Mellotronists

--- In Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com, "David Jacques" 
<djacques@c...> wrote:
> Well Boys, #340 arrived this morning very safe and secure from its
> trans-continental journey. Craters and Freighters did an excellent 
job
> packing and crating it. Not a bit of damage (Shrink wrap, major 
foam
> everywhere, and the crate built around it). However, the folks at 
Yellow
> Freight do leave a bit to be desired. They had some yahoo company
> deliver it to my house in, believe it or not, an open back chicken
> truck! I am not kidding, they had to remove the fence to slide the
> palette off the back of the truck... It looked like it came from 
Green
> Acres...
>  
> Some very interesting observations from what I discovered when I
> unpacked it.
>  
> First, it was filthy... But after wiping it with a damp rag and a 
bit of
> ammonia it cleaned up pretty well. Yes its discolored from age, 
but most
> of it cleaned up. Except for a big scratch on the back, it looks 
fine.
> They keyboard cleaned up well too.
>  
> Upon inspecting all the original paperwork (and there is tons of 
it), it
> looks as if #340 spent most of its life in a recording studio in 
Texas.
> The invoice is for March 14, 1975, and made out to Mr.. Curtis 
Kirk,
> Custom Recording Studio, Tyler, Texas. He also bought 1 set of 
standard
> Mellotron tapes.
>  
> In 1981 Mr.. Kirk purchased 1 set of "special tapes" (1 track 
special).
> I have those on red spools and am waiting to see what they are. 
Along
> with the red spools is one master on a large wheel. hmmmmm.... 
Maybe
> it's John Lennon's secret tapes... 
>  
> The best news (I think), is that in 1978 he purchased and 
installed the
> SMS 3 kit.
>  
> So I could not resist. I plugged it in, hooked it up to an amp, and
> tested her.....  She WORKS!!!!  All keys and tapes work and 
rewind. The
> installed tapes have choir, cello, and three violins. WOW!!!!!!
>  
> OK, some major wobblies on certain notes as I am sure the heads 
need
> cleaning and the keyboard needs some adjustment, but what a thrill!
> Maybe its in better shape than I expected... The foot pedal has 
some
> noise in it, but what do you expect? Also, the track selector 
switch is
> a bit funky as it overshoots the stops, but that is probably a 
simple
> adjustment. I will check that out this week.
>  
> So now I am officially a Mellotroniac! 
>  
> David Jacques
> M400 #340......
>  
>  
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jerry Korb [mailto:jkorb@i...] 
> Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2003 12:11 PM
> To: David Jacques
> Subject: Re: M400 #340 about to arrive very soon
> 
> 
>   
> 
> David Jacques wrote: 
> 
> 
>  Wow, that must have been some job!  
> _______________________________________________________________ 
> 
> Hi David, Yep,  it was. I borrowed technology for repairing 
fiberglass
> hulls 
> on pleasure boats. Made a compound of 2-part epoxy and sawdust to 
> fill chunks of broken particle-board on the bottom. After sanding 
and 
> veneering,looked fine. 
> _______________________________________________________________ 
>  So you had your M400 since new. Nice....  
> 
_____________________________________________________________________
___
> 
> 
> 
> July 1973 it arrived. This month it's been exactly 30 years since 
I've 
> owned it. Cost $1760 plus $200 air cargo at that time.  Arrived 
directly
> 
> from Mellotronics in London.  I was only age 19 then,and worked 
two 
> full summers in warehouse to afford it. 
> _______________________________________________________________ 
>  Jamie and I are discussing which motor controller to purchase. Is 
the
> Streetly easy to install? I am not as handy as someone like you, 
but can
> handle simple jobs with tools.  
> 
_____________________________________________________________________
___
> 
> 
> 
> Very simple. You must have a basic understanding of electronics 
and some
> 
> soldering skills. Everything's marked/detailed with typed 
instructions. 
> John Bradley and I went thru the procedure in 1997 to make it
> "idiot-proof." 
> _______________________________________________________________ 
>  I am also interested in how this extra set of tapes sound. I 
don't even
> know what is on them. Is there a simple way of stringing them onto 
a
> frame? I read about the method of splicing the beginning of the 
new tape
> onto the end of the old tape and pulling it through the mechanism. 
Is
> this the best way?David 
> 
_____________________________________________________________________
___
> 
> 
> 
> Easy. Each tape will have a dash line which is placed directly 
over the 
> corresponding tape-head. Numbered 1 to 35 (Low-G to High F) . 
> If the machine has an extra tape frame,you're all set. If not, you 
can
> "test" 
> to see what sounds are on the spools. I can explain this to you 
more
> easily 
> when the machine is in front of you, and ready to check out. 
> 
> 
> One tape from tape frame can be removed and secured with masking 
tape. 
> This leaves a tape head open. Thread a section of tape from the 
spool 
> and secure it to the rear of machine (loosen two tape screws 
first). 
> Then play a note,letting the spool unwind holding with pencil. Then
> retract 
> the spool/tape by hand to try again. As mentioned,this will sound
> crystal-clear 
> when the M400 is in front of you. 
> 
> 
> Regards, Jerry Korb


> Hi David.
> Congradulation for your purchase of your M400.Welcome to the 
>mellotron owner community.I want to know in what area you lived.
>Your family name sound french and I'm from Montreal,Quebec Canada.
>Have a good evening!