The Mellotron Group

I've done this repeatedly for live performances.
 
 
In a message dated 5/9/2011 2:48:58 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
ecclesreinson@rogers.com writes:

 
 
 
Has anyone used an M400 flight case bottom as a dolly / platform? It adds  
about6 inches. Works well with feet off. Ends up about 2.5 inches  higher.

--- In _newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com_ 
(mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com) ,  john barrick <barrickjohn262@...> wrote:
>
> I'm with Gino  on this, Frank. The height of the M400 cabinet is awkward 
at
> best.  When I made new feet for mine, I added about two inches, keeping in
>  mind that I'm probably going to put in on some kind of "furniture  dolly"
> arrangement, so I can wheel it wherever I want it. I really  look forward 
to
> seeing your refinements to the cabinet. When I rebuild  mine (new cabinet)
> I've been thinking of a number of aesthetic  modifications, many of which
> involve radiusing and rounding over of  sharp edges with some kind of 
natural
> wood finish. The side panels  present the real problem there and may
> involve some sort of solid wood  construction. I'll get it figured out
> eventually. I'm a real fan of  the transparent front and back panels, too.
> 
> john
>  
> On Sat, May 7, 2011 at 10:51 PM, <lsf5275@...> wrote:
>  
> >
> >
> > It is light for plywood and very high  quality. Not inexpensive. I'd go
> > with solid wood in something  that small.
> >
> > In a message dated 5/7/2011 11:49:26  P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> > wonggster@... writes:
>  >
> >
> >
> > Sounds bitching. Baltic Birch is  light isn't it? I have to replace my
> > Afromosia case for my EMS  synthi VCS3 (not the 'A' you saw at Nearfest)
> > wondering if  stained birch was a good sub.
> >
> > On Sat, May 7, 2011 at  11:25 PM, <lsf5275@...> wrote:
> >
> >>
>  >>
> >> The cabinet will be 3 inches taller at the keyboard.  It is being built
> >> from Baltic Birch plywood and MDF. I may do  away with removable 
panels and
> >> go with doors. I'm using the  old cabinet as a platform to experiment 
with
> >> different ways  of doing it. There will be several other differences 
as well.
> >>  It will still look like a Mellotron.
> >>
> >> In a  message dated 5/7/2011 10:18:33 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> >>  wonggster@... writes:
> >>
> >>
>  >>
> >> I have always wanted my cabinet "one brick" higher.  Despite my deep 
love
> >> for Mellotrons, cabinets have always a  source of conflict for me, too
> >> 'something ' for both standing  and sitting. Have you thought about 
making
> >> your cabinet  taller or shorter ?
> >>
> >> best
>  >>
> >> g
> >>
> >> On Sat, May 7,  2011 at 1:12 AM, <lsf5275@...> wrote:
> >>
>  >>>
> >>>
> >>> 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
>  >>>
> >>>
> >>
> > 
>  >
>