QDivision Visit

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QDivision Visit
Music Master 600
Chamby vs. Mark I
Middlesex Canal



...and the Chamberlin Music Master 600

Chamberlin Music Master 600 control panel

MONEYPITTERS Jerry Korb and Yours Truly ventured into Somerville, Massachusetts to visit the Q Division recording studio.  Jerry and I had been in communication with Jon Lupfer (on staff at Q Division) and Mellotronist Brendan Haley about things Mellotronic and what to do with some machines they have.  Brendan is working on an M400 at the moment (and sent some of the guts home with Jerry for some work), and Jon and Q Division are the proud owners of Mellotron  Mark II #210 and Chamberlin Music Master 600 #6317.

Professor Korb was called in to evaluate the condition of the Mark II and Chamby to see what would be required to restore them to good mechanical order.  I went along to take a few snaps of the Chamby and see what that's all about.

Mark II #210

First---a quick look at the Mark II.

Mark II at Q Division - with Jerry, Jon, and Brendan
Jerry, Jon, and Brendan with the Mark II in the foreground

Mark II #210 does run, but it's missing tapes on the left side.  It has a Mellotron Archives set of tapes on the right side with one tape that has been replaced by who-knows-what.  All the internal bits seem to be there except for one speaker.  We didn't power it up to check the cycling or anything else.

 

 Mark II at Q Division

Something that caught Your Webmaster's eye in this picture Mark II at Q Division is the myriad of extra wires all over the place.  Do folks remember back to the Pindertron where the previous owners were always trying to get rid of the hum in the machine and ran ground wires everywhere?  The exact same thing is being done in this Mark II!  Perhaps it is simply incorrect headblock wiring.  Gee, I wonder if Streetly ever sacked that doofus who wired the heads in wrong?

The Mark II's case is in nice condition except for various chips out of the veneer at the base, caused by pushing the machine around on the floor.  #210 is currently bolted to a platform with wheels to make it easily portable (OK, relatively easily portable).  Jon L. and Q Division are already lining up someone to work on the mechanical side of this machine to get it to function well and sound great.  Right now although it kinda runs, it's hardly ever used.  All of us would like to see that changed.

Now let's go check out the Music Master-->