Mellotronists

Hello,

I am going to take a look at a Mellotron M-400, tomorrow
afternoon.  Since I've never played, or even touched a
Mellotron before - I don't have a baseline to determine the
quality of the instrument.

Are there some very simple things to look for on the
instrument?  The seller has (2) additional tape racks for
sale as well.

Any recommendations are appreciated.

Thanks,

John Hofmeyer

The best bet is to have a friend who already has one or is familiar
with the workings to coach you along with your purchase. I'd say first
off, the cosmetic appearance can tell you if it's been knocked around
a bit. Do the keys lay flat and level like a row of straight teeth?
Look for major dents in the corners that might imply a dropped
unit/tweaked -unsquare cabinet. Ask the seller why it's for sale. That
question almost sounds personal, but this is a major purchase...and
the answer may say a lot. I can't conceive selling a 'tron unless I'm
in total dire financial straits. Ask about the history of the machine
and how often it is/was used. Has the seller ever had to buy/replace
parts? Where did the extra racks come from?

Then of course turn on the machine and check the sound of the
mechanics, and run through all three racks note by note, all three
selections to the full eight seconds, and with the top off, note how
they retract and the fidelity of each sound is. The motor/flywheel
should make the light whirring sound of a well-oiled machine. Ask if
the seller ever demagnetised the heads/gave the unit regular
maintenance. Do the pots sound scratchy? There's so much to say here
without being there with you when you make the purchase, but a lot of
the little things that typically go wrong are usually easy to fix and
adjust. If the sounds through the seller's amplifier/speaker system
sound good and steady to you...that's the happiness factor right there.

If this is the craigslist unit offered w/the muff and racks in the Bay
Area, I'd say that sounds like an okay deal to me if all is in working
order. From just the vibe I get about the way the unit is presented
(the muff case is a good sign that the owner is conscious about
protecting the unit), methinks you'll be our newest happy 'tron owner.

On Wed, 23 Mar 2005, mellotrongirl wrote:

> Do the keys lay flat and level like a row of straight teeth?



<stupid cheap shot>
wait a minute... they were made in england...
</stupid cheap shot>



> Look for major dents in the corners that might imply a dropped
> unit/tweaked -unsquare cabinet. Ask the seller why it's for sale. That
> question almost sounds personal, but this is a major purchase...and
> the answer may say a lot. I can't conceive selling a 'tron unless I'm
> in total dire financial straits. Ask about the history of the machine
> and how often it is/was used. Has the seller ever had to buy/replace
> parts? Where did the extra racks come from?


yeah - ask a lot of questions.


> Then of course turn on the machine and check the sound of the
> mechanics, and run through all three racks note by note, all three
> selections to the full eight seconds, and with the top off, note how
> they retract and the fidelity of each sound is. The motor/flywheel
> should make the light whirring sound of a well-oiled machine. Ask if
> the seller ever demagnetised the heads/gave the unit regular
> maintenance. Do the pots sound scratchy? There's so much to say here
> without being there with you when you make the purchase, but a lot of
> the little things that typically go wrong are usually easy to fix and
> adjust. If the sounds through the seller's amplifier/speaker system
> sound good and steady to you...that's the happiness factor right there.


chances are that it will have some "issues"
[don't we all?]
be wary of expectations.
try and determine what is causing any detected problems.
IE: a beat set of tapes can make an otherwise fine unit sound like crap.
a machine way out of adjustment can make a fine set of tapes sound like
crap. use your common sense - your eyes - your ears - and worse case
scenario, your nose ;0)

bring either an expert or at lest somebody with some basic knowledge
if you can. they will know what questions to ask and what the "good"
answers are, what can be fixed, what will cost you more than you might
think you want to get into...

...and be sure to check which motor card it has, and check for the serial
number on every possible part to make sure they match each other.

and lastly, be sure to report back here with your findings and any
questions you may have. this is the best resource available [short
of having streetly or mellotron archives accompany you personally].


> If this is the craigslist unit offered w/the muff and racks in the Bay
> Area, I'd say that sounds like an okay deal to me if all is in working
> order. From just the vibe I get about the way the unit is presented
> (the muff case is a good sign that the owner is conscious about
> protecting the unit), methinks you'll be our newest happy 'tron owner. 


best of luck!
jeff

>I am going to take a look at a Mellotron M-
>400, tomorrow
>afternoon.  Since I've never played, or even touched a
>Mellotron before - I don't have a baseline to determine the
>quality of the instrument.

oof...Big question.  Best advice:  Find someone who knows these things to 
go with you.  But that's not always possible...

In addition to that which was previously mentioned, check the capstan, and 
make sure it's not bowed (very unlikely), pitted, gouged, or 
rusted.  Replacing one can be a bit of a repair bill.  Capstan bearings can 
be replaced if needed, btw.

If there's a CMC-10, you WILL be replacing it, and it WILL set you back 
several hundred bucks.

Make sure the motor is in good shape.  It shouldn't run hot, it shouldn't 
sound labored or noisy (if the belt is the right tension and the capstan 
bearings are good), and it should spin up fairly quickly and have no 
trouble making things turn.  However you will notice a pitch dive when you 
play >4 notes simultaneously if there's a CMC-10 in there, and there'll be 
lots of whine (with a CMC-10).  This should not be the case if there's an 
SMS motor controller in there.

Do all the controls work?

Tapes should rise and fall with ease if the tape path is straight.  But if 
it turns out to be an EMI M400, good luck...:-)

If the keyboard action is stiff, it could be poor adjustment.  Generally if 
the screws are way down or buried, that's what you've got.  Folks, if you 
find that you're adjusting your keyboard and continuing to drive the screws 
further down, you have another problem---back off and try again---if it's 
still horrid, there's something else wrong (pinch roller, funky head, bad 
felt, bad tape, bad tape path, missing/loose keyboard thumbscrew, etc).

Remove the keyboard and spin the pinch rollers.  If they're stiff, the 
Merbler Flick may clear that, or you may need new ones (not *too* 
expensive, fortunately).  If some felt is missing on the pressure pads or 
where the adjustment screws are, just go to American Piano Supply.  :-)

Make sure you get all the parts, including the aluminum cover to the tape 
take-up box.  Make sure all tape heads produce some sound (replacement tape 
heads are available---someone on the list probably has a few hanging 
around---although they're touchy to solder in because the wire is somewhat 
fine).

If the tapes don't look worn, aren't moldy or dirty, and appear to be in 
good shape, they may very well be usable still.  Properly stored, they can 
last quite a long time (decades).

Checking for signs of abuse was a good suggestion.

As long as the basic mechanicals and electronics are OK, everything else is 
usually minor fixits and tweaks (once you figure out the quirks of these 
machines).  However replacing the motor and motor controller can get a bit 
expensive, especially with the current exchange rate.  Add in a capstan and 
power supply, and you may as well move on to the next machine unless your 
bargaining skills are top notch.  :-)

But before purchasing a Mellotron, you must have some basic competence in 
things mechanical, as adjusting these things or tracking down a problem can 
drive you nuts.  Often times a machine that sounds like crap only needs 
some basic tweaks, but sometimes not.  If you're not good at this stuff or 
are shy about opening something up to fiddle with it, you might think twice 
or at least be sure you have a good support system before looking into an 
M400.  If screw drivers and Ohm meters baffle you, completely avoid that 
M300 or Mark II you've been pondering.  Hell---they scare *me*!  :-)

Good luck, and have fun in your adventure!

...kl...
M400 #805 - showed up with SMS-4
M400 #1037 - showed up with CMC-10, smoked motor, and mouse poop