 
> there are no tapes in the 5 and the metalwork looks either dirty or 
> rusty.

At least they didn't wind up in somebody's chicken shack.

> so i have questions for you all. first how much effort would it be to 
> renovate them? im thinking time and expense mainly even just 
> approximately. the other question is whether or not they would be 
> saleable in this current condition? are there mellotron breakers yards 
> anywhere in the uk? (joke)
> thanks for listening to a newcomer
> 
> pete

You've come to exactly the right place.  You want to talk the the 
gents from Streetly, who hang out here.  They'll no doubt be chiming 
in soon.
-- 
Cheers,
SDM -- a 21st century schizoid man
Systems Theory internet music project links:
soundclick <www.soundclick.com/systemstheory>
garageband <http://www.garageband.com/artist/systemstheory>
"Soundtracks For Imaginary Movies" CD released Dec 2004
"Codetalkers" CD coming end of 2005
NP: nothing


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