Mellotronists

Great story...

And I know that feeling... Over 23 years ago, I was the proud owner  
of a gorgeous black Rickenbacker 4001 (just like Geddy) that I  
acquired with the top quality road case for the ridiculous sum of  
$400. three or four years later, tough financial times made me part  
with all my musical instruments, including a Les Paul, 6 or 7 Boss  
effects pedals and my beautiful Ricky (which I sold with the case for  
a mere $600)...

How I deeply regret to have sold off that bass... it was such a warm,  
comfortable, elegant thing and nowadays, every time I see one at a  
concert, I get this little feeling of nostalgy and sadness. On the  
other hand, I have to admit that I really sucked as a guitar and/or  
bass player, but still...

Robert in Montreal


On 2-Nov-07, at 9:28 AM, Jack Younger wrote:

> God, I love these stories.
> I experienced the same to a slightly lesser degree:
> It was a late-50's Sonola amp (a moniker used, in this
> case as an alternate naming for Guild when sold with
> the Sonola accordion line).  Sweet 20 watts, Jensen
> P12R, four inputs with four very different sounds and
> a tremolo that made me cry.  This was the first amp
> that I ever recorded as an engineer, my first session,
> my first record.  I pleaded with the guy to sell it to
> me but to no avail and it sailed right out the door
> the same day.
> The owner continued to be a friend and client for
> years and never mentioned that he still even had it.
> 15 years later he was working in a music store I
> frequent. I walked in and he said, "Oh, I have a
> present for, you.." and dashed downstairs.  He comes
> up holding the Sonola and told me I could have it.
> He'd blown the output transformer and didn't feel like
> getting it fixed. I immediately brought it to my tech.
>  $65 and one tube later it was glorious and it is an
> often-used favorite amp in my studio to this day.
> It's wonderful when gear comes back around.  Back in
> 2005, I posted a message about my first 'tron, hoping
> it could be found.  I still have the posting.  But
> there just wasn't enough info as I had no serial #.  I
> would love to hear more stories about "fated" gear if
> anybody has any.
> Congratulations on your reunion!
> -Jack
>
>
> <jonesalley@...> wrote:
>
>> I managed to pick up an interesting keyboard a while
>> back. It's an Ace Tone Top 5 combo organ with one
>> four-octave manual, it's garish red and white with
>> screw-on stainless steel legs, it only makes five
>> sounds and generally speaking is the kind of
>> instrument that I can't stand. I paid way more than
>> it's worth, but I would have gladly paid even more
>> than I did to own it.
>>
>> It's where I began turning into me. It's the very
>> first instrument I ever played on stage in a rock
>> band, back in the winter of 1969. Not one like it,
>> but the exact same one. It was owned by the guy who
>> played bass and ran the band, and I borrowed it on
>> and off for four or five years in the 70's until I
>> finally started getting some real keyboards of my
>> own.
>>
>> Even with the collection I have amassed in the
>> meantime, I have wondered about this humble little
>> instrument all these decades and a few months ago I
>> decided to see if I could track it down. I succeeded
>> and it's home with me now for good. Amazingly, it
>> seems to have been in a time capsule and it looks
>> like nobody has even played it since the last time I
>> did, it just sat in closets all these years. The
>> little black scuff mark that I accidentally made on
>> the cover looks like it just happened yesterday.
>>
>> And now it's mine. Forever. I almost cried when I
>> opened the box and saw it for the first time in
>> thirty years. I still can't look at it without
>> getting a lump in my throat, and I've had it here
>> for a couple of weeks now.
>>
>> I feel like I just married my high school
>> sweetheart. And she is exactly the same as she was
>> the last time I saw her.
>>
>
>
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