Mellotronists

In a message dated 27/8/04 3:45:30 AM GMT Daylight Time, 
mellotrongirl@... writes:


> Certainly the M300 was a transitional design, but I can just imagine 
> a little staff meeting at the factory after the initial run of 
> Mk2's. Someone of hierarchy saying "Okay, gang--these pricey 
> monstrosities are a bit too much to manufacture--the mechanics, the 
> cabinetry...the delicate inner workings, everything...and they 
> aren't selling too hot, so we need to scale these things down and 
> simplify them a bit & keep 'em unique at the same time."
> 
> 
Actually it was a lot more sluggish than that.  Painfully slow in fact 
because it took them until 1971 to realise the potential of a compact mellotron for 
the rock and pop industry despite the Beatles, Manfred Mann and all having 
shown them the way for the last 5 years.  There were all these classic singles 
and albums coming out around 1967 loaded with 'tron and what did Mellotronics 
Manufacturing, Londinium decide upon?  Let's make another domestic cycling 'tron 
using 1/4" tape.  Wrong design, wrong format.  It beggars belief.  The boys 
at the top had all the marketing skills of the Baghdad Pork Scratching Company. 
 Once the penny dropped it took Les and his brothers very little time to come 
up with the M400, probably only a few weeks to pin down the whole design if I 
remember Les's words correctly.  Streetly were enterprising but Mellotronics 
were staid, the result being a difficult relationship a lot of the time.

Martin

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