Mellotronists

So, I'm cleaning up 1407 and adjusting the keyboard.  Last night I was
grinding down pinch rollers and cleaning them to get everything
spinning freely and grabbing tapes properly.  

After doing about 12 or so (the ones that were sluggish or sticking) I
decided to put everything back together and see how it was working.  I
reassembled and installed the keyboard and found that the tapes were
playing beautifully on the left side of the keyboard - no wobblies,
but when I got to the right half of the keyboard, every other key was
producing no sound.  

I found that if I really screwed down the pad arms, that the problem
keys toward the center of the keyboard would produced faint sound, and
if I backed off the pinch roller and readjusted the pad arm, I could
get the sound pretty much in line with the left had side of the
keyboard, but toward the right side of the keyboard, I'd get nothing.

Since this was occurring with every other key, I soon figured out that
it was the back row of playback heads on the head block that
corresponded to the problem keys.  It seems for some reason that these
heads are not getting proper contact from the pressure pads. 
Everything was fine before I did this, except for the wobblies.  

I'm wondering if there's some way that I'm not getting the keyboard
assembly to seat properly. The only other thing I can think of that
might possibly have something to do with this is that I placed a 1/4"
shim between the right hand wooden upright of the main frame and the
little stop or shelf piece attached to the side of the cabinet which
the frame rests on.  I did this to help bring the motor into alignment
which eliminated almost all the noise that the drive system was making.  

I guess it's possible that this had some effect on keyboard/headblock
alignment, but it seems unlikely to me.  Has anyone seen this behavior
before or have any ideas, or does this just speak to my character?

thanks,
john barrick

>After doing about 12 or so (the ones that were sluggish or sticking) I
>decided to put everything back together and see how it was working.  I
>reassembled and installed the keyboard and found that the tapes were
>playing beautifully on the left side of the keyboard - no wobblies,
>but when I got to the right half of the keyboard, every other key was
>producing no sound.

oo! oo!  I know this one!!!

Do you hear a metal clink if you tap the keys or play them quickly?

Got those metal bars on the underside of the keyboard across the 
pressure pads, the thing that looks like a fence?

With the keyboard in the machine, put your hands on either side of 
the keyboard about where the pressure pads are and bend this 
fence...I forget if it's up toward the keyboard or down toward the 
tapes (I always forget this, and right now I'm too sleepy to go 
check).  That bar often prevents the pressure pad from reaching the 
head, and you get a clink.  Adjust to where it's playable.

Streetly just removes that bar that looks like a fence.  (They prefer 
bars that look more like pubs.)  So if bending it up or down doesn't 
work, try unscrewing it and leaving it off.  I guess it's there as a 
resting bar for the pressure pads, but if it's not bent the right 
way, it can cause exactly what you are experiencing.

...kl...
M400 #805 - oh, as if you're right about this guess...
M400 #1037 - not a chance...

** Ken Leonard - Web Table of Contents:  http://www.kleonard.com
** Get Outdoors New England:  http://www.GONewEngland.org

Ken, that is ... CORRECT! (I'll take tape replay for $400, Alex).  
Thanks much for your response - I had no idea that you could remove the 
"fence", though I guess that makes sense as nothing really seems to be 
attached to it.  I'd like to thank everyone for their help with this - 
Jerry, Martin, Doug, Frank, and Ken.

john

PS - I learned a very valuable lesson tonight, also.  DO NOT USE RUBBER 
REJUVENATOR IN THE HOUSE!!!  Wives do not like this



Ken Leonard wrote:

>> After doing about 12 or so (the ones that were sluggish or sticking) I
>> decided to put everything back together and see how it was working.  I
>> reassembled and installed the keyboard and found that the tapes were
>> playing beautifully on the left side of the keyboard - no wobblies,
>> but when I got to the right half of the keyboard, every other key was
>> producing no sound.
>>     
>
> oo! oo!  I know this one!!!
>
> Do you hear a metal clink if you tap the keys or play them quickly?
>
> Got those metal bars on the underside of the keyboard across the 
> pressure pads, the thing that looks like a fence?
>
> With the keyboard in the machine, put your hands on either side of 
> the keyboard about where the pressure pads are and bend this 
> fence...I forget if it's up toward the keyboard or down toward the 
> tapes (I always forget this, and right now I'm too sleepy to go 
> check).  That bar often prevents the pressure pad from reaching the 
> head, and you get a clink.  Adjust to where it's playable.
>
> Streetly just removes that bar that looks like a fence.  (They prefer 
> bars that look more like pubs.)  So if bending it up or down doesn't 
> work, try unscrewing it and leaving it off.  I guess it's there as a 
> resting bar for the pressure pads, but if it's not bent the right 
> way, it can cause exactly what you are experiencing.
>
> ...kl...
> M400 #805 - oh, as if you're right about this guess...
> M400 #1037 - not a chance...
>
> ** Ken Leonard - Web Table of Contents:  http://www.kleonard.com
> ** Get Outdoors New England:  http://www.GONewEngland.org
>
>
>
>  
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>