Anyone here play a Theremin?

[weemac]

Just wondering...
If so what brand seems to be the best?
I, so far like the almost pure sine wave soung of the Moogs..

Eden.

[ozover50]

I checked a few out a couple of years ago, Eden. The Moog was the only one I even considered. The rest were either ****** half baked kits or wannabes.... the Moog was simply the best. I came close to buying one direct from the US but decided against it in the end...... another gadget in the spare room to gather dust!

I have no idea what the market's offering these days but I suspect nothing has changed.

Bill Bailey uses a Moog if that's any recommendation.

[blueflamerick]

I've messed around with one. It was a cheapo Radio Shack or similar model.

One of the bands I'm in is considering adding a Moog theremin to our sound.

These theremins have got me curious.

[marc61]

Uggghhh..yet another instrument my son wants to toy with. We saw a band opening for the Flaming Lips, and the guy was toying with one. Pretty neat.

[rickboy88]

A little bit of trivia; the 1st part trombone player in the Glenn Miller big band (Paul Tanner) played Theremin on the Beach Boy's "Good Vibrations".

I guess it would more accurately be called an electro/slide theremin:
http://www.tompolk.com/Tannerin/Tannerin.html
http://www.spaceagepop.com/tanner.htm

This makes sense, as a trombone player would be able to come up to speed quickly on one.

I play trombone myself (as well as bass guitar) but haven't attempted to play one of these.

You can see a much younger Paul Tanner to the far left in this HQ youtube of the original Glenn Miller band from "Sun Valley Serenade:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2aj0zhXlLA

[peewee]

Don't play one but I certainly hear one in my head every morning I wake up and look in the mirror -- the horror!

[jps]

There is a review of the Moog in the August issue of GP. They must have mistaken the antennae for guitar strings!

[peewee]

One of my best friends knows a woman who plays theremin and is -- believe it or not -- classically trained. I'll see if I can't get her info and opinions and find some video to post up. According to him, this gal is very gifted with this instrument!

[electrofaro]

A friend of mine got an expensive Moog theremin and managed to sell it within a week - is it really that hard to play?

[just_bassics]

A friend of mine has one, identical to Jimmi Page's and every time he has a party, he breaks it out for the kids to play with. Ten minutes later, everyone leaves.... I think that's why he does it.

[weemac]

I've found that another one that seems to be favoured is the Burns B3 Pro..http://soundslikeburns.com/
The Moog Etherwave pro seems to be regarded as the best for it's tone and linear play and the Burns B3 Pro comes second in its response and it has a good tone. The Moog Etherwave pro is discontuned and second hand ones have gone into silly money...
So I think it is down to
The Burns B3 Pro or the Moog Etherwave Standard...

Eden.

[ozover50]

Haven't seen the Burns ones before, Eden. If they come in second to the Moog they can't be all that bad. The B3 Pro might be a little over the top but the others seem pretty good value..... especially with the current exchange rate!!

[tennis_nick]

Don't bother learning to play the theremin, nobody can be better then the master....

[jps]

So I think it is down to
The Burns B3 Pro or the Moog Etherwave Standard...

Eden.

The one reviewed in GP is the Etherwave Plus, perhaps a replacement for the Pro model. Seems to have lots of connectivity regarding use as a controller for other devices with a control jack.

[iamthebassman]

I have one, play it most every gig.