Moog Etherwave Theremin, Custom Quarter Sawn Tiger Oak
- DESCRIPTION
The Moog Etherwave Theremin in Tiger Oak
Humbucker Music has teamed up with Moog to bring you a truly period correct rendition of the Etherwave Theremin!
As you can tell, we're fans of most all things retro at Humbucker Music. What electronic instrument could possibly be more retro than a Theremin? Since the Theremin was created by Leon Theremin in 1920's during the Arts & Crafts decorative movement, we figured it would be appropriate to offer the Moog Etherwave in a enclosure that suits the higher-end style of the time. With it's simple aesthetic and straight lines reminiscent of finer Mission styled Arts & Crafts furniture, the Tiger Oak cabinet is *PERFECT* for the discriminating Etherwave Theremin owner.
Why Quarter Sawn Tiger Oak?
Well, quarter sawn oak was a key feature of the aforementioned decorative style of the American Arts and Crafts movement, particularly the work of Gustav Stickley, who is easily considered one of the finest furniture builders ever. He felt it was superior to any other wood used in furniture making. Cheaper copies of Stickley's furniture were sometimes made with the less-expensive woods stained to resemble oak, but it can be identified by its lack of "tiger striping".
Quarter Sawn oak, while somewhat expensive, has two distinct advantages:
(1) It is considerably stronger and more resistant against warping with changes in humidity, and
(2) It can produce beautiful ray flake in the grain, often called tiger stripes.
Sourcing the Wood
This wasn't exactly an easy task. Tiger Oak doesn't exactly grow on trees. Wait! Scratch that. You know what we mean... Anyway, in order to do this, we worked with Moog and their woodshop supplier in Sparta, TN, just up the road from us. We specified the wood, and we prototyped a few finishes back and forth until it met our specs.
"One of my hobbies is collecting old tiger oak pieces of furniture, so I had a very distinct finish in mind that I wanted to see on these enclosures. I'm very happy with the outcome, and the first one is going home with me!" - Jake Langston, Head Dishwasher, Humbucker Music
Yeah, yeah. We get it. What about the Theremin itself?
The theremin is one of the oldest electronic instruments, and the only one you play without touching. Moving your hands in the space around its antennas controls pitch and volume.
POWER - rocker switch - switches on and off the AC power to theremin.
AUDIO OUT - standard 1/4" phone jack, which delivers line level output to your amplifier.
PITCH - rotary control, for adjusting the response of the pitch antenna.
VOLUME - rotary control, for adjusting the response of the volume antenna.
WAVEFORM - rotary control, for adjusting the waveform of the audio output.
BRIGHTNESS - rotary control, for adjusting the brightness of the audio output.
POWER INPUT - receptacle for the special AC adapter that comes with the Etherwave. 110 volt and 220 volt adapters are available.
ANTENNA CONNECTORS - threaded connectors which allow the antennas to be removed for travel.
Humbucker Music has teamed up with Moog to bring you a truly period correct rendition of the Etherwave Theremin!
As you can tell, we're fans of most all things retro at Humbucker Music. What electronic instrument could possibly be more retro than a Theremin? Since the Theremin was created by Leon Theremin in 1920's during the Arts & Crafts decorative movement, we figured it would be appropriate to offer the Moog Etherwave in a enclosure that suits the higher-end style of the time. With it's simple aesthetic and straight lines reminiscent of finer Mission styled Arts & Crafts furniture, the Tiger Oak cabinet is *PERFECT* for the discriminating Etherwave Theremin owner.
Why Quarter Sawn Tiger Oak?
Well, quarter sawn oak was a key feature of the aforementioned decorative style of the American Arts and Crafts movement, particularly the work of Gustav Stickley, who is easily considered one of the finest furniture builders ever. He felt it was superior to any other wood used in furniture making. Cheaper copies of Stickley's furniture were sometimes made with the less-expensive woods stained to resemble oak, but it can be identified by its lack of "tiger striping".
Quarter Sawn oak, while somewhat expensive, has two distinct advantages:
(1) It is considerably stronger and more resistant against warping with changes in humidity, and
(2) It can produce beautiful ray flake in the grain, often called tiger stripes.
Sourcing the Wood
This wasn't exactly an easy task. Tiger Oak doesn't exactly grow on trees. Wait! Scratch that. You know what we mean... Anyway, in order to do this, we worked with Moog and their woodshop supplier in Sparta, TN, just up the road from us. We specified the wood, and we prototyped a few finishes back and forth until it met our specs.
"One of my hobbies is collecting old tiger oak pieces of furniture, so I had a very distinct finish in mind that I wanted to see on these enclosures. I'm very happy with the outcome, and the first one is going home with me!" - Jake Langston, Head Dishwasher, Humbucker Music
Yeah, yeah. We get it. What about the Theremin itself?
The theremin is one of the oldest electronic instruments, and the only one you play without touching. Moving your hands in the space around its antennas controls pitch and volume.
The Etherwave is a quality musical instrument designed for ruggedness and portability. It has a five-octave pitch range and reliable spacing between notes for sophisticated playability. Antennas are nickel-plated 3/8" brass tube and cabinets are furniture-grade hardwood, finished with a custom Moog stain. The Etherwave is fitted with an adapter for mounting on a standard microphone stand and works well with most guitar/bass amplifiers, and PA systems.
All Etherwaves ship with two video tutorials on one DVD: Clara Rockmore: the Greatest Theremin Virtuosa and Mastering the Theremin, featuring Lydia Kavina.
