Mellotronists

Dear All,
 
Any comments from the Chamberlin experts on the list?
 
Norm
 
In a message dated 21/02/2007 04:01:57 GMT Standard Time,  
egdon@... writes:

> Hi  Norm
> 
> I was checking out your site and wondered if you might  be able to point me
> in the right direction.
> 
> I have  what I think is a Chamberlin Music Master Model 600 or 660.  I've
>  had it for probably about 20 years.  I'm pretty sure it does not have  a
> serial number plate, but it does have a date stamped on some of the  keys
> [I think it was Aug 1965].
> 
> The guy I got it from  told me a few things about it, but that's really all
> I have to go  on.  It was not well taken care of - had a lot of junk in the
>  back when I first got it [like spider eggs], and by looking at them I
>  think at least some of the cabinet sides has either been replaced or
>  stripped of their covering and painted.  Definitely needs some work  in
> that area, but I think it was an instrument that saw a lot of time  on the
> road.  He said that it toured with Godspell in the early  70's, and that it
> was the "original Mellotron", that it was actually  before the Mellotron,
> which is what makes me think it is a 600 or  660.  Not sure what the
> difference was between those two  anyway.
> 
> He also said it originally had pedals - it does not  have pedals now.  He
> gave me some pedals with it, but they don't  look quite like the pedals
> I've seen in pictures.  It has two  keyboards, with the row of 6 LEDs above
> each and the two selector  'levers' between the keyboards.  Each side has 6
> banks of sounds,  making 36 sounds total, counting the two keyboards and
> the 3 positions  on the selectors.
> 
> The motors that roll up to the next bank  are not connected, so I would
> roll them up manually with the  chain.  He told me that the switches would
> roll the chains up to  the next bank, where a trip switch would stop it at
> the right  spot.  In fact, not much is actually connected in it, except
> that  it did work well - I used to play it quite a bit, and adjusted the
>  whole thing many times, mostly after moving to a new apartment.   The
> sounds were great, but it always needed some kind of  tweaking.  It has a
> 1/4" out for plugging into a board or  amp.  The belt finally snapped one
> day, and at the time I could  not find anyone with belts for it in NY.  I
> have not played it  since then - many years.  It has been sitting in my
> basement for  8+ years.  I would have to give it a good bit of work at this
>  stage, even with parts readily available, but I am sure it is still
>  essentially playable.
> 
> The reason I am not sure what model it  is, is that it doesn't look
> *exactly* like any of the pictures I have  seen on the web.  It has volume
> knobs, but they aren't in the  same location as they are in the photos I've
> seen.  Also, pretty  sure there are only two knobs, and I always assumes
> that the third one  in photos was for the pedals, so who knows what model
> it really is, or  what has been done to it over the years.
> 
> Very long story  short - do you have any idea what would be a good next
> step in finding  out what I have?
> 
> Thanks
> 
egdon

can the guy get some photos of the machine taken and post them to the group or to Dave 
Kean or Martin?  Is Harry Chamberlin's son Richard still around?



--- In Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com, NormLeete@... wrote:

>
>  
>  
> Dear All,
>  
> Any comments from the Chamberlin experts on the list?
>  
> Norm
>  
> In a message dated 21/02/2007 04:01:57 GMT Standard Time,  
> egdon@... writes:
> 
> > Hi  Norm
> > 
> > I was checking out your site and wondered if you might  be able to point me
> > in the right direction.
> > 
> > I have  what I think is a Chamberlin Music Master Model 600 or 660.  I've
> >  had it for probably about 20 years.  I'm pretty sure it does not have  a
> > serial number plate, but it does have a date stamped on some of the  keys
> > [I think it was Aug 1965].
> > 
> > The guy I got it from  told me a few things about it, but that's really all
> > I have to go  on.  It was not well taken care of - had a lot of junk in the
> >  back when I first got it [like spider eggs], and by looking at them I
> >  think at least some of the cabinet sides has either been replaced or
> >  stripped of their covering and painted.  Definitely needs some work  in
> > that area, but I think it was an instrument that saw a lot of time  on the
> > road.  He said that it toured with Godspell in the early  70's, and that it
> > was the "original Mellotron", that it was actually  before the Mellotron,
> > which is what makes me think it is a 600 or  660.  Not sure what the
> > difference was between those two  anyway.
> > 
> > He also said it originally had pedals - it does not  have pedals now.  He
> > gave me some pedals with it, but they don't  look quite like the pedals
> > I've seen in pictures.  It has two  keyboards, with the row of 6 LEDs above
> > each and the two selector  'levers' between the keyboards.  Each side has 6
> > banks of sounds,  making 36 sounds total, counting the two keyboards and
> > the 3 positions  on the selectors.
> > 
> > The motors that roll up to the next bank  are not connected, so I would
> > roll them up manually with the  chain.  He told me that the switches would
> > roll the chains up to  the next bank, where a trip switch would stop it at
> > the right  spot.  In fact, not much is actually connected in it, except
> > that  it did work well - I used to play it quite a bit, and adjusted the
> >  whole thing many times, mostly after moving to a new apartment.   The
> > sounds were great, but it always needed some kind of  tweaking.  It has a
> > 1/4" out for plugging into a board or  amp.  The belt finally snapped one
> > day, and at the time I could  not find anyone with belts for it in NY.  I
> > have not played it  since then - many years.  It has been sitting in my
> > basement for  8+ years.  I would have to give it a good bit of work at this
> >  stage, even with parts readily available, but I am sure it is still
> >  essentially playable.
> > 
> > The reason I am not sure what model it  is, is that it doesn't look
> > *exactly* like any of the pictures I have  seen on the web.  It has volume
> > knobs, but they aren't in the  same location as they are in the photos I've
> > seen.  Also, pretty  sure there are only two knobs, and I always assumes
> > that the third one  in photos was for the pedals, so who knows what model
> > it really is, or  what has been done to it over the years.
> > 
> > Very long story  short - do you have any idea what would be a good next
> > step in finding  out what I have?
> > 
> > Thanks
> > 
> egdon
>