Mellotronists

----- Original Message ----- 

From: "Ken Leonard" <ken@...>
To: <Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, October 08, 2005 2:24 PM
Subject: Re: [Mellotronists] Re: Mellotron For Sale/'Trons Around The World


>
> >Several Aussie machines, some still in use, and I actually played Split
> >Enz's old M400 in New Zealand a few years back. Several odd mods made to
it,
> >including a fine-tuning pitch control instead of the normal pot (highly
> >irritating)
>
> Did it look like the pitch control here a little less than halfway down
the
> page:
>
> http://www.kleonard.com/mellotron/mps101803/start.htm
>
> This item came from the factory.  Its use is certainly questionable on a
> Mellotron.

I don't think so (this was several years ago). I seem to remember a standard
knob, but the pot had been replaced by one working as you describe.

Andy T.

> > http://www.kleonard.com/mellotron/mps101803/start.htm
> >
> > This item came from the factory.  Its use is certainly questionable on a
> > Mellotron.
>
>I don't think so (this was several years ago). I seem to remember a standard
>knob, but the pot had been replaced by one working as you describe.

It was probably the same mechanism.  Basically it looked like they cut the 
pitch pot shaft in half and stuck the top half into a reduction gear and 
stuck pitch knob on top, and into the bottom of the reduction gear they 
jammed the pitch pot shaft.  (From what I recall the reduction gear looks 
like a cylinder with two sections and holes at either end for the shafts.)

Apparently someone thought that the Mellotron is a precision instrument 
that should be fine-tuned.  Sheaaahhhh, right.

...kl...
M400 #805 - precision instrumentation...not
M400 #1037 - got the shaft (the whole shaft, no screwy pitch gear thingy)

** Ken Leonard - Web Table of Contents:  http://www.kleonard.com
 >> CD available! "Improvised Waves: Mellotron/synth improvisations"
** Get Outdoors New England:  http://www.GONewEngland.org

In a message dated 10/8/2005 1:40:59 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
ken@... writes:

It was  probably the same mechanism.  Basically it looked like they cut the  
pitch pot shaft in half and stuck the top half into a reduction gear and  
stuck pitch knob on top, and into the bottom of the reduction gear they  
jammed the pitch pot shaft.  (From what I recall the reduction gear  looks 
like a cylinder with two sections and holes at either end for the  shafts.)

Apparently someone thought that the Mellotron is a precision  instrument 
that should be fine-tuned.  Sheaaahhhh,  right


I have one of these in my museum of shit that came off of a Mellotron but  
shoulda never been on one... As I recall, it was M400S #1463 owned by Illuvatar  
keys player, Jim Rezek. Frankly, I can see why one might want it if you have  
trouble with finding and holding pitch, but WTF. I offer it for sale for  
$1,000.00. Otherwise I'm donating it to the Audities Foundation and taking a  
huge write off.