Hi Frank,
I think you have just agreed with me. One of the
reasons I don't own a tron is because I live in a
fairly isloated part of the world, if something went
wrong with it, I certainly wouldn't be able to fix it
or find anyone who knew anything about one.
I play guitar, my guitar has never needed restoration,
even I can manage to tune and re string it. I am
planning to buy a piano, when it needs tuning or minor
repairs, there is a fairly local piano teacher who
will be able to fix it. A new one comes with a 10 year
garantee and most pianos will go for many years and
only need tuning.
I am convinced that the trons that have been restored
sound as good as new if not better and if I had that
kind of elctromechanical skill ( or confidence in
being able to learn it ) I would probably order one
tomorrow.
I agree with you about the M4000, the cycling
mechanism is one more thing to go wrong, although
Martin is pretty convncing and I was very tempted when
I heard one, the bass clarinet is astonishing and
would certainly annoy the hell out of the neighbours
if not cause structural damage to their house.
It's a shame that sampling doesn't work, in the end
it's only the sound that interests me, if they could
make a soild state tron which sounded as good as the
real thing I would have one, although having said that
somehow it wouldn't be quite the same even if it
sounded identical.
I think I am beginning to ramble.
Mark
---
LSF5275@... wrote:
>
> In a message dated 9/28/2007 8:22:02 P.M. Eastern
> Daylight Time,
> markpringnz@... writes:
>
> Speaking admittedly from very
> limited experience, I don't think trons are like
> some
> acoustic instruments, they don't improve with age.
>
>
> A properly restored and set up M400 is no different
> than a M4000... In fact
> (Martin, hang in there) it is probably more reliable
> in that there is less to
> go wrong. You can put the same motor in it, the
> same PML1 preamp/line amp,
> etc. The only thing you don't have is the cycling
> mechanism, which is one less
> thing to go wrong.
>
> NOW... The M-4000. Streetly has put consummate time
> and effort into squaring
> away that little gremlin. But still, the fewer the
> issues, the fewer the
> problems. Does that make sense?
>
> The Chamberlin that just sold. It can't cycle. They
> admit that. It was
> always the weakness of Harry's machines. This one
> you have to crank by hand...
> Like a Model T Ford.
>
> Imagine buying a 1959 T-bird that would not start
> with the turn of a key.
> You have to hand crank the motor.
> Bwahahahahahaha! Fuck that!
>
> Mellotrons do improve with age if we improve them.
> No, they aren't like
> pianos or guitars that develop tiny warps or subtle
> changes in the neck or in the
> sound box that may influence the sounds they produce
> over time, sometimes
> for the better. But how much better do Hammond
> organs sound over time? None...
> That's how much. They just may sound a little
> different. But no one could tell
> because the subtle changes over time are
> indiscernible. It's just that some
> Hammonds sound different from others of the same
> models. This is more likely
> due to the subtle changes in wiring and components
> over the years.
>
> What improves a Mellotron over the years is that
> someone takes one and makes
> it be all that it can be. We bring it into perfect
> alignment. We give it the
> upgrades that are available. We make our own
> improvements. We carefully
> adjust and perfect it. The end result is a
> Mellotron that sounds and performs
> far better that it did when it left the factory.
>
> I know this to be true, Jerry Korb knows this to be
> true and Streetly does
> as well. We have all made this happen, many times
> over.
>
> Frank
>
>
>
> ************************************** See what's
> new at http://www.aol.com
>
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