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now, now

now, now

2006-01-31 by jonesalley

Come on, gents, don't go all wobbly on me. Jimmy, you certainly know that I can be extremely caustic when I want to be, and my last email was a very calm presentation. ; The fact is, you substantially altered my analogy to make it encompass your point when you were talking about a very different situation from what I described. I would LOVE to find a venue hospitable to the right style of music that was large enough, secure enough, and with enough help for me to properly handle my instrument and get it through a performance and back home safe and sound. Unfortunately, I'm in a market where I'm in the largest city for 200 miles, and there's only 400,000 here. I wouldn't take a Stradivarius to a hoedown. And David, somebody who has been on this list for as long as you have should know that the most regular commenters are pretty hip to keyboard technology and to not go all pedantic. If I wanted to burn either of you verbally, I would have phrased things quite differently. Once again, my original point was that Memotrons are not Mellotrons, but under certain circumstances would make a useful substitute, just like a digital grand piano. The instrument is just what it was designed to be, and for as long as the designers have been dribbling out information, it's clear that this is exactly what they wanted it to be. I find it hard to believe that they aren't hoping for some kind of success and to move at least a couple of thousand units a year for a good while. It will take a lot of units sold to recoup what they must have spent to develop it so I think they are serious about making this instrument. As far as why we own the real ones? Because of that magnificent sound. Yeah, history is cool, but it's the sound. I do suspect that the originals are somebody going to be vastly more valuable than they are now, but that's not the reason I keep mine and keep hoping to acquire more. It's the sound.
By the way, Jimmy, congratulations on a nice piece of American metal. Being a '69 Mach owner, you are certainly aware of the difference in value that model can have based on engine/drivetrain/transmission/options, and know how much more, say, a '69 Shelby GT 500 with a CobraJet, a four-speed, and all the options would be. That car could put your kids through college and buy a new home, and you definitely would have to treat it like gold unless you were made of money, right? Speaking of old iron, there's a '70 Riviera GS around here that is just killing me, if it just comes down a bit more...

Re: [Mellotronists] now, now

2006-01-31 by lsf5275@aol.com

In a message dated 1/30/2006 10:10:21 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
jonesalley@... writes:

I would  LOVE to find a venue hospitable to the right style of music that was 
large  enough, secure enough, and with enough help for me to properly handle 
my  instrument and get it through a performance and back home safe and  sound.
 
NEARfest. That's why I love working there.
 
Jon, your best analogy was the digital grand piano thingy. True that. I  
would take a Stradivarius to a hoedown. I just wouldn't allow anyone to  touch it 
but me and the guy (or girl) who I had previously deemed good enough to  play 
it. I imagine "the Devil Went Down to Georgia," would sound just fine on a  
Strad. Kind of like killing ants with dynamite though. But still, if I wanted  
someone to enjoy my Strad... and if I lived in Bumfuck... it might be an  
acceptable risk.
 
I road Trons all over the place. That's because I'm a Mellotron Wrangler(me  
and Rick Blechta). I'm hooked up to be able to do that. Most folks aren't. I 
can  see a place for the Memotron. But, as others have pointed out, there are a 
lot  cheaper ways to accomplish the same goal. The neat thing about the 
Memotron is,  is that it is a little self contained box designed to do one thing... 
Pretend to  be a Mellotron. I think there are a bunch of people that would 
buy one. I would  not. And those guys are going to have a tough time figuring 
how to market it.  How many 20-30 year olds know what a Mellotron is/was?
 
I have Mellotrons. I have a good selection of sounds. I have an Anvil  
case... and a bondage cover and a really well equipped tool box. I also have a  
Triton Pro X with samples loaded in. I know how to fix, maintain and  transport 
Mellotrons. I am an exception. I'm also lucky.
 
But for someone who wants to approximate the experience, and I mean that in  
the broadest sense, I say Order One TODAY!!!
 
Who gives a shit? (Rhetorical question, no answer required.) Really.  


So I say, let's sit back and do our respective things, whatever they may  be, 
and let's see what happens with this thing. It may well show us all what the  
future holds. Or, it may become, as Mattias so rightfully pointed out, the 
next  Orchestron.
 
