What it is and what it was built for
The Mk II is the second commercial Mellotron, released in 1964 as an update to the Mk I of 1963. It has two manuals with 35 sounds on each, and it gave a player the full set of sounds selectable by banks and stations. It sits in an organ-style cabinet with two 12-inch internal speakers and an amp, weighs 160 kg, and about 160 were made. The earliest instruments were intended for homes and clubs, and they were expensive: a Mellotron cost £1,000 when a typical house cost £2,000 to £3,000.
How it works, in terms a player would use
Each key presses a length of tape against a playback head. While the key stays down a capstan pulls the tape across the head, and when it is released a spring pulls the tape back to its start. On the earlier models the instrument is split into lead and rhythm sections, with six stations of rhythm sounds and six of lead sounds. A tuning button in the centre varies the pitch, or the tempo for the rhythm tracks.
What it does better than anything else
Because the sound is recorded on tape, replaying it gives small changes in pitch and level, so a note sounds slightly different each time. Pressing a key harder brings the head into firmer contact, so the Mellotron responds to aftertouch. The left-hand manual of the Mk II carried automatic backing tracks, which variety pianist Geoff Unwin said let him play more accomplished shows than his own piano skills would.
What it does badly
At 160 kg it was a piece of furniture, not a touring instrument. The family as a whole was hurt by smoke, temperature changes and humidity, and tapes could stretch and stick on the capstan. Pressing too many keys at once made the motor drag, so notes came out flat. The FX console that followed in 1965 was designed to be quieter and more stable than the Mk II, with a different DC motor.
What people made with it
Unwin toured with a Mk II and appeared on television and radio. Early owners included Princess Margaret, Peter Sellers and King Hussein of Jordan. Graham Bond played one live, triggering the tapes with solenoids from a Hammond organ, in what was the first hit song featuring a Mk II, “Baby Can It Be True”. Tony Banks played the opening of “Watcher of the Skies”, on the album Foxtrot (1972), on a Mk II with strings and brass combined.
Who should use it, and who should not
Someone who wants the 1960s double-manual layout, with banks and stations, and accepts that the tape is part of the sound. Not a live player who has to carry it, or anyone who needs steady pitch.
Is it worth your time
Yes, as a studio instrument for a player who values its mechanical character. The later M4000 of 2007 used a digital bank selector that emulated the mechanical one in the Mk II. Expect weight, upkeep and a note that never repeats exactly.
