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In search of a Mellotron...

2003-06-02 by Tim Clark

Hey all,

While I was in college, I ended up getting my hands on a WurliTzer EP-
200 for free! Some guy had it on his sidewalk to go out with the
trash...Needed some TLC, and that's exactly what I've been doing
lately...

Since the wurly is almost finished (and coming out damn fine I might
add), I'm looking to continue my keyboard restoration with either a
Hammond organ (probably an M3) or a 'Tron. But, again, being right
out of college, my budget is really tight.

Has anybody had any luck finding a Mellotron cheap? The external and
mechanical condition doesn't matter much to me, as long as the
electronics are in working shape (I haven't been brave enough to
tackle a project like that yet). Just wondering if I should
extinguish all hope of finding a cheap working 'Tron...

-Tim

Re: In search of a Mellotron...

2003-06-02 by jamierob54

I can only relate my first-hand experience: I waited for years,
encouraged by people saying things like "yup - they turn up
occasionally and can be had for a reasonable sum if you find the
right situation." Well, I guess I don't run with the right crowd,
cause the only ones I ever saw turn up were on eBay and they almost
always went for top dollar - it's the nature of eBay.

I finally got one (via eBay) last January, and paid top dollar of
course (you can probably look it up) - with absolutely no regrets.
When all is said and done, after I finish restoring it, it will have
cost more than if I had just bought a refurbished unit from Streetly
(less shipping), but it was the process as much as the instrument
itself that I was looking for.

The good news is that they don't appear to be going down in value.

Good luck. -Jamie

RE: [Mellotronists] Re: In search of a Mellotron...

2003-06-02 by Pishock, Jimmy

Ebay has "ruined" the chances of getting something cheap (total sellers market if you got something folks are willing to pay for). Before, one just had to put an add in the local paper or "Trade-In-Times" and hope for the best. Typically, you had to sell it cheap, too. As a result, back in 1994, I was able to get my Mellotron with 3 full racks in perfect conditions for only $700.00 (except for a blown fuse). The guy was just sick of looking at it in his basement and couldn't find anyone who would be willing to take it off of him-- let alone move the darn thing. I can't imagine how much he could have got for it if Ebay was around at the time. I know I would still be looking, too.

Jimmy P.

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-----Original Message-----
From: jamierob54 [mailto:jamie@...]
Sent: Monday, June 02, 2003 11:22 AM
To: Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Mellotronists] Re: In search of a Mellotron...

I can only relate my first-hand experience: I waited for years,
encouraged by people saying things like "yup - they turn up
occasionally and can be had for a reasonable sum if you find the
right situation." Well, I guess I don't run with the right crowd,
cause the only ones I ever saw turn up were on eBay and they almost
always went for top dollar - it's the nature of eBay.

I finally got one (via eBay) last January, and paid top dollar of
course (you can probably look it up) - with absolutely no regrets.
When all is said and done, after I finish restoring it, it will have
cost more than if I had just bought a refurbished unit from Streetly
(less shipping), but it was the process as much as the instrument
itself that I was looking for.

The good news is that they don't appear to be going down in value.

Good luck. -Jamie

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Re: [Mellotronists] In search of a Mellotron...

2003-06-02 by brian carney

Got my Tron (#486) and a Crumar DS-2 for $500 in 1991, ironically right after the May '91 Keyboard magazine article came out spotlighting David Kean. The seller knew he could get $3000, but the Tron wasn't working and he had to quickly get rid of it since was moving from Amherst, MA to San Francisco. Unfortunately, it took another four years to get the Tron working (anyone else on the board have a "missing parts", namely my keyboard and tape frame, or "parts lost in the mail" saga with Mr. Kean)? By the way, the Crumar just needed cleaning, then worked ok for a few more years. Anyone on the board know who can fix Crumar DS-2's and replace parts? So that wasn't a bad deal...

And by the way, as of yesterday, I am a proud owner of a Wurlizter EP 200! (needs work). It looks real pretty next to the Rhodes Mk I Stage 73 and chopped Hammond M-3!

>From: "Tim Clark"
>To: Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [Mellotronists] In search of a Mellotron...
>Date: Mon, 02 Jun 2003 13:40:48 -0000
>
>Hey all,
>
>While I was in college, I ended up getting my hands on a WurliTzer EP-
>200 for free! Some guy had it on his sidewalk to go out with the
>trash...Needed some TLC, and that's exactly what I've been doing
>lately...
>
>Since the wurly is almost finished (and coming out damn fine I might
>add), I'm looking to continue my keyboard restoration with either a
>Hammond organ (probably an M3) or a 'Tron. But, again, being right
>out of college, my budget is really tight.
>
>Has anybody had any luck finding a Mellotron cheap? The external and
>mechanical condition doesn't matter much to me, as long as the
>electronics are in working shape (I haven't been brave enough to
>tackle a project like that yet). Just wondering if I should
>extinguish all hope of finding a cheap working 'Tron...
>
>-Tim
>

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RE: [Mellotronists] In search of a Mellotron...

2003-06-02 by Pomeroy Ranch

I just got a DS-2 and it has a few (!) problems. Money permitting, I intend to send it over to MusicTek (MusicTek Services 12041 Burbank Blvd. North Hollywood, CA 91607 phone: 818.506.4055). I had them fix my fried Crumar T-1 a couple of years back. If the LA area is a bit of a schlep, since all Crumar weigh a whole lot more than they should, try http://www.synthmuseum.com/resources.html to see if any of those folks can help…..Good Luck!

Vance…..Crumar fetishist (Zappa’s T-1, Synergy s.n. 1, DS-2) and Chamberlin caretaker

-----Original Message-----
From: brian carney [mailto:briancarney@...]
Got my Tron (#486) and a Crumar DS-2 for $500 in 1991, ……….Anyone on the board know who can fix Crumar DS-2's and replace parts?

Re: [Mellotronists] In search of a Mellotron...

2003-06-05 by John McIntyre

Tim Clark wrote:

> Has anybody had any luck finding a Mellotron cheap?

Well, I didn't find it: it found me. I came home from work one day to find a
message on my answering machine from Richard Burmer. (I used to jam with him
back before he moved to California and started releasing records.) He wanted
to get rid of his Mellotron and I was the only person he could think of who
might be interested. Damn right I was interested. (-8 It wasn't the one
that had been Arthur Brown's; he'd already gotten rid of that one, but any
Mellotron was fine by me. He sold it to me for $150. He also used me to
dispose of his EML 101 and EML Sequencer that day, too. (-8

John McIntyre
Physics - Astronomy Domine Dept
Michigan State University
mcintyre@...