Mellotron 400 The forerunner to today's samplers, I've actually owned four of the dammed things! There's just something amazing about the sound this machine makes.

For those of you who want to know what one sounds like , check out any Moody Blues, Genesis, Strawbs, King Crimson or Yes albums and you'll hear what I mean. The instrument has a tape player under each note , and was always very heavy to lift ,and as temperamental as a temperamental thing! But the sound is just so organic (no pun intended). No computer based keyboard can fully emulate the Mellotron's musical character. I've just had mine, which used to be owned by Jimmy Page, renovated by those awfully nice Streetly lads! - See favourite links.

I actually met Rick Wakeman at a concert he gave at a local church back in '99 (See pic on home page). He above all others is responsible for my unnatural fascination with these two musical icons of the sixties. He alone takes full blame for endless nights trying to get my early machines to stay in tune!

All of us brought up on seventies "Pomp Rock" have memories of Rick with his Silver cloak hunched over banks of keyboards. He had at least two of each of these! - Impressive!