From don@till.com Fri Dec  2 02:19:04 1994
Date: Thu, 1 Dec 1994 21:14:14 -0800
From: Don Tillman <don@till.com>
To: andrea@sihp03.si.estec.esa.nl
Cc: analogue@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
Subject: -- Mellotron -- 

   From: Andrea TONI <andrea@sihp03.si.estec.esa.nl>
   Date: Wed, 30 Nov 94 9:46:47 MET

   This week-end I'm going to have a look at a Mellotron and I really 
   hope that one of the dreams of my life will became true .. 

   Since I'm not very familiar  with all the series I would like the 
   advise of some expert .(Don ?? Tom ??) 

Sure, ask away.

   The only thing I seems to remember is that there are 400 400 MKII and 
   Birotron (Wakeman Tormato .. I believe very rare  to find ) 
   The guy doesn't have any documentation and I would like to go there 
   with a bit of solid backgruond .. enlightme please .. 

There are actually about a dozen models, but the M400 is by far the
most popular one, for pretty clear reasons.  The Mark Vail article
(May '91 Keyboard magazine and reproduced in his book _Vintage
Synthesizers_) covers things pretty well.

Dave Kean is the Mellotron master guru.  He runs Mellotron Archives,
which supplies manuals, parts (he actually bought out the old
factory!), custom tapes, tee-shirts, advice, publishes a newsletter,
and has produced two videotapes describing the sounds and the workings
of these beasts.  The "Workings" videotape is real good.

This man has singlehandedly redefined the word 'fanatic'.

You can get hold of him thusly;
  Mellotron Archives
  721 Michael
  Moses Lake, Washington  98837 USA
  509 765-6451

   -- How much should I pay suppose is in reasonably good shape  ? 

Depends on the model.  I bought one M400 in great shape for $800 about
3 1/2 years ago, and one in absolutely horrible shape for $400 about a
year ago.  Both were very good deals.  Dave has had some completely
reconditioned 'Trons available for $2000.  Patrick Moraz was selling a
Mark V for $8000 with a letter of authenticity, but I doubt he got
that much for it.

Those are USA dollars.  Lessee, over there they'd probably cost 14000
pfennigs or so.

   -- What should I check (typically defective parts or malfunction) ?

Everything!

   -- How difficult is to find new tapes ?

Easy, thanks to Dave.  Impossible otherwise.

   -- I seems to remember white chassis and brown (wood) chassis .. 
      differences please .. 

The color.  :-)

The M400 usually came in white, occasionally in black, very
occasionally in teak.  The Mark II came in some brown woody
furniture-looking finish.  The Mark V came in black.

  -- Don 
 "My favorite sounds are eight seconds long"
