The Mellotron Group

Since I brought this machine home a couple of months ago, aside from  
stripping the cabinet and getting the mechanicals into the wood frame, I've not  
had the time to even really examine it. All I knew was that it didn't work 
and  that the cabinet was not worth repairing.
 
Well, yesterday I finally got around to finding out why this machine  
doesn't work. Every time I restore an old Mellotron I find something unusual  
that I've never seen before. This one was no exception. The SMS 2 was bad,  and 
though I have several spares, I was able to fix the one that came with it  
and it was soon up and running. Then the surprises started. The keyboard was 
 beyond horrible. Oddly, the pressure pad adjustment screws were backed way 
out.  I removed the keyboard and took a close look. All of the felt pads 
that isolate  the adjustment screws were replaced with new ones that were 1/4 
inch thick.  Interesting...  these thick felt pads were also installed on 
the backs  of the pressure pads themselves, forcing them to stand off of the 
pressure pad  rest 1/4 inch, which then necessitated someone bending it into 
a bizarre  configuration.
 
I wanted to get it to run before I started tearing it down and I did get it 
 to work... sorta. I am happy that the motor appears to be very strong with 
 little wear on the commutator or brushes. Minor warps in some of the keys 
are a  quick fix. It has a PML 1 and it is very quiet. I cranked up the 
sound dry and  got no humming and no crackling. Amazingly, a check of the heads 
revealed zero  magnetism on any of them. In fact, aside from a small 
magnetic reading from the  left bearing block, there was none anywhere in or near 
the tape path.  Hooray!
 
So far, I have begun kitting a new cabinet. With any luck, I'll have all of 
 the parts cut within the next couple of weeks. Since this one is mine and 
I have  no deadline or expectant owner, the going will be slow. I expect 
there will be  some surprises when I reveal it. The fun has begun.
 
Frank