Frank

Re: [Mellotronists] now, now

2006-01-31 by jonesalley

Exactly, it's a substitute in more ways than just trying to reproduce the sound. They've obviously decided there's a market for it, only time will tell. There are more and more niche keyboards out every day, and this one will certainly try to capitalize on a certain mystique that the original has. I like keyboards, and the more choices there are, the merrier.
Show quoted textHide quoted text
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, January 30, 2006 11:01 PM
Subject: Re: [Mellotronists] now, now

In a message dated 1/30/2006 10:10:21 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, jonesalley@cox.net writes:
I would LOVE to find a venue hospitable to the right style of music that was large enough, secure enough, and with enough help for me to properly handle my instrument and get it through a performance and back home safe and sound.
NEARfest. That's why I love working there.
Jon, your best analogy was the digital grand piano thingy. True that. I would take a Stradivarius to a hoedown. I just wouldn't allow anyone to touch it but me and the guy (or girl) who I had previously deemed good enough to play it. I imagine "the Devil Went Down to Georgia," would sound just fine on a Strad. Kind of like killing ants with dynamite though. But still, if I wanted someone to enjoy my Strad... and if I lived in Bumfuck... it might be an acceptable risk.
I road Trons all over the place. That's because I'm a Mellotron Wrangler(me and Rick Blechta). I'm hooked up to be able to do that. Most folks aren't. I can see a place for the Memotron. But, as others have pointed out, there are a lot cheaper ways to accomplish the same goal. The neat thing about the Memotron is, is that it is a little self contained box designed to do one thing... Pretend to be a Mellotron. I think there are a bunch of people that would buy one. I would not. And those guys are going to have a tough time figuring how to market it. How many 20-30 year olds know what a Mellotron is/was?
I have Mellotrons. I have a good selection of sounds. I have an Anvil case... and a bondage cover and a really well equipped tool box. I also have a Triton Pro X with samples loaded in. I know how to fix, maintain and transport Mellotrons. I am an exception. I'm also lucky.
But for someone who wants to approximate the experience, and I mean that in the broadest sense, I say Order One TODAY!!!
Who gives a shit? (Rhetorical question, no answer required.) Really.
So I say, let's sit back and do our respective things, whatever they may be, and let's see what happens with this thing. It may well show us all what the future holds. Or, it may become, as Mattias so rightfully pointed out, the next Orchestron.
Frank

Re: [Mellotronists] now, now

2006-01-31 by lsf5275@aol.com

In a message dated 1/31/2006 12:10:15 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, jonesalley@...t writes:
There are more and more niche keyboards out every day, and this one will certainly try to capitalize on a certain mystique that the original has.
That's why I've decided to build a more modern version of the minimoog. Ohh wait...

Re: now, now

2006-01-31 by Bernie Kornowicz

> I have ... a bondage cover and a really well equipped tool box.

Why am I not surprised?

Re: [Mellotronists] now, now

2006-01-31 by jonesalley

I am seriously thinking of it, but not with any expectations of any dramatic increase of value. I had one when I was younger and just loved it, but the 1970 Riviera is the bastard year that nobody except a few oddballs like me have a fondness for...
----- Original Message -----
Show quoted textHide quoted text
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2006 10:28 AM
Subject: Re: [Mellotronists] now, now

jon,
Bt the car..It will nothing but go up in value. Barrett Jackson car auctions every year are proving this to be true.
Jimmy

-----Original Message-----
From: jonesalley <jonesalley@...>
To: Mellotronists <Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 21:09:23 -0600
Subject: [Mellotronists] now, now

Come on, gents, don't go all wobbly on me. Jimmy, you certainly know that I can be extremely caustic when I want to be, and my last email was a very calm presentation. The fact is, you substantially altered my analogy to make it encompass your point when you were talking about a very different situation from what I described. I would LOVE to find a venue hospitable to the right style of music that was large enough, secure enough, and with enough help for me to properly handle my instrument and get it through a performance and back home safe and sound. Unfortunately, I'm in a market where I'm in the largest city for 200 miles, and there's only 400,000 here. I wouldn't take a Stradivarius to a hoedown. And David, somebody who has been on this list for as long as you have should know that the most regular commenters are pretty hip to keyboard technology and to not go all pedantic. If I wanted to burn either of you verbally, I would have phrased things quite differently. Once again, my original point was that Memotrons are not Mellotrons, but under certain circumstances would make a useful substitute, just like a digital grand piano. The instrument is just what it was designed to be, and for as long as the designers have been dribbling out information, it's clear that this is exactly what they wanted it to be. I find it hard to believe that they aren't hoping for some kind of success and to move at least a couple of thousand units a year for a good while. It will take a lot of units sold to recoup what they must have spent to develop it so I think they are serious about making this instrument. As far as why we own the real ones? Because of that magnificent sound. Yeah, history is cool, but it's the sound. I do suspect that the originals are somebody going to be vastly more valuable than they are now, but that's not the reason I keep mine and keep hoping to acquire more. It's the sound.
By the way, Jimmy, congratulations on a nice piece of American metal. Being a '69 Mach owner, you are certainly aware of the difference in value that model can have based on engine/drivetrain/transmission/options, and know how much more, say, a '69 Shelby GT 500 with a CobraJet, a four-speed, and all the options would be. That car could put your kids through college and buy a new home, and you definitely would have to treat it like gold unless you were made of money, right? Speaking of old iron, there's a '70 Riviera GS around here that is just killing me, if it just comes down a bit more...


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