Mechano

Ok,here we have Mechano. Mechano is the French brother of Metalore, and boy is he weird. Some of the usual components include the chicken cooker face plate, a big metal salad bowl, and some common household plumbing pipes. Some of Mechano's more unusual parts are three separate motors controlled by push switches mounted on the face plate. One of the motors sits on the top of the neck and rubs gently on a aluminum swirl from one of my many fashion shows. The second is attached right on the face plate and when turned one vibrates one string mounted in there just for that purpose. The third motor sits just up towards the neck on the right hand side. That also rubs, and vibrates a string set there for that purpose (think hurdy gurdy only different) Mechano also has an old Victrola motor mounted on the left hand side that has a hand crank on it. Attached to the motor is a small hand designed piece of movable metal, that, depending on the rate of speed from the motor, and the placement height of the metal, you can in fact have it hit up to three separate strings, giving yourself accompaniment, or a beat to play to. Mechano keeps getting stranger. There is silver horn that jets out of Mechanos left side. This horn is here so that you can here the voices, and direct them either to a mic, or a certain sweet spot in the room. What comes out of the horn depends on what you say into the opening at the back of one of the necks pipes. There is a small mic up near the opening, which runs to a small amplifier inside, which then in turn runs to a small speaker, which of coarse is attached to the silver horn. You have complete volume control, and even a low end boost if one so desires. Just when you thought it couldn't get any more weird, it does. Lastly Mechano has a small portable tape deck mounted on the face plate. At first this was strictly for cosmetic purposes, cool moving parts and the sorts, but in leaving the head of the tape deck intact, I was able to run small pieces of recorded tape across it and have it play the tape. Back and forth, back and forth. All the sound being sent out through the silver horn. Unfortunately Mechano, who is still in fine working order was one of the instruments damaged in the fire. He still plays the same, but he don't look to pretty if you know what I mean.

photo by iner souster