Mellotronists

Greetings Everyone,

Attached photos  are of the orig. Mellotron #725 owned/played
by Larry "Synergy" Fast of NJ, on his first LP release of 1975.

His machine was here in VT  for  some electro-mechanical
fixer-ups from June-July. At Larry's request,the  cabinet was NOT
repainted, as to preserve  all the marks/dings (provenance),
which he himself  made in those 30+  years. Even the little Mini-Moog
foot-pad imprints  are still there !

The Tron was at the House Of Music Studio in W.Orange,NJ
from 1973 to 1994. It was loaned-out on special request on
occasion,but only rarely. Ater the House Of Music closed ,
M400/725 is stored at Larry's studio complex in Morris Cty,NJ.

It  plays like new, or "better than original" according to Larry.
He tried some chops from "Metropolitan Suite", the orig. "Synergy" LP,
and  segments from newest material with Tony Levin Band, & was thrilled.

.....Since the Tron was returned to him on Aug-6, he's played with it
3-4 times, and I'm hoping/praying  that he's rediscovering his
"Reconstructed Artifact" (Larry's latest CD title) for future recording
use .

Pierre Veilleux and KL had the opportunity to exercise this famous
Tron during the July-4th MONEYPIT gathering here with Jimmy Moore/fam.

I basically "un-did" the Sound-Sales "enhancements" from 1978.
1) Crooked/loose motor mounts.
2)  Improper tape storage box installation, causing
   accelerated/premature     tape wear at capstan contact point.
3) Horribly twisted/mangled pad-arms (29 of 35).  No playability
    whatsoever since 1978, when Larry left the Tron to collect dust.
    All corrected to factory specs using reference pad-arms 
    provided by JB  in 1997.
4)  Re-fitted original Mellotron faceplate/knobs from 1973.

Larry's a lover of yesteryear, never tossing-out anything.
He and I are kindred spirits also in things Edisonian, and towpath
canals.

The ONE good-thing Sound Sales did was to fit the SMS2 within.
Still working fine, only needed a quick tweak of the adj./cal. pots .

That's it for now, gang. It's a wet/swampy mess in VT here,
between "Bonnie", regular downpours, and soon "Charlie".
BTW, the PHISH  farewell concert in Coventry,VT. has been reduced
to muddy,gooey slop in the fields. Reminiscent of Woodstock,1969 !

Cheers,  JK and the Tapehead Gang ( no mud here, just frogs)