Mellotron Restoration - The "Blue Mellotron" # 1018 is Reborn

[analogdesigner]

TronDoc, now that's a totally pro restoration job! Jay

[Deathsquad49]

the only thing im sad about is you didn't keep the back side art, but either way this is amazing

[Trondoc]

@Deathsquad49 Relax, I still have it. look up "Trondoc Mellotron" on facebook. you can see some of my other work as well in the photos section. More will soon be posted.

[TheSundaeLunch]

Great work! My personal passion is classic jukeboxes, and i can see places where the two cross over.

[Ursamare]

I officially believe in reincarnation.

[Trondoc]

@Ursamare Thanks for having a look. I will be posting another one soon.

[Trondoc]

mrmoofle... I got this machine from a guy in Connecticut about three years ago. It was unplayable and I was just going to gut it for parts. It sat in my shop while I restored many other Mellotrons until its current owner contacted me looking for a machine. I sold him this one and his payments funded the restoration. Originally it was to be blue inside and original outside. I convinced the buyer to let me paint it and this is the result. He never saw it until pick-up.

[Trondoc]

The paint wasn't original, nor was the attempt at making the tapes into loops. The hole in the side wasn't original either. This Mellotron was butchered to the point that I was merely going to use it for parts. I still have the back panel with the Unicorn on a tree in outer space looking back at earth. If I follow your logic, I would never have put a new tape spill box into it, I would not have made it a set of cheek blocks and I would not have given it feet. All of this was missing.

[mrmoofle]

@Trondoc Beautiful restoration job! Any story on the provenance of this particular unit?

[selectimputor]

Its cool that you restored the electronics so that they work, but it would have been nice if you actually restored it, instead of making a new mellotron. The original painting and character of the mellotron was awesome.

[peterdavid69]

nice

[MrJeffBoyardee]

Amazing work! You are an incredible craftsman.

[kn1ghtstemplar]

King Crimson had a blue coloured Tron and they played "Mars" on their second album but I think it was covered in a blue carpet material. I think Fripp owns it. great job btw it looked a basket case. This does sound like Crimsons version on Wake of Poseidon.

[Trondoc]

@kn1ghtstemplar

You can see in the video that I was going to repaint it blue but changed my mind and went to white with an updated look.

[OrganCat]

Great restoration work!

Are those Streetly tapes or original sounds?

[Trondoc]

Both. The sounds are: Mk II Brass GC3 Brass French Horn (new) Mk II Strings String Section Louise Davis Pizzicato Cello (new) Cyndee Lee Rule Violas (new) Bassoon Oboe Mk II Flute Gong (found on the low end of the Marimba sound) also concert snare and timpani

[Keyboardman88]

Do you just work on the M400 or do you do work on the MkII

[RyouRan]

The combination of that amazing music and the 1018 everywhere gave me this feeling of anxiety that perfectly suits my technophobia. Impressive work! A terrific machine reborn.

I've got to play a Mellotron before I die. I'm 23, so I have plenty of time. My grandmother might have had one (that I've played), but it either was one with two keyboards, or it was just an electronic organ. :S I hope it was a Mellotron.

[MellotronMovie]

Beautiful renovation!

[Trondoc]

Thanks for the comments. This is just an example of my workmanship. I have repaired/rebuilt many of them and can perform simple repairs or complete restorations.

[charel196]

outstanding Frank. I helped a local guy redo his M400 a few years back almost the same way...it was pretty far gone when he got it (from someone's attic)-Charles

[jwrightM400S911]

Frank, simply outstanding! You're also a hell of a marketer. Hope this video gets you some more business. Need to mention Mike's perforamnce as well, top shelf!

[miketheorganist]

Amazing! Just wish you'd left it blue, Frank!

[shakurav]

Yes, indeed he is! I have heard results of his "mastery" live in concert (three of them, in fact at NEARFest '03! Hearing Anglagard playing those three was a joy to behold!).

This is a cool video watching glimpses of that mastery at work.

[chutch15]

Frank is the master!